http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Laos , West en-us Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:30:57 +0000 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:30:57 +0000 Day 9 Jan 1 2010.Last night we had a new year eve dinner with our friend from Canada at Blue Lagoon Restaurant here in Luang Prabang. Our new year dinner course meals were very good and delicous...Today we woke up around 700 am and went for a long walk along the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers visited many temples along the way and walked through the morning market. We ate lunch at one o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-464046.html Chiang Mai Tailandia a 19 de abril del 2009. Saludos de nuevo. Despues de un mes de recorrido regreso a los brazos de la adictiva Tailandia. Lamentablemente por cuestiones de tiempo no podre ir a Birmania pero bueno la lucha se le hizo. Bien paso a remitirles fotos de esta pequena ciudad que se encuentra en el norte de Laos y tiene 20 y tantos mil habitantes por ahi me encontre un sitio que http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-463371.html Ok.......so after sad goodbye to Vietnam we left Hanoi for Laos. All the sensible people booked flights while David Tash Pat and I climbed aboard the sleeper bus for probably one of the worse 24 hour bus journeys. It was fine until halfway more people got on the bus I woke up on the floor in between the bunks with 2 people sitting in my bunk a huge tantrumtears hellish border crossing and s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-463190.html December 28th. Some history For those who know me I love elephants. When I was leaving for this trip to Thailand Laos and Vietnam many had asked me if I would be doing anything with elephants or researching any agencies working with elephants. I had no plans to do so. For past information on some of my visitreviews check out some of my blog entries including the Elephant Nature Park in Thail http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-463166.html Welcome to Laos the road less travelled by anyone in the world. So finally we've made it to Laos a country in east of Thailand south of China west of Vietnam and north of Cambodia absolutely landlocked.After 6 hours of travelling flying out from Hong Kong stopping in Bangkok and flying again. When we landed in Vientiane Wattay Airport it was almost 9pm after we paid US30 for the visa an http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-462781.html The night in Pak Beng was nothing short of memorable. After our 150km longboat journey we pull in to Pak Beng for the night. Around 20 children storm the boat and grab any bag they can in hope to carry it up the steep hill for you....for a fee. Craig and I are one step ahead and already have ours strapped to our backs. We check into our guesthouse and try to wash off the day in a freezing shower http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Pakbeng/blog-462758.html SaibadeeI've had the best time and experience whilst visiting Laos it's been amazing Such a beautiful and lush country with such friendly people you just can't go wrongOn arrival at Luang Prabang airport at nightime from Hanoi it felt a little odd. I guess new places always seem a little different at night time. Well on arrival the airport was tiny and when exiting it felt deserted. H http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-462063.html We were slow starters and got up and went to the tourist office. No consensus again the options were a trek to villages and a waterfall and fishing. The boys really wanted to try fishing. We went to breakfast to discuss and Liam really wanted fishing so went to see another place. They were less than half the price so we booked. Doon was our guide and brought Bintong they were delightful and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Nong-Khiaw/blog-462005.html Corry was unwell through the night so we changed the plans for the day. We left him to sleep and went for breakfast. We went to a cafe and had this fabulous breakfast with baguettes that were so good how bread should taste. Corry then joined us and we walked through town did the shops on the opposite side this time.We went to one of the tour places and organised a tuk tuk instead of the trek http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-461835.html I think it is about time I wrote a new entry. The last week I have been preoccupied with going to and being in Laos. After the trekking in Chiang Mai I had to push myself a little in going again. Everytime you meet new nice people and then you are going away again. I can't say it is always easy.Today it is monday december 21st and I am Luang Prabang. I have just said my goodbyes to my brother Simo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-461767.html We had been concerned about how to get a slow boat down the river. The Thais said boats went from their side we should be there at 8.00 the next morning and pay them the 4 to go down the river including getting a Laos visa. All untrue The guidebooks are not clear and when you arrive at the river on the Thai side there are many fellow travellers hanging round confused and asking each other d http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-460781.html Note to self eat before taking malaria pillsWaking up early as per what seems to be normal right now I went for a run came back showered and packed all before Adrian got out of bed. Knowing I was flying into Laos in a bit I decided to take my malaria pill before heading down for breakfast. Needless to say I will never do that again. By the time I go down and ordered I was already running back http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-459332.html In Northern Laos lies the Province of Luang Prabang resting on the banks of the ever flowing Mekong River the fourth country on its journey to the South China Sea. Luang Prabang is a world heritage site and has been since1995 it deserves its status as itrsquos a very pretty town the government has preserved the old French colonial buildings and has allowed funded their renovation unlike http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-459229.html Salut a tous Nous sommes partis en direction de la gare d'autobus vers 7h le ventre vide puisqu'ici y'a rien d'ouvert avant ca. Et dire qu'on pouvait dejeuner a 5h30 au Vietnam. On s'est rendu a la gare et on a verifie si on avait des sieges sur la gauche de l'autobus parce que je voulais photographier une marre remplie de lotus que j'avais remarque en revenant de Vanh Vieng et il n'y a p http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-458334.html We arrived in Vang Vieng after dark at around 6pm and proceed to find a bed for the night having discovered that our recommended accommodation was fully booked we ended up in the Vang Vieng Orchid which was perfectly fine had a nice clean spacious room with a balcony overlooking Don Khang and the Karsts behind there were a couple of bars across the river but as most things close around 2330 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-458115.html We get dropped off at the bus station in Vientiane the capital of Laos. Driving through town in our open air shared taxi we were thinking this is more Little Snoring than London. As capital cities go this has to be the quietest most laid back one on the planet. Even the taxi drivers don't toot their horns or tell you their life story.We landed on our feet with the Mixay Guesthouse as breakfas http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vientiane/blog-456647.html Took me 9 hours to ride the bike from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang mainly cos I kept stopping to look at the scenery Almost went over the cliffs a few times oggling the landscape amazing scenery Got a bit worried at one point cos all the men walking alongside the mountain roads appeared to be carrying guns that looked suspiciously like AK47 Assualt rifles But they seemed friendly enough Most http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Luang-Prabang/blog-456498.html the international team unite more on that story later first lets go to financeso for 35bucks you get a visa for laos at the airport which was ideal as i hadnt arranged one due to the fact before i left i had never even heard of the place let alone knew where it was and wanted to go there. because of this though i had a great time the lack of guide book and a clue for that matter i decided just t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vientiane/blog-454953.html Hi allThanks for all your lovely messages its really good to hear from you all. It feels like we've had an eventful time since last writing. We crossed the Thai border and took the slow boat down the Mekong river for 2 days to Louang prabang it was a lovely way to travel becasue of the scenery howeverthe overnight stop wasn't great we arrived in the dark had to drag our luggage up a rocky st http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vientiane/blog-454558.html One of the things I appreciate about Laos and much of SE Asia is the amount of freedom and responsibility you are granted. You personally appraise the situation and based on that and perhaps advice from other travellers you 'do' or 'do not.' There isn't always this looming figure in the background making sure that you don't overextend youselfwe have been given the wherewithal and innate http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vientiane/blog-454332.html