Three weeks in Laos

We spent three weeks in Laos traveling from Luang Prabang in the north, to the capital city of Vientiane in the center, and to Pakse and Don Det island in the south of Laos. Even though Laos is adjacent to Thailand, it was quite different given the war history of the country and the current economy.
According to 2016 estimates, Laos has a population of 6.75 million. 65% of the people are buddhist, around 31% follow Laotian folk religion, and about 1.7% follow Christianity. There are many ethnic groups in Laos ranging from Lao (53%), Khmu (11%), Hmong, Phouthay, Tai, Makong, Katang, Lue, Akha and others. The english name Laos was coined by the French, who united the three Lao kingdoms in French Indochina in 1893 and named the country with the dominant and most common ethnic group, which were the Lao people. Laos was a key part of the Vietnam War since parts of Laos were invaded and occupied by North Vietnam for use as a supply route for its war against the south. In response, the United States initiated a bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese positions, supported regular and irregular anticommunist forces in Laos and supported South Vietnamese incursions into Laos. The UXO museum in Luang Prabang is a sad reminder of this history. Read our blog post here about our visit to the UXO museum.

We spent 10 days in Luang Prabang, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was our first stop in Laos. Being a world heritage site, it was restricted from expanding tourism without limits. This allowed this city to keep the local culture, arts and traditions that are still alive in the town. The city is surrounded by mountains and the Mekong river. While we were here, we went on a hike to a nearby temple, and visited the nearby Kuang Si waterfalls. Another highlight for us was visiting the local silk factory called Ock Pop Tok, which was created and run by women. Here, we also got a chance to meet the only person left in the tribe making art on silk using ancient techniques. Overall, we had a nice time in Luang Prabang.

Temple in Luang Prabang museum

Kathi on top of Mount Phousi

Kathi and Nora taking a walk along the water coming from Kuang Si waterfalls

Silk colouring palette and their preparation at Ock Pop Tok silk village

The last remaining artist of the traditional silk art at Ock Pop Tok silk village

The next stop for us was Vientiane. It's the capital city and the biggest city in Laos. We got here right on time for the Laos New Year celebrations. The new year celebrations typically happen over a four day period. People living on each street, selected a day that they threw the party on. On the street where we stayed there was exceptionally loud music vibrating the doors and windows of our room for four days starting from afternoon until late into the evening. It was annoying at the beginning, but soon we tuned ourselves into the festivities and enjoyed the music and celebrations. The festival was celebrated by throwing water on friends and passer-bys. People setup a mobile water pool outside their homes, setup a BBQ stand, drank alcohol, and threw water on every person passing by on the street. We were skeptical about it all in the beginning but soon we joined the party and enjoyed it a lot. Other than hiding from the intense sun during the day, New Year celebrations were the highlight of our stay in Vientiane.

Sam and Nora taking a walk in the rain 

Local Laotian people offering alms to the monks during new years celebrations

Nora sitting next to the sleeping buddha statue in Vientiane

Local children playing with water during new year celebrations

Kathi and Nora watching people celebrating new years in a makeshift water pool

Kathi and Nora joining locals on throwing water at strangers in Vientiane 

After Vientiane, we headed towards the south of Laos to Pakse and Don Det islands. Si Phan Don or also called 4000 Islands is a region that is believed to have over 4000 islands. This region is bordering Cambodia so the historical and cultural ties link the people of both sides here. We spent a few days here and enjoyed the water surrounding us on three sides of our stay.

Kathi reading a book alongside the river

Kathi and Nora watching boats pass-by our guesthouse room on Don Det island 

Boat ride along the Mekong river

Evening view from the restaurant where we had most of our meals while staying on Don Det island

Sticky rice is described as the staple food of Laos. It is served with every meal and its eaten with hand. We ate a lot of sticky rice during our time in Laos. And Nora loved it too.

Sticky rice served in a bamboo basket. Image Source: Stickyriceri.com

Overall, we had a great time in Laos. The people of Laos were very laid back and calm. We felt the street food was a bit different in comparison to Thailand and there were more varieties of street food to choose from in Laos. A lovely country with lovely people.

Street food in Luang Prabang

Coconut and sugarcane juice stall

Shoe repairman in Vientiane 

Father and son riding a scooter in Vientiane