Either the secret is out or it was never a secret to being with. Luang Prabang is an idyllic peninsula of greenery, Lao royal history draped in French architecture, and hip Westerners who can finally look casually chic in Laos without trying. The premier destination for all of Laos, the city’s accolades are justified. It makes Vientiane look like an industrial accident. Beware: the spoils of the Lao Shangri-La come at a price. Boutiques, eco this and that, touts, beggars, herbal spas, and dishonest tuk-tuk drivers all want a piece of the action. The prolific number of wats are true (and few) enclaves of sanity amid the signs for bicycle rentals, ethnic restaurants, and upscale hotels. Even the large number of humble monks and apprentices cannot compete with the influx of Westerners. Luang Prabang nurture’s every ... read more

It will take me three nights in Vientiane to figure out why I would want to spend even one. It is not that the Lao capital is necessarily a bad place, but I question what purpose it really serves. Dozens of travel agencies advertise over-the-road and aerial means of escape from Vientiane’s ordinary streets that lead nowhere special. Vientiane takes care of the hundreds of welcome encroachers whose sights are already set on points deep into the more remote provinces. Orlando and Las Vegas fear not: Vientiane poses you no threat. As I cannot recall all the newly-independent Soviet republics and peripheral satellites, Laos is the first true Communist country in which I have set foot. In fact, the closest I have come to anything resembling the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is my yearly weekend trip ... read more

As the crow flies, it is slightly over one hundred kilometers from Chiang Khan to Nong Khai. Conventional wisdom tells visitors to leave Chiang Khan and double back through Loei in order to transfer to Udon Thani and onto Nong Khai. The trip is faster and far more comfortable that way. It is a mindboggling six-hour haul through the rolling fields of Issan. No one takes the river route, I am told. If they do, they all have to wait for a bus originating from Leoi at Pak Chom. It would be easier to go to Loei and forego the river route. Maurice took that option; he hasn’t the time to forfeit if and when things inevitably go wrong. I, on the other hand, am proud to say I do not know what day of the ... read more

Loei is a provincial cow town. In the showrooms on the access road coming into Loei, there are only a few more mopeds and pickup trucks on display as tractors and roto-tillers. Mine is among the few Western faces in town others have seen. When passing in front of a high school schoolyard for boys, they point at me with index fingers extended, “Farang, farang!” Stares around town are commonplace. I feel like the featured caged zoo animal of the month at Busch Gardens. When I arrived by tuk-tuk at my guesthouse, I asked the proprietress if she had a room. She went to her registration booklet and studied it. “Yes, I think I can give you”, she paused to review it once more, “Number one. With aircon.” Wonderful. I put my pack down, relieved. Pat ... read more

As a gateway to Issan, Thailand’s oft ignored Northeast, an infant skyline looks down upon a layout of crowded gridded streets. It does little to differentiate Khon Kaen from any other Midwestern city. The region’s largest university pulls in a young, hip, and energetic crowd that harbors hopes of improving their lives in what is also Thailand’s poorest area. Khon Kaen does not incite awe at first glance; it has not a single remarkable feature. However, if curious to jump into a world far from the familiarity of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and the southern strips of Thai sand, this is where to start. Issan food is the inspiration of Thai cuisine, a trend making a name for itself in Europe and the United States. No memorable sites await you in Khon Kaen. A slide show of ... read more