Blogs from Laos, Asia - page 532

Here is picture update number 2. Now I know my camera fell in a waterfall and has since been unusable, but due to the generosity of my fellow travellors I have been able to update my blog with their pics. These mostly show my time in Laos but there are a few of Vietnam as well.... read more

After our crazy ride from Nong Kiaw we arrived in Luang Prabang. The downtown area is very pretty and clean but completely touristy. Being a UNESCO world heritage city they have to preserve the architecture and keep it nice and clean, which is great because it's definitely beautiful but I can just imagine that during high season it's like you are in a small french town and not in Laos at all - all westerners, french food, french architecture... oh but I guess I forgot about the wats. There are dozens of wats in the city only one of which I looked at. Hisham is a great travelling buddy but he is just as lazy as me and as a matter fact he makes me look like a go getter in comparison. So as a result ... read more

Safely off our flight from Phonsavan we made our way into Vientiane by taxi, accompanied by an American mother-and-daughter couple we had met on the flight (well, before the flight - I wasn't in a talking mood during). I had booked a room for Alex and me at Le Parasol Blanc, a small hotel in Northern Vientiane, based around an old French-period house. It's equipped with a swimming pool (aaaah) - I stayed there some 6 years ago when I was in Vientiane after my expedition in Indonesia. It hadn't changed a bit, and the rooms were still a steal - the rates hadn't moved in six years ! We had a good swim and whiled away our full day (Tuesday) in Vientiane wandering around, popping into the beautiful old Wat Si Saket, and enjoying a ... read more

Hello everybody hope all is well at home. We're in Vang Vieng which is on the way north between Vientienne and Luang Prabang! I like this place a lot - the locals call it Ban Farang, which losely translated means the town full of cheap, drunk, stoned, smelly westerners! The only reason its here at all is because it used to take two days to travel between Luang Prabang and Vientienne so travellers would stop here and never leave! We thought we would go native and dodge the VIP bus for the cheaper local bus from Vientienne. That was an experience in itself, they pack you into a thirty year old bus with backpacks, rice and loads of other stuff in the aisle - there are picnic seats beside the driver for when the other seats ... read more

The bus journey North to Vang Vieng was absolutely stunning and refreshingly short. It is a tiny town surrounded by huge limestone mountains and, during our stay at least, continually coverred by the mist from the top of those mountains. There is very little to do or see in the town itself and it seems to have been brought to life by the tourist industry as travellers stop for the fantastic scenery. It does, however, have a well developed traveller scene with loads of cafes serving western favourites (including surprisingly good pizza) and showing films/episodes of Friends 24/7. We spent the first day relaxing and "exploring" the tiny place which took much less time than anticipated. The weather was pretty wet and miserable but the cooler temperature made a nice change and the rain made a ... read more