24.06.2008
Laos - Summary
We traveled one month through Laos and truly enjoyed most of the places we visited. What immediately amazed us was how green this country is and that we could travel for hours without passing a village. But above all, it was the genuine friendliness of the Lao and their attitude towards their visitors that we found captivating. None of that pushy & constant “buy from me” business that you often see in other countries throughout the world!
Among the younger backpackers, we repeatedly heard “Laos is what Thailand was 20 years ago”. First of all, we think it is not true. Thailand then had many well known destinations even at that time. On the other hand, Laos only has two places with a fairly developed tourist infrastructure: Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, apart from the capital. Besides Laos should not be compared to Thailand, because it is an attractive destination for other reasons. It is very rural and off the beaten tracks. During the off season, you can easily find yourself to be one among a handful of other tourists in such places.
If you stray from the backpacker circuit, traveling can sometimes be time consuming and uncomfortable, but full of lively and often funny experiences. Driving a scooters or motorbike is often the best way to reach an interesting destination. The main activities offered for tourists in Laos are treks through the many National Parks, home-stays in remote minority villages, various activities on rivers, a few archeological sites and its stunning temples.
The highlights of this trip were:
Phonsavanh: Of course we enjoyed visiting the Plain of Jars, but the real highlight was the time spent at the MAG (Mines Advisory Group) office watching the videos and displays. To learn the horrid details about the “Secret War” was overwhelming. Apart from that we drove through villages and even got to see some of the “war scrap architecture”.
Wat Phu Champasak. This temple is truly amazing, but we especially enjoyed the trip there, crossing the Mekong and the location itself, up the hill with a great view.
Chilling out at the Villa Manoly in Vientiane, one of the best value hotels we have enjoyed in a year.
Driving around on a scooter, no matter if it was in Luang Nam Tha, Phonsavanh or the region of Pakse.
Believe it or not… We truly enjoyed Vang Vieng. Yes, it is bizarre to observe those young adventurers in Southeast Asia spending their days watching TV or getting drunk while tubing down the river. Nevertheless, it was very easy to avoid the party crowd and noise by staying far away from the tiny island. The landscape is simply breathtaking and there are plenty of relaxing activities. And yes, we loved the tubing!
Would we do something differently the next time?
The trek near Luang Nam Tha was very disappointing, as well as the stay in the Akha village. Only the fact that there was a wedding that night saved the whole trip.
The 4.000 Island are probably best visited during a cooler period: without electricity and a chance to cool off, we simply suffered from the heat.
We could not join in the hype about Luang Prabang. The surrounding scenery is nice, some Wats and the museum are stunning, but its other assets - a wide choice of restaurants & hotels, a great market for crafts - could be re-created at any place.
Heidi’s long trip to Kong Lo Cave… This is no place to visit in the rainy season!
Not leave a bag in the basket in front of the bicycle, this way it was snatched in Vientiane by a guy passing on a motorbike.
Conclusion?
Laos is an amazing country, especially if you take the time and effort to do a few trips off the well-trodden track. What makes it an even greater place to be is that even a comfortable trip can be done on a very small budget.
