I’m going to Laos again (in 6 weeks and 4 days – but hey, who’s counting…). This time with a friend, and we’re really looking forward to this adventure. Our trip starts in the city Luang Prabang, then we take the slow boat via Pakbeng to Houai Xai. From there we are going to do the 3 day Gibbon Experience, where we will stay in tree huts and definitely hear, but hopefully also see some gibbons. Our next stop is Luang Nam Tha, the entrance to the 3 day trekking in the Nam Ha National Park, and via Muang Sing we go back to Luang Prabang where I hope we have some time to go swimming at the tropical paradise of Tat (waterfall) Kouang Si.
Laos is a country squeezed in between Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and is just as beautiful to visit as those countries. It is just not so well known, which makes this gem not so overrun with tourists.
Last time I was in Laos was exactly 7 years ago in November 2006. I traveled in from the south, the border with Cambodia and enjoyed my first stay there on the island of Don Det, in the 4000 Islands. For just 1$ per night per room (that I shared with another girl, so we each only paid 50 cents!), I had a view of the river, a hammock on the balcony and I didn’t want to leave.
The difference with the coutries around Laos are the people. They are friendly and not pushy like you have in Cambodia. Where in Cambodia the tuktuk drivers pretty much grab you and your bag, in Laos you have to walk up to them, wake them up, and ask them if they maybe want to take you somewhere. I also had the wonderful experience of having a private tour guide, James (well, that was his English name. I can’t remember his Lao name). He was a former monk, visiting Vientiane and he was staying in the same hostel as me. He offered to drive me around on his motorbike, and showed me the sights of Vientiane and the surroundings. I didn’t have to pay for anything, and he barely even accepted a drink I wanted to buy him. It’s great that you can actually trust somebody to drive you around (even 20 kilometers out of the city) and take you back to your hostel again without demanding more money from you. In the evening he even invited me to his brother’s house where I enjoyed a lovely Lao meal prepared by the wife of his brother.
Another adventure I enjoyed was in Vang Vieng, the tubing capital of the world. Well, at least of Laos… Tubing into a cave, kayaking over a river and enjoying a Beer Lao from wooden platforms next to the river. Did I already say I didn’t want to leave?
But I had to, since my visa was running out. The only thing I regretted not having done in Laos, was the Gibbon Experience. On the flight over to Southeast Asia, somebody told me about it, but it didn’t fit in my backpacking budget at the time. So that’s also one of the reasons I’m looking forward to go back to Laos again. Only 46 more sleeps to go….!
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