The road north from Vientiane to the royal city of Luang Prabang via the stunning mountains of Vang Vieng touches the true soul of this beautiful and captivating kingdom. |
 Flying into Vientiane is like opening a fascinating suitcase bulging with history. Being a 1,000-year-old settlement nestled on the north side of the Mekong River, it comes with baggage. During its existence everyone has wanted a piece of this sleepy, yet eye-opening capital, precariously wedged between ambitious neighbours. Many still do.
Once known as the Land of a Million Elephants, there are now just 3,000 left in the wild and 800 working. Its past continues to provoke. Laos has always been strapped for cash, and as a result Vientiane has been sacked, bribed and betrayed by all its neighbours and just about everyone else. Now they are back as investors, as visitors, as friends.
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Vientiane:
Arriving on a true monsoon night when the tarmac hissed beneath the tires of the ancient trucks and buses, heaven dimmed the lights and let loose the water. The pot holes were so deep you could fish in them. During the wet season the Mekong here is fast flowing, eager to flood and treacherous, and in this mood, nobody's friend. When the rains subside it is sluggish and coffee-coloured--the Mississippi of Asia. Whatever the weather, water is the vital sap of Laos.
The history of Vientiane is quickly revealed in the jumble of architectural styles that appear along its quiet roads and--quite suddenly--around corners. On one street alone you will see four Buddhist temples, an internet cafe, an abandoned concrete monstrosity, a miracle of ugliness, thanks to Soviet Russia, a Scandanavian bakery, a French wine shop, a local restaurant--all behind a fog of frying oil and flaming woks--and just up the road, the Ministry of Ailments. There is also a wide boulevard with rippling flags.
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Parts of Vientiane are beguilingly derelict, profoundly laid back, and with a pleasing tendency to crumble. Unfortunately, many of the gorgeous French colonial villas, dipped in sepia, are locked and abandoned, their aristocratic owners long fled, courtesy of a fragile monarchy and a bitter revolution. The fallen masonry of history. Sad and beautiful in the extreme.
However, this Lao, French and Buddhist mix is a delightful and civilized treat--and although the Russians are not known for their sense of humour--you cannot help but grin at their ridiculous buildings. They simply add to the charm.
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| Vientiane may not be the prettiest city in the region, but it is certainly one of the most relaxed capitals on the planet. Flying in from the anarchy of Bangkok, the capital feels immediately provincial, quaint, slow and intriguing--and very good value for your money. Whatever the locals think of the French--if they think of them at all--their influence is still strong and lingers in the street signs, delicious baguettes, and excellent French-owned restaurants. The food is divine, the wine exemplary and cheap, the antique shops dizzying in their wide array of choice. Welcome to Laos. Welcome to Indochina. |
| Both in the capital and rural towns many of the older buildings are wooden and so close they appear glued together. Life here boils over on to the pavement and is lived in public. The street is merely an extension to the house. There seems less of that desire for privacy that is so strong in the West. People snack, doze, gossip, play draughts using bottle caps and do unspeakable things to chickens while preparing the evening meal. Ye, their simple acts of hospitality are a continual delight to the visitor. Vientiane is changing but seems in no particular hurry to do so. The hammer blows that emanate from the numerous building sites sound desultory rather than urgent: another aspect of Vientiane's endearing legacy. |
Heading North:
After a few days in Vientiane most visitors head north to Luang Prabang, You can fly, but if you go by road the rewards are immense, for it will soon become apparent that once outside the capital there is an ongoing dialogue between the landscape and its people. Northern Laos is home not only to some of the most beautiful and stunning mountain scenery in Asia, but also to a people deeply wedded to the spirits of water, rock and forest.
Most of Laos is still wild, untamed and favored by nature; eighty per cent is tree covered and mountainous. It is a kingdom of farmers, fishermen, monks and merchants. A life brimming with coin, effort, prayer, and, to be honest, a political system thinly disguised as something it is not. You can vote, but there's no opposition party. The hammer and sickle still flies proudly next to the national flag.
"We are democratic communists," beamed a government map maker as he poured a Lao whisky. The second glass went down singing hymns so no argument was possible.
Life here is still tough and short. During the Vietnam War life expectancy was 52 years. It is now 60. Up country some 60% of the children are malnourished. The government recently announced a 20% wage rise for the workers--so they now earn a princely US$40 a month. Like most countries in the region, it is blessed by beauty and cursed by politics. Heavy with patriotic memory, Laos still looks to the past to create a national future.
But away from politics, Laos is a land of ancestral resonance, where dusk and dawn still has spiritual meaning. It seems impractical, if not down right rude, to be uncivilized here.
The children are an open, squealing delight, the women unaffected and graceful, the men shy and resilient. Bruised by war, colonialism and an increasingly curious world the Lao remain a tough, quiet, and marvellous people to whom manners are a gift and hospitality a law. Life here somehow manages to remain unhurried: a rare thing on a frantic planet.
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Vang Vieng:
Vang Vieng lies four hours north of the capital. The town itself has little to recommend it, but the views are simply spellbinding. Huge karst mountains rise imperiously to create a dramatic backdrop that dominates the entire area. They house deep caves and ravines. You can hike, cycle, jump on a rubber tube and drift down the Nam Song River or simply sit back and revel in the beauty and the pristine silence. It's a compelling spectacle.
The road from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang is full of serious and sudden switchbacks. It climbs high and falls sharply and the entire landscape is drenched in high peaked, mist-shrouded beauty stretching forever, towering over deeply wooded and silent valleys. The air is sharp and fresh, the deep sky an especial radiance. This 127 kilometre road took 30 years to build. An engineering feat, it was designed by the French and hacked out with Lao labour. "Many deaths, but great success," said the bus driver as he turned into another sharp curve, and we swayed behind him like sea anemones. I saw five cars in six hours.
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Luang Prabang:
Arriving in the 700-year-old royal town of Luang Prabang in the late afternoon felt like a shot of Champagne for the brain, for this is the true jewel in the crown of Laos. Surrounded by mountains and flanked by the Mekong and Khan rivers, it is a holy place, a sacred place. Its design reflects a divine world for Luang Prabang is laid out like a Buddhist mandala, organized around the central hill called Phousili. With every phase of the moon, temple gongs, bells and drums explode in a joyful cacophony of sound. The town stops and smiles.
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Every lane seems to lead to a wat, which is hardly surprising as there are 50 temples in the area housing some 800 monks, many of them novices.
A young monk was asked if he ever missed the village.
"No, just the gossip."
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In the soft harmonics of every dawn, monks begin their silent walk through the town with active piety and graceful movements. Many of the loveliest wats here feel almost beyond religion in that every visitor will be able to sense the presence of the past and the stillness of the present. But then, perhaps that’s the whole point of a Buddhist temple; to provide moments of clarity and consolation, immediate and precious, peaceful and inclusive.
With just 21 people per square kilometre, the rural Lao eat anything that moves, so the morning market here provides both riches - and surprises. On display are bats, frogs, dogs, fish, chillies, squirrel, birds, fruit and something that resembled an aborted ostrich.
"It's just offal," explained a local French UN worker, "but tastes like goblin," he added helpfully.
Trade is brisk. Fistfuls of grubby currency change hands. The notes are old, much used, and seemingly held together by ink and optimism.
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| The famous night market deserves its reputation as a most delightful place to haggle. At dusk the main street is closed to traffic, colorful tents and soft lights are erected, wares laid out on the ground. The atmosphere is relaxed and polite, and mercifully free of booming speakers and aggressive promotion. There is a broad palette of choice: silver, silks, slippers, herbs, carvings, chess sets, opium pipes, exquisite scarves and sarongs. And, whenever you see something which has a price next to it, know that it isn't the actual price. |
Luang Prabang now boasts a collection of truly fine places to wine, dine and lay your head - cool-aired, teak floored, tasteful, uncluttered and elegant. Perfect retreats after a day of wats and roaming.
On the last evening and a buttery moon hung low over the mountains giving the landscape a magic frosting, while a celestial canopy bursting with stars hung over Luang Prabang. Pigs loitered in the shadows, chewing on tea leaves and old shoes. It was so quiet you could hear a dog bark in Burma.
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For Additional Details:
When to go:
The best time to visit Northern Laos is from the end of October to the end of February. The days are warm and sunny, the evenings crisp and even cold in January.
How to get there:
There are daily flights from Bangkok to Vientiane
Check Thai Contact Centre / Tel: 02-356-1111 / Fax 02-356-2222
Email contact@service.thaiairways.com
While in Vientiane:
Places to stay in Vientiane:
Settha Palace Hotel: .A high class, charming hotel in the centre of a town. A testament to the long lost era of classical elegance, gracious service and French colonial charm.
Email: reservations@setthapalace.com
Places to eat:
The best French and Lao restuarants can be found in the pedestrian square around the Namphou Fountain just off Setta Thirath Road, including Le Provencal, La Cavedes Chateaux and L'Opera.
While in Vang Vieng:
Places to stay in Vang Vieng:
The Elephant Crossing Hotel: A comfortable, quiet, fully equipped hotel with the most stunning views and excellent food.
Email: info@theelephantcrossinghotel.com
Website: www.theelephantcrossinghotel.com
While in Luang Prabang:
Places to stay in Luang Prabang:
The Three Nagas: Located right in the heart of Luang Prabang and restored in 2003, the hotel blends contemporary style with the buildings' original architecture, seamlessly connecting the past and the present. A truly gorgeous boutique hotel.
Email: noyna@alilahotels.com
Website: www.alilahotels.com/3nagas/
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PHOTO CREDITS: Roger Beaumont, Willem Proos |
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Asia