Pakse and Bolovens Plateau A wake-up call at the execrable time of 4.45 am, and a short drive to the domestic terminal for a 6.30 am flight to Pakse. Everything is ready to go, except there is no-one to fly the plane. The ground staff smile knowingly as if the pilot oversleeps every morning. Eventually, at about 7:00, he saunters lazily across the tarmac and off we go on the other of the two Lao Airlines planes, landing about half an hour late at 8.15. Our Pakse guide, Udon, checked us in at Champa Residence, a modestly characterful hotel in a new colonial-style house. Our stay here was to be a source of much amusement for us, mainly due to the willing staff who constantly watched us, ready to jump up and meet our every need ... read more

Pak Ou and Luang Prabang Rami, Donna, Lisa and I rose before six and walked up to Sisavangvong to watch a ritual that has probably been going on for 700 years. As dawn breaks, several hundred monks emerge from Wat Sene and other monasteries along the northern end of the street. In their orange robes, they gather against the grey walls of the wats before starting a procession towards the city centre. Every monk carries a baat, a black alms container in a basket, and along the way kneeling alms-givers place food into each baat. A ball of sticky rice here, a piece of fruit there, a biscuit, or perhaps a sweet. It is a moving ceremony, serene and harmonious, and conducted in total silence - apart from, if you listen really carefully, the soft padding ... read more

Singapore - Bangkok - Luang Prabang Since no airline yet flies from Singapore direct to Luang Prabang, where we were to start our journey, and the morning flight out of Bangkok was too early for a connection, we caught the late evening Singapore Airlines flight to Bangkok and checked into the Quality Suites, a ten-minute drive from the airport. I had booked this hotel on the web, and my success rate on selecting hotels this way is pretty good: but this time my instincts failed me. It had looked acceptable on the page, but perhaps I was seduced by the price, since we were just sleeping in the place - 2,190 Baht (then US$55) for a large suite, including airport transfers, breakfast, tax, etc. But it was, to be generous, rather tired and seedy. Our great ... read more