Laos Travel
Laos had been on “my list” for a long time, but I didn’t get there until this year. We first visited the very laidback capital of Vientiane before staying at a riverside ecolodge - which was a great experience, the lodge only had a few cabins and interacted closely with the local village. Our Hmong local guide took us to the village school - which my eldest son loved, but the younger 2 were very shy. I have some cute photos of the local Lao children at this village school, very keen to pose for my camera so I could then show them the image of themselves.
Our guide also took us home to meet his wife and new baby. It is wonderful to venture away from the hot spots or main destinations and have a more “local” experience and it provides a great way for children to interact with the places they are visiting.
It was then on to Luang Prabang which certainly lived up to my expectations. A beautiful picturesque town at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Kham Rivers and surrounded by mountains - a photographers delight. We woke early to experience the monks collecting alms from locals and wander the morning market. Luang Prabang is such a compact town, you only need transportation for daytrips out of town. During the days we took a couple boats trips on the river, climbed Phousi Hill for great views over town, enjoyed some great little shops and restaurants, and took a couple daytrips out of town.
The night market operates each evening in the main street where many hilltribe items are sold. The lady making pancakes got to know each of my children and their menu choices. The highlight of the trip was the when we got to ride elephants and then bathe them in the Nam Khan River. My boys were very brave, had lots of fun and I may even have a mahout in the making!