Two weeks in Laos

Time flies and after 2 weeks in Laos, I crossed the Cambodian border yesterday Saturday.
Nothing unusual in Laos, I followed the "tourist road" if I can say it this way. As written in my previous article, I started the journey in Laos with 2 days on a slow boat going down the Mekong River from the Thai border to Luang Prabang (LP).

It was the third time I take a boat in my Asian Trip and I love it. The boats are usually basic with one toilet from everyone (sometime NO toilet), but this slow and you have time to see landscapes, take pictures, read, write, meet & talk to others travellers, and sometimes exchange fews words with locals. The only thing is even if you don't do anything but seat, you are quite tired at the end of the day ;-)
I then spent 2 days at LP visiting differents wats (buddhist monasteries), a great night market, Kouang Si Waterfalls, and seeing the morning giving alms for monks: Here in Laos, monks are walking around town in the morning (6AM) with their bowl and devotees give foods to them.

After 5 hours driving, I arrived in the busy Vang Vieng where I found a very cheap but noisy Youth Hostel (Chilllao YH, 18000 kips per bed in a 8 beds dorm: 2,25 dollars). Busy because many young tourists stop there and do "tubbing": they rent a tube and go down the river for 3 kms making a couple of stops along the journey to drink some beers in one of the several bars standing here and there. I didn't experience this, but walked a lot around the rice paddies, admiring beautiful landscapes.

One and half day was enough for me, and I then left to Vientiane, small Asian capital (200000 inhabitants). Accomodation is a bit more expensive here but I found a nice & very clean hotel (Mixay Paradise, 65000 kips in a single: 8 dollars) who provides a classic but good breakfast (tea/coffee, 2 toasts, 1 fried egg, some fruits). Again I visited a couple of wats. Nice to see the difference between the countries. In Laos, there are king of fish-dragons at the entrance of the wat. I also went to the morning market where you can buy almost whatever you wish and also every single part of chicken or fish!

Laos Arc de Triomphe

Time to leave again for a long journey: 600 km to reach Pakse. I took a sleeper bus, and even if I didn't sleep a lot, it was confortable. Arrived in Pakse around 6AM, I walked 2 kms to reach down town and spent some time before I find a guest house: many of them where full or a bit too expensive. Pakse is not really attractive but is the strating point to reach Boloven Plateau: lots of coffee and tea plantations, some tribes villages, and a couple of waterfalls. I don't regret to have been there.

Coffee!

This woman needs between 20 and 30 days to finish a scarf, selling about 10 dollars

I love this pic!

But the highlight of my trip in Laos is SI PHAN DON, known as 4000 Islands which is a group of islands in the Mekong River. 3 main islands are hosting travellers: Don Khong the biggest island, Don Det and Don Khon (South on Don Khong). I stayed 1 night in North Don Khon, and 2 nights in South Don Det. No cars here, and only a few motorcycles. Ideal for walking, bicycling and of course relaxing! This place is famous to see the Irrawaddy Dolphins but I didn't see any. Doesn't matter, I enjoyed my 2 and half days here, bicycling around, eating a bit more of Laos specialities and "recharging my batteries" before the busier Cambodia...

Where are the dolphins?

Don Khon

I arrived in Cambodia yesterday, and already needed to change my plan (anyway, plans are made to be change...). This is the water festival since yesterday to tomorrow. Apparently, not many buses will work during these 3 days. I planned to stop in Kratie (between the Laos border and Phnom Penh) for 1 day but it may be too long for 3 days. Then I travelled straight to Siem Reap and will discover Angkor temples tomorrow. Today, I will just walk around town and see the festival: Boats racing on the river this afternoon.