Laos — Summary
Did I enjoy my time in Laos?
September 2015
On my first morning in Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos, I came across a sign outside White Elephant Adventures.
How many did I do of the 23?
- do check your money at exchanges (particularly nearby) — yep, I did this one; I exchanged some money and checked my cash.
- do visit Utopia — go for a drink and relax all day — I visited one evening; does that count? And I didn’t rate the place.
- do exercise caution and wear helmets, renting bikes — I didn’t rent a bike, so there was no need to wear a helmet.
- do climb Phousi at sunrise from the back — I did visit Mount Phousi, but it was during the day. It was worth the effort as the views were fantastic.
- do observe the colourful monk procession — I saw numerous monks, but no procession
- do brave the heights of the communist-era bridge — I think this was a reference to the Old Bridge I walked over most days to get to town.
- do cross the Mekong and visit an abandoned temple — tick, done
- do dance and drink at a Lao disco — well, that was a non-starter and didn’t happen
- don't walk the streets alone late at night — oops, I did, and I had no issues. Was I lucky?
- do eat at a Lao Sindad — I am not aware that I did; I had a lot of great food, but I don’t recall this dish
- do visit 2 of the 3 waterfalls — tick, done. I visited Kuang Si Waterfall (ນ້ຳຕົກຕາດ ກວາງຊີ) and Tad Sae Waterfalls (ຕາດແສ້).
- don't engage in undesirable behaviour with local females — I did not, so this is a tick, done.
- do swim with the children under the old bridge — I didn’t do this one.
- do listen to the 4:00 pm. rhythmic beat of Wat Sene drums — yes, I heard the drums.
- do leave your comfort zone and visit a Lao hospital — nope, another one I didn’t do.
- do spend a unique overnight in a Hmong hill tribe homestay — and I didn’t do this.
- do kayak on one of the four tributaries of the Mekong — or this.
- do mountain bike to a Lao village and visit the Tadse Waterfall — I visited the Tad Sae Waterfalls (ຕາດແສ້), but not by bike. I am going to say I did this one.
- don't stay less than 3 nights in Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ) — I stayed five nights, and it was great.
- do combine multi-days of mountain biking, trekking, and Kayaking — another no.
- do meditate or do yoga in the aesthetic gardens of Utopia — and yet another no.
- do respect Lao culture, tradition and customs by wearing more and thinking more — I hope I did; I certainly tried. I wore plenty of clothes (I burn easily) and didn’t knowingly offend.
- do photograph this board for future reference — I certainly did.
So, out of 23, in my five days, I completed 11. Not bad, just short of 50%.
I enjoyed staying in Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), but I did find it to be an odd town. It was very laid back, which isn't a bad thing. It was a sleepy backwater, yet it had a massive tourist industry and swanky shops.
One piece of essential gear for staying in Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ) is a head torch for walking the street at night and for dealing with power cuts. Over five days, I experienced five power cuts. Three were at night and only lasted a minute or so, and one during the day lasted several hours.
Also, Wi-Fi and phone connectivity in the country were very poor, and I often had difficulty getting online.
The highlight of the trip for me had to be the Kuang Si Waterfall (ນ້ຳຕົກຕາດ ກວາງຊີ) as I thought they were spectacular, and I had a great time wandering around the falls and exploring the area. The views were fantastic, and standing knee-deep in cool water was lovely.
And the answer to the question, did I enjoy my time in Laos, is YES! I had a great time and was so pleased I took my friend's advice and visited the country.
