Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It’s known for its unique demographics and rich cultural heritage. Laos is bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar.The country is mostly mountainous and forested. The flag’s colors and symbols represent the country’s history and values. Red: Symbolizes the blood shed by those who fought for freedom and independence Blue: Represents the Mekong River, which is a symbol of prosperity and an important part of Laos’ industry White circle Represents unity and the bright future of the country Symbolizes the full moon rising over the Mekong River
Our first stop in Laos was an Eco resort on the outskirts of Laung Prabang. The Hillside natural lifestyle Lodge it is a beautiful place and just the relaxing place I was looking for. The pool was great to have after a day of hiking.
We did a few hikes, visited the water falls, (The Nahm Dong Waterfall is one of the last unexplored places around the UNESCO World Heritage Luang Prabang. The dam at the top was build by French people and it is said it was the first dam ever build in Laos) the park and waterfalls are very nice. The whole place is so relaxing we also slept and read lots of books. The food was great here and the staff are very friendly especially the owners. The weather was a perfect 24 degrees. I would definitely recommend this Eco Resort.
For Christmas week we moved into the Centre of Luang Prabang. What a lovely town we loved all the cool bars, restaurants, night markets and beautiful sunrise and sunsets at Mount Phousi. It has 360-degree panorama of Luang Prabang, including the Mekong River and surrounding mountains there are 328 steps to reach the summit and a small temple at the top of the hill. It is worth the climb.
We did a great tour that included the Laung Prabang Tat Kuang Si National Park that has the Si Waterfalls and the gorgeous Bear Rescue Centre. The waterfalls are beautiful and it was lovely to see 2 young bears at play. The tour also included the Pak Ou Caves featuring thousands of Buddha statues of various sizes nestled within the imposing limestone caves of a mountain were the Mekong River flows, we also had a very relaxing Lunch while we floated along the Mekong River. It was a beautiful day for it.
We did visit the UXO Visitors Centre it was very interesting and we learned a lot, we did not know that Laos is the most heavily bombed nation, per capita, in history? Between 1964-1973, Laos was hit by an average of one B-52 bomb-load every eight minutes. The US dropped more bombs on Laos during this period than those dropped during WWII. A large percentage of the ‘bombies’ that rained down on this country remain in the earth – unexploded – continuing to cause a devastating impact, with casualties and injuries a regular occurrence. The Centre in Luang Prabang offers you the chance to learn more about the Secret War. There are displays of real-life bombies, compelling survivor stories, as well as a viewing room where you can watch a documentary about the dangerous work being done to clean up the bombies.
I have mentioned before the number of motorbikes and scooters in Asia, it is unbelievable, but i did think the ones in the picture below are very cute.
It was wonderful to catchup with good friends from Australia, Marty, Michael and the three beautiful girls, they just happen to be travelling through Loas the same time as us. It is always so nice to catchup with friends when travelling we had a wonderful evening with them.
We decided to spend New Years in the Capital Vientiane. We got the fast train from Luang Prabang to Vientiane it was very comfortable and my favorite way to travel.
Vientiane is the largest city and the capital of Laos, situated on a plain just northeast of the Mekong River. The city’s central river port location for a country that relying heavily on rivers for transportation.
In some ways it was like any other large City, the did have fireworks for New Years Eve. Their fireworks are centralized around their monument built to commemorate Laos independence from France. I thought the monument funny as it looks just like he Arc De Triomphe in Paris !!!!
We did visit Buddhist temples such as the golden, 16th-century Pha That Luang, which is a national symbol. There are lots of temples and Buddhis in the area.
We had a wonderful time in Loas. Next stop Cambodia.