the lao top three

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Three places that 99.9999999% of the tourists that visit Laos go are Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiene. All three were on my route to Bangkok, so I stopped by in each for a visit.

Luang Prabang is rapidly growing in popularity these days. One reason is the concentration of Buddhist temples in the area. Another is the tasty international food and the peaceful atmosphere. The tourist center is almost like another town in itself. It is self contained and slightly separated from the actual Lao part of town. French style buildings line the streets and cafes and tourists are numerous. It has a good feel. The Lao are not pushy towards the tourists and their laid back style of living is felt throughout the city. I didn't spend much time in the city only because of my limited schedule. I was able to walk along the river, visit some temples and relax a bit. I think with a higher budget I could have experienced the finer side of Luang Prabang, but I still had a good time.

Vang Vieng is a different place. It sits along the Nam Song River and attracts a younger crowd. In the distance there are some beautiful limestone mountains. With that said, let's talk about the town itself. I haven't seen anywhere like it. All I can say is the popular Asian saying, "same-same" to the extreme. The center is lined up with TV bars, 9 out of 10 playing "friends" all day, everyday. Next to most are internet cafes. I went into a few; all had almost identical menus and prices. That why I said, "same-same". It seems liked everyone is copying each other. At times it makes it easy because you just choose a place closest to you because they are all the same. Everyone also seems to just be lounging around. Pillows are very popular in these bars. The reason is cheap beer and "happy, special" shakes that are sold in all. It kind of reminded me of a giant, outdoor college dorm with everyone slightly intoxicated and laying around.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to experience Vang Vieng's outdoor attractions because I was ill during my time there. One thing I really wanted to do was go tubing along the river in a truck inner tube. Everyone was doing it and it sounded like a good way to spend an afternoon. Also there are several trails and caves that looked interesting too. But, like I've said before, i was ill and my time was up and I had to get going.

My final stop in Laos was to the smallest capital city, I think, in the world. I would call it a town instead of a city. The capital has some interesting sites and most of it you can see on foot. All of the shops close by 11:30, most by 9, and the majority of the streets are slow and empty. Very slow pace here. Good representation of the country in whole. With Lao tourism growing so quickly every year, it will be a challenge to keep this tranquility. By luck, my friend Andy, whom I met in Vietnam, was in town, so we were able to catch up. It made for a good ending to my brief trip to Laos. There's still all of Southern Laos for me to see, so I could easily see another trip in the future.

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