On Wednesday morning I left Phnom Penh and headed to Siem Riep. It was a relatively long bus journey and with the bus station in Siem Riep a little way out of town I didn't end up arriving to my hostel until late afternoon. Siem Riep is traditionally the gateway to visit the nearby temples of Angkor, although it's become a bit of a destination in its own right in recent years housing a lively nightlife scene, and an array of food and shopping options. It's certainly a place well equipped for tourists!
The following day I just had a relaxing day, mainly so I could get idea of which temples I wanted to see during my time in Siem Riep. I believe there are over 4000 buildings and temples associated with the Angkor era you can visit spread over a massive area so it's nigh on impossible to see everything, so you need to have a vague idea of where you want to go beforehand. I pretty much spent the day down the pub street which had by far the cheapest beer I've found in Asia so far. I headed back to the hostel later that afternoon which had an on site pool and bar, being a former luxury villa which they've just converted into a hostel.
I was going to go and explore the temples on Friday, although I accidentally had a little too much to drink the previous day so I wasn't really feeling that. I therefore had another relaxing day, mainly by the pool at the hostel. I did go and sort my ticket out though as I was planning to go and watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat the following morning. It was proper official with them printing a ticket with my face printed on it, with security on the complex apparently very strong. It wasn't cheap though, let's just say I could have bought 74 pints with what they charged me! I had the option to watch the sunset as they don't check tickets after 5pm, although I thought I'd save my energy for the following day.
Saturday morning I was up bright and early to watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat, arriving at the vehicle ticket checkpoint just outside Siem Riep for when they opened the gates at 5am. I was one of the first through, although as I still had a good 5km to cycle coaches and minibuses bombed past me so when I reached the ticket checkpoint to get into Angkor Wat itself there was a massive queue to get in. In the end I missed the best part of the sunrise at the temple itself which was frustrating. It was incredibly busy with literally everyone wanting to see the same thing. I decided after sunrise to return to Angkor Wat later in the day to explore properly when it was a little less busy.
The first complex I explored was Angkor Thom, the largest group of temples I planned to explore that day. Surrounded by a square moat 12km all the way round with 8m high walls, the complex was centred around the temple of Bayon. This temple housed these mysterious structures with these faces on and there were several fascinating passageways you could explore. There were several smaller temples surrounding Bayon which I explored, and I found some of the sculptures and carvings particularly interesting including this area called the Terrace of the Elephants. Another temple I particularly liked was Baphoun where I was able to climb up this incredibly steep staircase to the top of it. I was glad I explored Angkor Thom first whilst it was quieter because by the time I left a few hours later a lot of the tour groups were there.
From Angkor Thom I headed out further afield towards Ta Prohm, stopping at a few of the lesser visited smaller temples en route. Ta Prohm was one of my favourite temples of the day as it had been largely untouched by archaeologists. Many of the walls and structures were almost swallowed up by the jungle, with entire roots and trees growing throughout the temple. Nearby Ta Prohm was the temple of Banteay Kdei, which like Ta Prohm has never been restored. It starting raining when I got here, although large parts of the temple was inside with lots of little small rooms you could explore.
Once the rain calmed down a bit I headed to Pre Rup and East Mebon, two temples often called the twin temples. I cycled there via this large lake called Sras Srang. The temples were both pretty similar almost resembling pyramids, both of which you were able to climb. I then headed to Ta Som, another temple which had some more particularly interesting carvings. The next temple was Neak Pean which was accessed by a bridge over to this island. The temple itself was only small basically being this small chapel on a pond, but the surrounding lake which it lay on was very surreal with all these island looking things dotted all over it.
After lunch I headed to Preah Khan which was a bit like Ta Prohm except there had been extensive restoration projects taken out on Preah Khan. The temple itself was massive with all these small little rooms leading to these courtyards and other fascinating areas. It was the kind of place you could get lost because everything was very symmetrical so if you lost your bearings you could easily forget which entrance you arrived from! I then headed to Phnom Bakheng, which was this temple on top of a hill. There were extensive restoration works going on there though but it was more the views I wanted to see though which were stunning.
I then finally made it back Angkor Wat, and luckily managed to explore the complex before the rain set in again. I was even able to climb to the top of the temple. The temple itself seemed to be the place where most people were praying and giving their offerings. I headed back to Siem Riep after a good look round, as I was a little templed out for the day! I definitely made the most of the day though, being out for over 12 hours in the end. Come evening I headed down to the pub street again to watch the play off final and champions league final, and I didn't get back until daylight so it was a very long day!
I spent my last couple of days in Siem Riep just relaxing. I would have loved to explored some of the temples further afield although everything was just so far flung from each other and realistically cycling wasn't an option to make it worthwhile. I was quite happy just chilling by the pool though, and I did have a good look round some of the more modern temples including the Royal Residence in Siem Riep itself. I also explored some of the many night markets which were very tourist orientated, making the most of selling things like spiders, scorpions, and frogs to the tourists!
Thursday, 31 May 2018
Saturday, 26 May 2018
Phnom Penh
On Sunday my aim was to cross the border from Laos into Cambodia, something I really wasn't looking forward to as I'd read it was a pretty corrupt border crossing. I got there a lot earlier than expected as a local farmer kindly gave me a lift there after I left the waterfall. In Vientiane I exchanged a large amount of NZ Dollars into Laos Kip for the crossing, although I later read that apparently you can't exchange Laos Kip outside of Laos so I exchanged that into US Dollars to confuse matters even more. The crossing actually went really smoothly although I definitely paid a lot more than I should have done, with random additional fees being implemented as I progressed through. I just paid up though instead of arguing as I knew it was corrupt so it wasn't really worth wasting my time for the sake of a few dollars here and there.
The border itself was literally in the middle of nowhere, so my next aim was getting to the nearest town of Stung Treng about 45km away. Luckily one of the locals crossing the border gave me a lift and I was in Stung Treng in really good time. As I'd done so well I was debating between pressing on to either Phnom Penh or Siem Riep. In the end my only option leaving that day was going to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, arriving in just as it was getting dark. It was a very long day in the end, and I arrived at my hostel just in time before there was another massive thunderstorm!
The following day I went out and explored Phnom Penh, although my first job was to sort some money out which is slightly confusing in Cambodia. They basically use the US Dollar and Cambodian Riel together. The majority of places quote their prices in US Dollars, although you can pay in either currency. Where it gets confusing though is that if you pay in US Dollars, they give you change in a combination of the two currencies, and vice versa. I definitely think I'm going to need to be on the ball because I think you could quite easily be scammed if you're not careful. My hostel was located right next to the Central Market so I had a good look round there after breakfast.
As it was the Cambodian Day of Remembrance, some of the major attractions like the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and National Museum were all closed for the day. I still managed to get a glimpse of the palace from outside though at the Royal Palace Park, heading there via the Independence Monument. There were a lot of locals there laying flowers to remember those who died during the Khmer Rouge. I then followed the river along Sisowith Quay which is where all the bars and restaurants were based, before reaching Wat Phnom. By this point is was extremely hot outside, so I went and checked out some of the shopping malls which were very modern. I spent the rest of the afternoon at the hostel just relaxing, heading out to the night market and Sisowith Quay for dinner in the evening.
On Tuesday I visited S21 and the Killing Fields, which were a couple of museums showcasing some of the horrific things which occurred during the Khmer Rouge. Between 1975 and 1979 Cambodia was ruled by communist leader Pal Pot, who believed Cambodia should become a completely agricultural country. He therefore emptied the cities and sent everyone to work in the countryside on labour camps. People were forced to work extra long hours and were given insufficient food, causing many people to die of exhaustion and malnutrition. He also banned things like religion, and anyone caught exercising their religion were sent to be executed. He also executed all intellectuals, and anyone who was deemed lazy or complained were also executed. During his reign, of the 8 million people living in Cambodia an estimated 3 million died.
The first museum I visited was the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S21. The former high school was converted into a notorious prison by the Khmer Rouge and over 17,000 prisoners were tortured there and then sent to the Killing Fields close by. The Khmer Rouge kept detailed records of each prisoner and these were on show at the museum, including displays of black and white photographs of the men, women and children who passed through and the instruments used in their torture. Some of the torture methods used were absolutely disgusting which I won't go into. S21 was just one of many prisons around Cambodia used during the Khmer Rouge.
I then visited the Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, also known as the Killing Fields located just outside the city. Those who were tortured at S21 were sent here to what they thought was a quiet farming district to work. Yet the thousands of innocent Cambodians were in fact sent here to be executed by some absolutely horrendous methods. Perhaps the most horrifying method was this tree they used to kill the children, where they grabbed their legs and repeatedly smashed their heads against it before chucking them in the mass grave beside it. Many of the original buildings where the atrocities occurred have since been destroyed but some of the mass graves have since been unearthed, where they have built a memorial stupa housing over 8000 skulls of the victims. This was just one of many killing fields around the country.
It's sad to think those atrocities were occurring less than 40 years ago, but it was definitely worth visiting to understand Cambodias recent history. I spent the afternoon just relaxing at the hostel as it was raining, although it cleared by the evening. I therefore headed back to the Independence Monument and surrounding boulevard which had this light show on the side of one of the buildings. Like in Vientiane, it was funny watching the locals doing their aerobics classes! I then went for dinner down Sisowith Quay again.
The border itself was literally in the middle of nowhere, so my next aim was getting to the nearest town of Stung Treng about 45km away. Luckily one of the locals crossing the border gave me a lift and I was in Stung Treng in really good time. As I'd done so well I was debating between pressing on to either Phnom Penh or Siem Riep. In the end my only option leaving that day was going to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, arriving in just as it was getting dark. It was a very long day in the end, and I arrived at my hostel just in time before there was another massive thunderstorm!
The following day I went out and explored Phnom Penh, although my first job was to sort some money out which is slightly confusing in Cambodia. They basically use the US Dollar and Cambodian Riel together. The majority of places quote their prices in US Dollars, although you can pay in either currency. Where it gets confusing though is that if you pay in US Dollars, they give you change in a combination of the two currencies, and vice versa. I definitely think I'm going to need to be on the ball because I think you could quite easily be scammed if you're not careful. My hostel was located right next to the Central Market so I had a good look round there after breakfast.
As it was the Cambodian Day of Remembrance, some of the major attractions like the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and National Museum were all closed for the day. I still managed to get a glimpse of the palace from outside though at the Royal Palace Park, heading there via the Independence Monument. There were a lot of locals there laying flowers to remember those who died during the Khmer Rouge. I then followed the river along Sisowith Quay which is where all the bars and restaurants were based, before reaching Wat Phnom. By this point is was extremely hot outside, so I went and checked out some of the shopping malls which were very modern. I spent the rest of the afternoon at the hostel just relaxing, heading out to the night market and Sisowith Quay for dinner in the evening.
On Tuesday I visited S21 and the Killing Fields, which were a couple of museums showcasing some of the horrific things which occurred during the Khmer Rouge. Between 1975 and 1979 Cambodia was ruled by communist leader Pal Pot, who believed Cambodia should become a completely agricultural country. He therefore emptied the cities and sent everyone to work in the countryside on labour camps. People were forced to work extra long hours and were given insufficient food, causing many people to die of exhaustion and malnutrition. He also banned things like religion, and anyone caught exercising their religion were sent to be executed. He also executed all intellectuals, and anyone who was deemed lazy or complained were also executed. During his reign, of the 8 million people living in Cambodia an estimated 3 million died.
The first museum I visited was the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, also known as S21. The former high school was converted into a notorious prison by the Khmer Rouge and over 17,000 prisoners were tortured there and then sent to the Killing Fields close by. The Khmer Rouge kept detailed records of each prisoner and these were on show at the museum, including displays of black and white photographs of the men, women and children who passed through and the instruments used in their torture. Some of the torture methods used were absolutely disgusting which I won't go into. S21 was just one of many prisons around Cambodia used during the Khmer Rouge.
I then visited the Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, also known as the Killing Fields located just outside the city. Those who were tortured at S21 were sent here to what they thought was a quiet farming district to work. Yet the thousands of innocent Cambodians were in fact sent here to be executed by some absolutely horrendous methods. Perhaps the most horrifying method was this tree they used to kill the children, where they grabbed their legs and repeatedly smashed their heads against it before chucking them in the mass grave beside it. Many of the original buildings where the atrocities occurred have since been destroyed but some of the mass graves have since been unearthed, where they have built a memorial stupa housing over 8000 skulls of the victims. This was just one of many killing fields around the country.
It's sad to think those atrocities were occurring less than 40 years ago, but it was definitely worth visiting to understand Cambodias recent history. I spent the afternoon just relaxing at the hostel as it was raining, although it cleared by the evening. I therefore headed back to the Independence Monument and surrounding boulevard which had this light show on the side of one of the buildings. Like in Vientiane, it was funny watching the locals doing their aerobics classes! I then went for dinner down Sisowith Quay again.
Tuesday, 22 May 2018
Si Phan Don (4000 Islands)
From Pakse I was looking into another trip out for a couple of days to the nearby Bolaven Plateau, although I couldn't find a safe and affordable way of doing it. The Bolaven Plateau is a large area home to waterfalls, ethnic minority villages, and coffee plantations, most popularly explored by motorcycle. With everything very spread out and parts of it reaching up to 1300m altitude cycling was out of the question. It was possible to use public buses although they ran pretty randomly, and I did consider hitchhiking, but in the end I decided to give it a miss. To be fair as I've said before its currently the worst time of the year to see waterfalls with them at there driest.
I therefore headed south to Si Phan Don, which translates literally as the 4000 Islands. Si Phan Don is where the Mekong stretches up to 14km in width, and becomes unnavigable due to series of rapids and waterfalls which run between the countless islands in the section of the river. Whether there is 4000 islands or not is a different matter, but there certainly is a lot. There were several different islands it was possible to visit and I decided to stay on Don Det which seemed like the most popular island with backpackers. The bus ride down to Nakasong, home of the boat landing was nice and straight forward. From there it was then a short boat ride out to Don Det, arriving by lunchtime.
Don Det was only a small island, probably about the same size as Brownsea, and I soon checked into my accommodation where I literally had my own wooden bungalow with a double bed! The infrastructure on the island was pretty basic though, although it had a very hippyesque vibe. I spent the afternoon just relaxing, with my bungalow having a hammock on my balcony. What I most enjoyed though was having a double bed, although there was a massive thunderstorm in the night which created a racket on my corrugated roof!
On Friday I explored Don Det. There wasn't really much to see because it's the kind of place equipped for relaxation, but I did a lap of the island which took me a good couple of hours and got some good views of the Mekong and some of the outlying islands. After lunch I explored the middle of the island which was dominated with paddy fields, as well as the remains of an old railway line and port which was very interesting to read about despite little physical evidence of its existence. I spent much of the rest of the afternoon in the town section at the northern end of the island which had the bulk of the bars and restaurants, finding a nice place to chill and before watching the sunset later on. It was just nice to relax.
On Saturday I went and visited the neighbouring island of Don Khon, which was connected to Don Det by a bridge which used to be part of the old railway line. The railway line was built by the French in the late 19th century who had back then gained a particular stronghold on places like Vietnam and Cambodia which lie on the Mekong. The Frenches ambition was to continue their dominance northwards into China, using the Mekong as a way of increasing trade. The one thing stopping them was the rapids and waterfalls in Si Phan Don, so they decided to build a railway line across Don Khon, bridge across to Don Det, and continue across Don Det with a port either end to transport boats across, hence bypassing the waterfalls. It worked on the short term, although trade wasn't as big as they envisaged and by the 1930s the railway was abandoned.
First stop of the day was Li Phi Waterfall, which was situated on the western side of Don Khon. The sheer amount of water cascading down was very impressive, and there even a small beach area where you could sunbathe and go for a swim. After checking out another beach area nearby, I followed the old railway line to Ban Hang Khone village at the southern extremity of the island. There were great views south here looking down into Cambodia, although I wasn't lucky enough so see the incredibly rare Irrawaddy Dolphin which are occasionally seen south of the waterfalls.
Next stop was the Khone Pa Soi Waterfall, which I accessed via this track through the jungle. There were some relics from the railway line here with some of the old rail tracks used as these incredibly sketchy bridges. The waterfall itself was accessed across an equally sketchy set of suspension bridges, where there were several vantage points to see the rapids and waterfalls. I then headed back to the bridge connecting Don Khon to Don Det, walking along the street with the bulk of Don Khons restaurants and accommodation, as well as checking out the remains of an old locomotive. I got back to Don Det by early afternoon, where I just chilled out before catching a ferry back over the mainland to prepare myself for the border crossing into Cambodia the following day.
One of the reasons I stayed the night on the mainland instead of Don Det was so that I could visit the Khone Phapeng Waterfall before reaching the border, and also before the ticket office at the falls opened. The border was about 15km from Nakasong where I was staying, and the waterfall was about half way between there and the border. I therefore walked, and it was another pretty impressive waterfall, apparently the largest by volume in South East Asia. The boards at the waterfall even claim it is the largest in the world by width, which is strictly true if you account the width of the Mekong and all the waterfalls in that section of river, but that's a pretty audacious claim. It was definitely worth the early morning visit before facing the border crossing as I knew it was likely to be a long day!
I therefore headed south to Si Phan Don, which translates literally as the 4000 Islands. Si Phan Don is where the Mekong stretches up to 14km in width, and becomes unnavigable due to series of rapids and waterfalls which run between the countless islands in the section of the river. Whether there is 4000 islands or not is a different matter, but there certainly is a lot. There were several different islands it was possible to visit and I decided to stay on Don Det which seemed like the most popular island with backpackers. The bus ride down to Nakasong, home of the boat landing was nice and straight forward. From there it was then a short boat ride out to Don Det, arriving by lunchtime.
Don Det was only a small island, probably about the same size as Brownsea, and I soon checked into my accommodation where I literally had my own wooden bungalow with a double bed! The infrastructure on the island was pretty basic though, although it had a very hippyesque vibe. I spent the afternoon just relaxing, with my bungalow having a hammock on my balcony. What I most enjoyed though was having a double bed, although there was a massive thunderstorm in the night which created a racket on my corrugated roof!
On Friday I explored Don Det. There wasn't really much to see because it's the kind of place equipped for relaxation, but I did a lap of the island which took me a good couple of hours and got some good views of the Mekong and some of the outlying islands. After lunch I explored the middle of the island which was dominated with paddy fields, as well as the remains of an old railway line and port which was very interesting to read about despite little physical evidence of its existence. I spent much of the rest of the afternoon in the town section at the northern end of the island which had the bulk of the bars and restaurants, finding a nice place to chill and before watching the sunset later on. It was just nice to relax.
On Saturday I went and visited the neighbouring island of Don Khon, which was connected to Don Det by a bridge which used to be part of the old railway line. The railway line was built by the French in the late 19th century who had back then gained a particular stronghold on places like Vietnam and Cambodia which lie on the Mekong. The Frenches ambition was to continue their dominance northwards into China, using the Mekong as a way of increasing trade. The one thing stopping them was the rapids and waterfalls in Si Phan Don, so they decided to build a railway line across Don Khon, bridge across to Don Det, and continue across Don Det with a port either end to transport boats across, hence bypassing the waterfalls. It worked on the short term, although trade wasn't as big as they envisaged and by the 1930s the railway was abandoned.
First stop of the day was Li Phi Waterfall, which was situated on the western side of Don Khon. The sheer amount of water cascading down was very impressive, and there even a small beach area where you could sunbathe and go for a swim. After checking out another beach area nearby, I followed the old railway line to Ban Hang Khone village at the southern extremity of the island. There were great views south here looking down into Cambodia, although I wasn't lucky enough so see the incredibly rare Irrawaddy Dolphin which are occasionally seen south of the waterfalls.
Next stop was the Khone Pa Soi Waterfall, which I accessed via this track through the jungle. There were some relics from the railway line here with some of the old rail tracks used as these incredibly sketchy bridges. The waterfall itself was accessed across an equally sketchy set of suspension bridges, where there were several vantage points to see the rapids and waterfalls. I then headed back to the bridge connecting Don Khon to Don Det, walking along the street with the bulk of Don Khons restaurants and accommodation, as well as checking out the remains of an old locomotive. I got back to Don Det by early afternoon, where I just chilled out before catching a ferry back over the mainland to prepare myself for the border crossing into Cambodia the following day.
One of the reasons I stayed the night on the mainland instead of Don Det was so that I could visit the Khone Phapeng Waterfall before reaching the border, and also before the ticket office at the falls opened. The border was about 15km from Nakasong where I was staying, and the waterfall was about half way between there and the border. I therefore walked, and it was another pretty impressive waterfall, apparently the largest by volume in South East Asia. The boards at the waterfall even claim it is the largest in the world by width, which is strictly true if you account the width of the Mekong and all the waterfalls in that section of river, but that's a pretty audacious claim. It was definitely worth the early morning visit before facing the border crossing as I knew it was likely to be a long day!
Sunday, 20 May 2018
Pakse and Champasak
With little else to do in Vientiane I left on Saturday, heading south towards the small city of Pakse. I knew I wanted to visit Cambodia, Vietnam, and possibly Myanmar, so I decided to head south towards the Cambodia border instead of north towards the Vietnam border on the basis that I could in theory easily get a visa upon arrival in Cambodia, and not in Vietnam. I'd heard southern Laos was meant to be really nice too. When arriving at the bus station there was a bus heading south leaving within 5 minutes, although I did have to change buses in Thakek. One thing with buses in Laos is that they maximise all space available, pretty much acting as a delivery service amongst other things. The bus from Thakek to Pakse was no exception with the aisle literally stacked with sacks of vegetables you had to climb over to sit down!
As I'd caught a bus with such ease from Vientiane, I arrived into Pakse at like 2am which was a lot earlier than anticipated. It was still a very long journey though taking about 14 hours as it stopped in practically every village where the locals would get on trying to sell you food, which was actually a good thing on my behalf as I didn't buy anything before leaving Vientiane. I hadn't booked any accommodation in Pakse for the night so I slept at the bus station until morning. Pakse itself like some of the towns I passed en route was just a sleepy riverside settlement on the Mekong, at the confluence with the Xe Don river. I chose to stop in Pakse because it was a good base to explore some of the sights in the Champasak region which it lied in.
On Sunday I had a pretty laid back day, exploring Pakse. There wasn't really much to see other than a few temples and markets, but it was still worth a look. First stop was Wat Luang, probably the largest complex in Pakse, before heading to this Chinese temple located right at the confluence of the two rivers. It was interesting seeing where the rivers met, the Mekong noticeably a lot browner than the Xe Don. I passed another couple of Chinese temples as I continued exploring, before heading across the Mekong to this Golden Buddha. It's amazing how wide the river has become compared to when I first started following it at the Golden Triangle. There were great views up top and the complex was pretty large too, the highlight these countless smaller Buddha statues all lined up almost like an army.
I headed back to the hostel by the afternoon, via the Dao Heuang market which was absolutely massive. It was nice to lie down after such little sleep, although I resisted having a nap, instead researching the logistics of getting to some of the places I wanted to visit in the coming days. Come evening I headed back up to the Golden Buddha to watch the sunset, although whilst watching it there was an incoming thunderstorm. I risked it and stayed and it was absolutely worth it, the sky just changing colour and reflecting into the river. On the way back to the hostel I was bitten by a dog which wasn't ideal, but other than getting it cleaned I couldn't really do much until the morning. I listened to the football later in the evening.
The following day I was planning to visit the town of Champasak for a couple of days, although I wanted get to try and get my dog bite checked out so I went to the hospital as soon as it opened. The communication barrier proved too challenging though and I couldn't get to them understand what I was saying. To be fair the bite didn't look too bad and I got it thoroughly cleaned by someone at the hostel pretty swiftly after it happened. I certainly think I'll avoid getting a scar unlike my attack in Bolivia. In terms of getting it checked out properly I realistically needed to head to back into Thailand, but I decided in the end to risk it and hope I'll be fine because at the end of the day if the dog did have rabies I'm dead.
By the time I got back Pakse it was lunchtime and I decided to just chill out and head to Champasak later that afternoon when it was a bit cooler. Champasak lies on the other side of the Mekong and until 2014 was only accessible by ferry. Lieing 31km south of Pakse, with its main attraction Wat Phu a further 10km away, I hired a bike and cycled to Champasak to base myself there for a couple of nights to avoid basically cycling over 80km in a day. It was a nice flat bike ride, passing through the countryside and several villages en route. When arriving in Champasak there wasn't really much going on, the town basically just one long street, although I found myself a nice little restaurant by the river for dinner.
On Tuesday I headed out to Wat Phu for the day, which were some ruins dating back to the 5th century, although the complex which remains today dates back to about the 11th century and is linked to the Angkorian period. Located at the base of the Phou Kao mountain, the temple was part of a large ancient city stretching right from mountain to river, and was historically linked by road to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, somewhere I hope to later visit. When arriving at the entrance, which was dominated by these two large reservoirs, I attempted a walk to the nearby ruins of Oub Moung which supposedly took you via this cave and waterfall with ancient inscriptions. The signposting was non existent though and I was unable to correspond things to my map as the walk went through open rice fields and forest with paths all over the place.
I therefore headed back to Wat Phu where I explored the main temple complex. The walk to the temple took me along this long cobbled driveway flanked either side by these sandstone posts, before reaching these two almost identical buildings. I was able to explore both the buildings as well as the surrounding area which was littered in broken pieces of stonework, some even with detailed carvings on. I then began a steep climb up this narrow staircase, passing several terraces and pieces of ruins before eventually reaching the main temple at the top. There were great views looking back over the Mekong floodplain. The main temple aside, the top was also home to this natural spring which the locals believe is sacred, as well as a rock with an elephant carved on it.
After a good look round Wat Phu, I headed out to the nearby ruins of Hong Nang Sida which were basically this massive pile of blocks. Like Wat Phu though there was plenty of information available to visualise what it once was. I then headed to the ruins of Thao Tao, which were a little more challenging to locate. There was literally no signposting and it was a fair walk through forest and rice fields. Luckily some locals helped me find it in the end, although it does make you wonder why the two walks advertised within the Wat Phu complex have next to no signposting, are also the two walks they're trying to get to you to hire a guide for at the entrance. I think the guides may have been tampering with the signposts. There was also an old quarry with stone carvings nearby, although as my map was basically useless I decided to give that a miss.
After lunch I left Wat Phu and attempted another walk which took you round parts of the ancient city. Despite little physical evidence, there were several information boards to help you visualise what once was, the area now dominated with rice fields. That particular walk which was one not offered by the guides and had perfect signposting, so I defiantly think they've gone and removed the signs from the walks in Wat Phu to stop you doing them self guided. I finished the day by heading a short way down the Mekong past these villages to see the locals making handicrafts out of things like bamboo. There were also a couple of interesting buildings including this Catholic Church and Wat Mueang Kang which both had colonial influences attached to their designs. I arrived back into Champasak later that afternoon, definitely pleased with my decision not to cycle to Wat Phu from Pakse as a day trip!
On Wednesday morning I got up bright and early to watch the Buddhist Monks Alms Giving Ceremony, a Lao tradition I haven't yet woken up early enough to witness. This is where the monks walk down the road and collect offerings from locals to feed both themselves and the poor. It was quite a sight although I had to keep a distance out of respect. Soon after the ceremony to avoid the full heat of the sun I did this walk advertised as the rice fields loop. It was very pretty taking you along dirt roads through the countryside, as well as taking you down the full length of Champasak Town where there were a few interesting temples and colonial era buildings. I cycled back to Pakse after the walk, although by that point it was very hot. I just chilled out in Pakse for the rest of the day.
As I'd caught a bus with such ease from Vientiane, I arrived into Pakse at like 2am which was a lot earlier than anticipated. It was still a very long journey though taking about 14 hours as it stopped in practically every village where the locals would get on trying to sell you food, which was actually a good thing on my behalf as I didn't buy anything before leaving Vientiane. I hadn't booked any accommodation in Pakse for the night so I slept at the bus station until morning. Pakse itself like some of the towns I passed en route was just a sleepy riverside settlement on the Mekong, at the confluence with the Xe Don river. I chose to stop in Pakse because it was a good base to explore some of the sights in the Champasak region which it lied in.
On Sunday I had a pretty laid back day, exploring Pakse. There wasn't really much to see other than a few temples and markets, but it was still worth a look. First stop was Wat Luang, probably the largest complex in Pakse, before heading to this Chinese temple located right at the confluence of the two rivers. It was interesting seeing where the rivers met, the Mekong noticeably a lot browner than the Xe Don. I passed another couple of Chinese temples as I continued exploring, before heading across the Mekong to this Golden Buddha. It's amazing how wide the river has become compared to when I first started following it at the Golden Triangle. There were great views up top and the complex was pretty large too, the highlight these countless smaller Buddha statues all lined up almost like an army.
I headed back to the hostel by the afternoon, via the Dao Heuang market which was absolutely massive. It was nice to lie down after such little sleep, although I resisted having a nap, instead researching the logistics of getting to some of the places I wanted to visit in the coming days. Come evening I headed back up to the Golden Buddha to watch the sunset, although whilst watching it there was an incoming thunderstorm. I risked it and stayed and it was absolutely worth it, the sky just changing colour and reflecting into the river. On the way back to the hostel I was bitten by a dog which wasn't ideal, but other than getting it cleaned I couldn't really do much until the morning. I listened to the football later in the evening.
The following day I was planning to visit the town of Champasak for a couple of days, although I wanted get to try and get my dog bite checked out so I went to the hospital as soon as it opened. The communication barrier proved too challenging though and I couldn't get to them understand what I was saying. To be fair the bite didn't look too bad and I got it thoroughly cleaned by someone at the hostel pretty swiftly after it happened. I certainly think I'll avoid getting a scar unlike my attack in Bolivia. In terms of getting it checked out properly I realistically needed to head to back into Thailand, but I decided in the end to risk it and hope I'll be fine because at the end of the day if the dog did have rabies I'm dead.
By the time I got back Pakse it was lunchtime and I decided to just chill out and head to Champasak later that afternoon when it was a bit cooler. Champasak lies on the other side of the Mekong and until 2014 was only accessible by ferry. Lieing 31km south of Pakse, with its main attraction Wat Phu a further 10km away, I hired a bike and cycled to Champasak to base myself there for a couple of nights to avoid basically cycling over 80km in a day. It was a nice flat bike ride, passing through the countryside and several villages en route. When arriving in Champasak there wasn't really much going on, the town basically just one long street, although I found myself a nice little restaurant by the river for dinner.
On Tuesday I headed out to Wat Phu for the day, which were some ruins dating back to the 5th century, although the complex which remains today dates back to about the 11th century and is linked to the Angkorian period. Located at the base of the Phou Kao mountain, the temple was part of a large ancient city stretching right from mountain to river, and was historically linked by road to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, somewhere I hope to later visit. When arriving at the entrance, which was dominated by these two large reservoirs, I attempted a walk to the nearby ruins of Oub Moung which supposedly took you via this cave and waterfall with ancient inscriptions. The signposting was non existent though and I was unable to correspond things to my map as the walk went through open rice fields and forest with paths all over the place.
I therefore headed back to Wat Phu where I explored the main temple complex. The walk to the temple took me along this long cobbled driveway flanked either side by these sandstone posts, before reaching these two almost identical buildings. I was able to explore both the buildings as well as the surrounding area which was littered in broken pieces of stonework, some even with detailed carvings on. I then began a steep climb up this narrow staircase, passing several terraces and pieces of ruins before eventually reaching the main temple at the top. There were great views looking back over the Mekong floodplain. The main temple aside, the top was also home to this natural spring which the locals believe is sacred, as well as a rock with an elephant carved on it.
After a good look round Wat Phu, I headed out to the nearby ruins of Hong Nang Sida which were basically this massive pile of blocks. Like Wat Phu though there was plenty of information available to visualise what it once was. I then headed to the ruins of Thao Tao, which were a little more challenging to locate. There was literally no signposting and it was a fair walk through forest and rice fields. Luckily some locals helped me find it in the end, although it does make you wonder why the two walks advertised within the Wat Phu complex have next to no signposting, are also the two walks they're trying to get to you to hire a guide for at the entrance. I think the guides may have been tampering with the signposts. There was also an old quarry with stone carvings nearby, although as my map was basically useless I decided to give that a miss.
After lunch I left Wat Phu and attempted another walk which took you round parts of the ancient city. Despite little physical evidence, there were several information boards to help you visualise what once was, the area now dominated with rice fields. That particular walk which was one not offered by the guides and had perfect signposting, so I defiantly think they've gone and removed the signs from the walks in Wat Phu to stop you doing them self guided. I finished the day by heading a short way down the Mekong past these villages to see the locals making handicrafts out of things like bamboo. There were also a couple of interesting buildings including this Catholic Church and Wat Mueang Kang which both had colonial influences attached to their designs. I arrived back into Champasak later that afternoon, definitely pleased with my decision not to cycle to Wat Phu from Pakse as a day trip!
On Wednesday morning I got up bright and early to watch the Buddhist Monks Alms Giving Ceremony, a Lao tradition I haven't yet woken up early enough to witness. This is where the monks walk down the road and collect offerings from locals to feed both themselves and the poor. It was quite a sight although I had to keep a distance out of respect. Soon after the ceremony to avoid the full heat of the sun I did this walk advertised as the rice fields loop. It was very pretty taking you along dirt roads through the countryside, as well as taking you down the full length of Champasak Town where there were a few interesting temples and colonial era buildings. I cycled back to Pakse after the walk, although by that point it was very hot. I just chilled out in Pakse for the rest of the day.
Sunday, 13 May 2018
Vientiane
On Wednesday my aim was to get to the capital Vientiane, and getting there seemed easy with regular minibus shuttles as well as several local buses passing through from the north. As I stayed up late to listen to the football the night before I stayed in Vang Vieng until lunchtime. I managed to get a minibus to Vientiane pretty easily, although when getting to Vientiane I was dropped off in some random place full of tuk tuk drivers out of town which the driver insisted was the final stop, but I think it was a scam as he continued on with a few people still on board. I had to get off though as one of the tuk tuk drivers just took my stuff and put it on his tuk tuk. As they were trying to rip me off I walked into Vientiane, getting there eventually where I just chilled out for the evening.
I'd read that Vientiane was pretty lacklustre compared to other cities in South East Asia, but despite this I'd thought I'd give it a couple of days. Situated on the Mekong River which separates it from Thailand the other side, the somewhat sleepy city still had a few things I thought were worth seeing. The city was home to countless temples, and with most slapping on entrance fees to exploit the tourism I had to be selective. First stop was therefore Wat Sisaket which was a temple housing over 2000 Buddha sculptures. Across the road from there was Wat Phra Keow which was another temple acting a museum to showcase several Buddha relics. You weren't allowed to take pictures but it was an interesting place to walk around.
I passed several other places of interest on my way round the city including the Presidental Palace, City Pillar, and Wat Si Muang, perhaps the most picturesque temple of the day. Nearby there was the COPE Visitor Centre which showcased the dark history of the Lao Civil War and the 260 million bombs that were dropped on Laos between 1964-1973. COPE provides artificial limbs and rehabilitation for people, many of them children, who have lost limbs due to the unexploded objects which litter the country. It was really interesting, although you weren't allowed to take pictures. I then went to the Vientiane Centre, home to Laos's only air conditioned shopping mall and cinema. There was still no western influence though, with companies like Starbucks and McDonald's not making there way into Laos yet, but I just found it nice to find somewhere with air con.
Next stop was Patuxai, which bears a strong resemblance the the Arc de Triomphe. In 1968 the USA sent Laos enough concrete to build an international runway. They instead built Patuxai. I was even able to climb to the top, although there wasn't really much to see and the structure itself was a bit of a concrete monstrosity up close! I then headed to Pha That Luang, which was home to a big golden stupa. Legend says that part of Buddha's breast bone is buried there. I headed back to the hostel from there, via That Dam and the Namphou Fountain. Come evening I went to check out the night market which was by the river. I found it particularly funny watching the locals doing their aerobics classes which I passed en route. By the time I actually got to the night market though they were frantically packing up, which was due to massive thunderstorm which hit long after.
The following day I hired a bike to go out and visit the Xieng Khuan Buddha Park. I thought it would be a nice bike ride out there as the road skimmed the Mekong for many parts of the ride, although there wasn't really much to see. The Buddha Park housed several large sculptures, all of which were basically in their raw form. There wasn't really much else to see, although there was this bombshell like building which you could go inside and climb to the top of which was pretty cool. There were some pretty tight spaces though! I cycled back to Vientiane after looking round, getting back earlier than expected. I just relaxed for the rest of the day, heading out to Patuxai and the Namphou Fountain in the evening to see them in darkness, as well as finally getting to the night market without a thunderstorm to stop me!
I'd read that Vientiane was pretty lacklustre compared to other cities in South East Asia, but despite this I'd thought I'd give it a couple of days. Situated on the Mekong River which separates it from Thailand the other side, the somewhat sleepy city still had a few things I thought were worth seeing. The city was home to countless temples, and with most slapping on entrance fees to exploit the tourism I had to be selective. First stop was therefore Wat Sisaket which was a temple housing over 2000 Buddha sculptures. Across the road from there was Wat Phra Keow which was another temple acting a museum to showcase several Buddha relics. You weren't allowed to take pictures but it was an interesting place to walk around.
I passed several other places of interest on my way round the city including the Presidental Palace, City Pillar, and Wat Si Muang, perhaps the most picturesque temple of the day. Nearby there was the COPE Visitor Centre which showcased the dark history of the Lao Civil War and the 260 million bombs that were dropped on Laos between 1964-1973. COPE provides artificial limbs and rehabilitation for people, many of them children, who have lost limbs due to the unexploded objects which litter the country. It was really interesting, although you weren't allowed to take pictures. I then went to the Vientiane Centre, home to Laos's only air conditioned shopping mall and cinema. There was still no western influence though, with companies like Starbucks and McDonald's not making there way into Laos yet, but I just found it nice to find somewhere with air con.
Next stop was Patuxai, which bears a strong resemblance the the Arc de Triomphe. In 1968 the USA sent Laos enough concrete to build an international runway. They instead built Patuxai. I was even able to climb to the top, although there wasn't really much to see and the structure itself was a bit of a concrete monstrosity up close! I then headed to Pha That Luang, which was home to a big golden stupa. Legend says that part of Buddha's breast bone is buried there. I headed back to the hostel from there, via That Dam and the Namphou Fountain. Come evening I went to check out the night market which was by the river. I found it particularly funny watching the locals doing their aerobics classes which I passed en route. By the time I actually got to the night market though they were frantically packing up, which was due to massive thunderstorm which hit long after.
The following day I hired a bike to go out and visit the Xieng Khuan Buddha Park. I thought it would be a nice bike ride out there as the road skimmed the Mekong for many parts of the ride, although there wasn't really much to see. The Buddha Park housed several large sculptures, all of which were basically in their raw form. There wasn't really much else to see, although there was this bombshell like building which you could go inside and climb to the top of which was pretty cool. There were some pretty tight spaces though! I cycled back to Vientiane after looking round, getting back earlier than expected. I just relaxed for the rest of the day, heading out to Patuxai and the Namphou Fountain in the evening to see them in darkness, as well as finally getting to the night market without a thunderstorm to stop me!
Thursday, 10 May 2018
Vang Vieng
I aimed to leave Luang Prabang Sunday morning and head south to Vang Vieng. There were several places a bit more off the beaten track I was looking into visiting, however it was just getting to them that was the issue. Laos simply doesn't have the population to run an effective bus network, with it being a particularly poor and sparsely populated country. This means the timetables are pretty irrelevant, and the buses basically leave when they're full or when the driver has enough money in his pocket. I thought going to Vang Vieng would prevent this problem being a stop for buses en route to the capital Vientiane although that wasn't the case as when arriving at the bus station my bus was by no means full. I ended up being stuck at the bus station over 5 hours before it eventually left, and I couldn't really go anywhere else in case it got full and left without me.
Vang Vieng is small town on the banks of the Nam Song river, characterised by a backdrop of towering cliffs, countless caves, and vivid green paddy fields. In the past the town housed a particularly toxic party scene, where people would get drunk/stoned by the cheap and even free booze, and easily accessible drugs sold by these riverside rave bars whilst tubing to each bar down the river. In 2012 after a speight of tourist deaths brought attention to the place the government shut down the rave bars and implemented a 12am curfew nationwide. Nowadays the town has attempted to reposition itself as the rural paradise it once was and now offers an array of adrenaline fuelled activities and a more controlled nightlife scene. I didn't arrive into Vang Vieng until darkness in the end, and I was greeted by rain upon arrival.
The following day I went out to explore some of the outlying countryside. There are a countless number of caves, viewpoints, and lagoons in the area which locals have exploited by putting entrance fees on, so I knew I had to be selective in where I visited. First stop was the Blue Lagoon, a popular swimming area due to its clear coloured water. After a nice swim I headed to the nearby Poukham Cave which was more like this massive cavern, housing a small reclining Buddha. When returning to the lagoon the weather turned and there was a massive thunderstorm, although there were plenty of little huts by the lagoon to shelter in. It was a really quite impressive thunderstorm although the rain persisted for ages and by the time it stopped all the run off meant the water was no longer that blue anymore!
When the rain finally calmed down a bit I walked to the Nomxay Top Viewpoint, which presented me with a great views. The climb up was incredibly slippery though, and I couldn't stay up there too long as there was this swarm of flies which were very annoying. I then went to the Phu Pang Kham Cave. I wasn't sure which caves were best to visit as there so many, but the Phu Pang Kham Cave had the best looking pictures on the advertisement boards so I went there. It was totally worth it getting taken into two different caves by this local Laotian guy who spoke literally no English, going far deeper into the system than I would have done self guided. The stalactites and crystals on the walls were particularly impressive.
Nearby the cave was the Pha Hon Kham Cliff Viewpoint, which was on top of these pinnacles sticking out in the middle of the countryside. The views were as equally impressive as the previous viewpoint. I then headed back towards the Blue Lagoon, via the Phakam Phaxoke Viewpoint which again had stunning views. I was glad when I got back to the Blue Lagoon though as by that point I was very hot and a swim was particularly nice. I didn't get back to Vang Vieng as the sun was setting in the end so it was a long day. I went for a few drinks in the evening as many bars did free beer on their happy hours and it was a pretty lively atmosphere. Many bars were openly selling drugs on their menu though so I think Vang Vieng still has a little well to go to totally clean up its act!
The following day I went out and explored some more of the surrounding countryside. I read that the walk out to the Lusi Cave was a nice walk, and it was very picturesque going through the rice fields with the large karst cliffs as a backdrop. When reaching the cave I was a little reluctant to go too deep inside as I only had my tablet flashlight to guide me. I read there was a lagoon inside you could swim in but I didn't get far enough in to see that. A short walk back through the rice fields took me to the Pha Pouak Viewpoint. The climb up was pretty challenging as it was basically ladders and scrambling, although there were views over Vang Vieng town itself from the top.
From Pha Pouak I headed to the Pha Ngeun Viewpoint, perhaps the most visited in the Vang Vieng area. Certainly unlike the previous ones I had climbed I had no solitude up the top although the views were probably the pick of the bunch. I headed back into Vang Vieng for lunch, before heading out to the Chang Cave later that afternoon. Unlike the previous caves I had explored there was no need to carry a torch to explore with plenty of lights and a well laid path around it. There were several Buddha relics inside too. Just outside the cave was a nice little place to swim, fed by this small waterfall inside a cave. I managed to swim to waterfall, the water so clear. Come evening there was another almighty thunderstorm which caused a power cut. Luckily the power was back by the time the football was on though!
Vang Vieng is small town on the banks of the Nam Song river, characterised by a backdrop of towering cliffs, countless caves, and vivid green paddy fields. In the past the town housed a particularly toxic party scene, where people would get drunk/stoned by the cheap and even free booze, and easily accessible drugs sold by these riverside rave bars whilst tubing to each bar down the river. In 2012 after a speight of tourist deaths brought attention to the place the government shut down the rave bars and implemented a 12am curfew nationwide. Nowadays the town has attempted to reposition itself as the rural paradise it once was and now offers an array of adrenaline fuelled activities and a more controlled nightlife scene. I didn't arrive into Vang Vieng until darkness in the end, and I was greeted by rain upon arrival.
The following day I went out to explore some of the outlying countryside. There are a countless number of caves, viewpoints, and lagoons in the area which locals have exploited by putting entrance fees on, so I knew I had to be selective in where I visited. First stop was the Blue Lagoon, a popular swimming area due to its clear coloured water. After a nice swim I headed to the nearby Poukham Cave which was more like this massive cavern, housing a small reclining Buddha. When returning to the lagoon the weather turned and there was a massive thunderstorm, although there were plenty of little huts by the lagoon to shelter in. It was a really quite impressive thunderstorm although the rain persisted for ages and by the time it stopped all the run off meant the water was no longer that blue anymore!
When the rain finally calmed down a bit I walked to the Nomxay Top Viewpoint, which presented me with a great views. The climb up was incredibly slippery though, and I couldn't stay up there too long as there was this swarm of flies which were very annoying. I then went to the Phu Pang Kham Cave. I wasn't sure which caves were best to visit as there so many, but the Phu Pang Kham Cave had the best looking pictures on the advertisement boards so I went there. It was totally worth it getting taken into two different caves by this local Laotian guy who spoke literally no English, going far deeper into the system than I would have done self guided. The stalactites and crystals on the walls were particularly impressive.
Nearby the cave was the Pha Hon Kham Cliff Viewpoint, which was on top of these pinnacles sticking out in the middle of the countryside. The views were as equally impressive as the previous viewpoint. I then headed back towards the Blue Lagoon, via the Phakam Phaxoke Viewpoint which again had stunning views. I was glad when I got back to the Blue Lagoon though as by that point I was very hot and a swim was particularly nice. I didn't get back to Vang Vieng as the sun was setting in the end so it was a long day. I went for a few drinks in the evening as many bars did free beer on their happy hours and it was a pretty lively atmosphere. Many bars were openly selling drugs on their menu though so I think Vang Vieng still has a little well to go to totally clean up its act!
The following day I went out and explored some more of the surrounding countryside. I read that the walk out to the Lusi Cave was a nice walk, and it was very picturesque going through the rice fields with the large karst cliffs as a backdrop. When reaching the cave I was a little reluctant to go too deep inside as I only had my tablet flashlight to guide me. I read there was a lagoon inside you could swim in but I didn't get far enough in to see that. A short walk back through the rice fields took me to the Pha Pouak Viewpoint. The climb up was pretty challenging as it was basically ladders and scrambling, although there were views over Vang Vieng town itself from the top.
From Pha Pouak I headed to the Pha Ngeun Viewpoint, perhaps the most visited in the Vang Vieng area. Certainly unlike the previous ones I had climbed I had no solitude up the top although the views were probably the pick of the bunch. I headed back into Vang Vieng for lunch, before heading out to the Chang Cave later that afternoon. Unlike the previous caves I had explored there was no need to carry a torch to explore with plenty of lights and a well laid path around it. There were several Buddha relics inside too. Just outside the cave was a nice little place to swim, fed by this small waterfall inside a cave. I managed to swim to waterfall, the water so clear. Come evening there was another almighty thunderstorm which caused a power cut. Luckily the power was back by the time the football was on though!
Monday, 7 May 2018
Luang Prabang
After leaving Luang Namtha on Tuesday evening, I arrived into my next stop Luang Prabang at 3am which was completely unexpected as I read it was a far longer journey. When we arrived I didn't even realise we were there being half asleep, and with the bus station out of town I decided to just sleep on a bench there until daylight. Luang Prabang is probably is the most visited destination in Laos, it's historical core gaining UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995, characterised by its high concentration of temples and French architecture. Lieing at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, the former Laotian capital attracts people due its array of cultural, nature, and food opportunities.
The benefit of travelling through the night was the fact it bought me a whole day I would have otherwise used sitting on a bus. I therefore dropped my bag off at my hostel that morning, before spending the day exploring the cities historical core. First stop was Mount Phousi, a small hill sitting right in the middle of town. The summit had a small temple, and there were several Buddha relics to see on the way up. What most people come for though are the views and they were brilliant despite it being a pretty overcast day. Apparently May is officially the start of wet season so I probably need to start preparing for the prospect for a lot more rain as it's definitely becoming more frequent.
From Mount Phousi I followed the Nam Tha right round to where it met the Mekong, before winding my way through the streets and alleys to explore some of the temples. Some of the highlights included Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Mai, and the old Royal Palace. I found the French architecture very interesting too, which included several little French bakeries and cafes. It was all just a very picturesque place. I didn't get back to the hostel until later that afternoon, where I had a well earned lie down. Come evening I checked out to the night market which was actually pretty sizable, the street packed with these low lying gazebos selling lots of interesting items. I found this really good buffet for dinner down one of the side streets, before heading back for a proper nights sleep.
On Thursday I crossed the Mekong River to attempt a walk known as the "Chomphet Hike". En route to the river crossing I visited this shop to try some Snake Angco Bravan, a local shot. It was weird. When finding the public boat service across the river, which was a challenge, I arrived on the other side in the small village of Ban Xieng Mane. After walking through the village which compared to Luang Prabang was incredibly poor despite its proximity, I headed up to Wat Chomphet. The temple itself has certainly seen better days, but it was views that I was particularly interested in, getting a great panoramic of the Mekong, Luang Prabang, and mountain backdrop.
The next temple I arrived at was Wat Long Khoune, which acted as the gateway to the nearby Wat Tam Sackkalin. In Laos caves are considered as sacred places, and over the centuries have been filled with Buddha statues. The Sackkalin cave was no exception, and after being escorted to the entrance by the young kid who unlocked the gate for me, I went in and explored. I had to borrow a torch as it was literally pitch black but there were several Buddha relics and it was really fun, although you could have easily got lost! As with most of the walk, the walk presented me with great river views as it went through the dense forest, and the next section to Wat Had Siaw was particularly picturesque.
From there I started climbing through the forest where I saw several crumbling Buddha relics scattered over the place. I eventually descended back down to Wat Khok Pab which had some further ruins as well as some nice gardens. It started raining here however so I found shelter and had lunch, which I'd been looking forward to after grabbing one of the filled baguettes from one of the local French bakeries that morning. It was literally proper bread too unlike the sweet stuff they have in most of Asia. I headed back to Ban Xieng Mane via Wat Nong Sakeo. When getting back to the boat landing the weather really started to set in. The rain persisted for the rest of the day so I couldn't go very far, although I did get out to the night market for dinner. It was a lot quieter than the previous night though!
On Friday I headed out to the Kuang Si Waterfall for the day. Situated 31km out of town, I decided I would cycle out the falls as the only other way I could realistically get there was tuk tuk and they had a fixed rate out per tuk tuk, great for groups, not great for a solo traveller. The ride out to the waterfall was actually really pleasant passing through countryside and the occasional village, before heading into the jungle to the waterfall. I didn't stop anywhere on the way though because I wanted to visit the waterfall while it was nice weather. When arriving I had to pay money here there and everywhere to do things like park my bike, go to the toilet, and access the waterfall. Laos people seem to exploit tourists out of money in literally every way possible.
Just before reaching the waterfall there was a bear rescue project which housed several black bears saved from poachers. It was interesting reading about the project and the bears were actually really active and cute to watch. The waterfall was a short walk from there, which was basically a three tiered waterfall leading to a 50-metre drop into spectacular azure pools before flowing downstream. On the way to the falls were several pools with cascades of up to five metres high you could swim in, which had nice and refreshing water due to the shade given by the surrounding lush tropical jungle. I swam in a couple of the pools, the water so clear, although they had little fish in there too which were nibbling my feet.
At the main waterfall there was a jungle trek you could do up to the top of waterfall to see some of the streams which fed it above. It was incredibly slippery but a nice walk. I spent ages lazing around in the pools, although come afternoon there was a big thunderstorm. After it passed I thought I'd better head back to Luang Prabang, taking a more leisurely ride stopping in a couple of the villages and surrounding countryside to take in the views. I got back to Luang Prabang just in time before the rain really set in. I was actually pretty exhausted after what was quite a sizable bike ride in the end. I went out to one of the French bakeries for dinner as I really enjoyed my baguette the previous day.
On Saturday I had a far more chilled out day, mainly because my bike ride had made me a little stiff come morning. The countries official name is Laos PDR, and the locals affectionately say PDR stands for "please don't rush", and I was in no rush to take another long bus ride somewhere. After checking out the morning market I headed over to Utopia, a riverside bar I'd seen advertised everywhere. It was really laid back with these mats to lie on by the river, and also a particularly good food menu which had literally that day launched a new Laos style vegetarian breakfast inspired menu. Come evening I went to the night market for dinner, before listening to the football later on.
The benefit of travelling through the night was the fact it bought me a whole day I would have otherwise used sitting on a bus. I therefore dropped my bag off at my hostel that morning, before spending the day exploring the cities historical core. First stop was Mount Phousi, a small hill sitting right in the middle of town. The summit had a small temple, and there were several Buddha relics to see on the way up. What most people come for though are the views and they were brilliant despite it being a pretty overcast day. Apparently May is officially the start of wet season so I probably need to start preparing for the prospect for a lot more rain as it's definitely becoming more frequent.
From Mount Phousi I followed the Nam Tha right round to where it met the Mekong, before winding my way through the streets and alleys to explore some of the temples. Some of the highlights included Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Mai, and the old Royal Palace. I found the French architecture very interesting too, which included several little French bakeries and cafes. It was all just a very picturesque place. I didn't get back to the hostel until later that afternoon, where I had a well earned lie down. Come evening I checked out to the night market which was actually pretty sizable, the street packed with these low lying gazebos selling lots of interesting items. I found this really good buffet for dinner down one of the side streets, before heading back for a proper nights sleep.
On Thursday I crossed the Mekong River to attempt a walk known as the "Chomphet Hike". En route to the river crossing I visited this shop to try some Snake Angco Bravan, a local shot. It was weird. When finding the public boat service across the river, which was a challenge, I arrived on the other side in the small village of Ban Xieng Mane. After walking through the village which compared to Luang Prabang was incredibly poor despite its proximity, I headed up to Wat Chomphet. The temple itself has certainly seen better days, but it was views that I was particularly interested in, getting a great panoramic of the Mekong, Luang Prabang, and mountain backdrop.
The next temple I arrived at was Wat Long Khoune, which acted as the gateway to the nearby Wat Tam Sackkalin. In Laos caves are considered as sacred places, and over the centuries have been filled with Buddha statues. The Sackkalin cave was no exception, and after being escorted to the entrance by the young kid who unlocked the gate for me, I went in and explored. I had to borrow a torch as it was literally pitch black but there were several Buddha relics and it was really fun, although you could have easily got lost! As with most of the walk, the walk presented me with great river views as it went through the dense forest, and the next section to Wat Had Siaw was particularly picturesque.
From there I started climbing through the forest where I saw several crumbling Buddha relics scattered over the place. I eventually descended back down to Wat Khok Pab which had some further ruins as well as some nice gardens. It started raining here however so I found shelter and had lunch, which I'd been looking forward to after grabbing one of the filled baguettes from one of the local French bakeries that morning. It was literally proper bread too unlike the sweet stuff they have in most of Asia. I headed back to Ban Xieng Mane via Wat Nong Sakeo. When getting back to the boat landing the weather really started to set in. The rain persisted for the rest of the day so I couldn't go very far, although I did get out to the night market for dinner. It was a lot quieter than the previous night though!
On Friday I headed out to the Kuang Si Waterfall for the day. Situated 31km out of town, I decided I would cycle out the falls as the only other way I could realistically get there was tuk tuk and they had a fixed rate out per tuk tuk, great for groups, not great for a solo traveller. The ride out to the waterfall was actually really pleasant passing through countryside and the occasional village, before heading into the jungle to the waterfall. I didn't stop anywhere on the way though because I wanted to visit the waterfall while it was nice weather. When arriving I had to pay money here there and everywhere to do things like park my bike, go to the toilet, and access the waterfall. Laos people seem to exploit tourists out of money in literally every way possible.
Just before reaching the waterfall there was a bear rescue project which housed several black bears saved from poachers. It was interesting reading about the project and the bears were actually really active and cute to watch. The waterfall was a short walk from there, which was basically a three tiered waterfall leading to a 50-metre drop into spectacular azure pools before flowing downstream. On the way to the falls were several pools with cascades of up to five metres high you could swim in, which had nice and refreshing water due to the shade given by the surrounding lush tropical jungle. I swam in a couple of the pools, the water so clear, although they had little fish in there too which were nibbling my feet.
At the main waterfall there was a jungle trek you could do up to the top of waterfall to see some of the streams which fed it above. It was incredibly slippery but a nice walk. I spent ages lazing around in the pools, although come afternoon there was a big thunderstorm. After it passed I thought I'd better head back to Luang Prabang, taking a more leisurely ride stopping in a couple of the villages and surrounding countryside to take in the views. I got back to Luang Prabang just in time before the rain really set in. I was actually pretty exhausted after what was quite a sizable bike ride in the end. I went out to one of the French bakeries for dinner as I really enjoyed my baguette the previous day.
On Saturday I had a far more chilled out day, mainly because my bike ride had made me a little stiff come morning. The countries official name is Laos PDR, and the locals affectionately say PDR stands for "please don't rush", and I was in no rush to take another long bus ride somewhere. After checking out the morning market I headed over to Utopia, a riverside bar I'd seen advertised everywhere. It was really laid back with these mats to lie on by the river, and also a particularly good food menu which had literally that day launched a new Laos style vegetarian breakfast inspired menu. Come evening I went to the night market for dinner, before listening to the football later on.
Thursday, 3 May 2018
Luang Namtha
On Sunday morning I left Thailand as my visa only had a couple of days left until it expired. I was debating between crossing into Myanmar or Laos, although with all the problems currently happening in Myanmar going to Laos was a no brainer. I'd love to go to Myanmar one day, just preferably at time when I'm less likely to die. On paper getting to Laos was as simple as stamping out of Thailand, crossing a bridge over the Mekong, and then getting stamped into Laos. This wasn't the case however, as when catching the local bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong, the border town, the bus didn't actually take you to the border as advertised. This left me and several other people at the mercy of the tuk tuk drivers, and I had no choice but to take one to the border.
When reaching the border it was empty, getting stamped out of Thailand with ease. When getting to the Laos side however I had a few problems, as I didn't realise they had an entrance fee to get in which they would only accept in US Dollars, Thai Baht, or Laos Kip. My issue was the fact I was dealing in NZ dollars, and didn't have enough Thai Baht left to pay the fee, with the money exchange booth not able to exchange NZ dollars. This faced me with the prospect of having to return to Thailand to change some NZ dollars into Baht to pay the entry, although luckily someone kindly agreed to buy some off me at a fair rate under the circumstances so I eventually got my visa.
When finally getting into Laos in the town of Huay Xai, I waited at the border for the bus to Luang Namtha to arrive, an increasingly popular place for trekking and cultural experiences. In the 1970s during the Vietnam War Laos closed its borders to tourism and only reopened them again in the 1990s, but restricted people to visiting just Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Vientiane. The northern and southern regions of Laos only opened to tourists in the mid 2000s. Therefore what many backpackers do from Huay Xai is catch a slow boat down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang over 2 days, and then visit the aforementioned places before crossing back into Thailand. This means places like Luang Namtha where I was heading have only recently experienced tourism so I knew I had to be prepared for pretty basic infrastructure.
I didn't arrive into Luang Namtha until late in the end, and the bus station was frustratingly 8km out of town which was not a walk I really wanted so late, but I got there eventually! The following day I explored Luang Namtha and some of the nearby villages, going by foot. I would have loved to have done some trekking in the nearby national park to some of the hilltribe villages but that was only realistic on a guided trek as it was remote and the tourist office didn't supply maps for that, just maps for the Luang Namtha area. I therefore had a walk round the town which didn't have much other than a few shops, restaurants, and trekking companies. There was a morning market just outside town though which was interesting, in particular the meat area which spared no parts of animals, with literally things like heads and organs for sale!
From the market I headed to That Luang Namtha which was this golden stupa surrounded by a few Buddha related relics. Nearby there I went for a short walk through this valley which was really pretty. From there I headed out of town towards the Nam Dee Waterfall, via a couple of the local villages. It was very poor although many of the locals waved as I passed through. The expansive rice fields along the way were also quite a sight.
When arriving at the waterfall there was a circuit through the jungle which basically followed this stream via the waterfall, and then back over the hill into the nearby village. It was very humid though. I headed back the same way towards Luang Namtha, although just prior to town I did a detour via the river which was nice. When returning to the town itself I just relaxed, before heading out in the evening to the night market, which was only small and but had several "what the hell is that?" dishes which people were cooking on these charcoal bbqs. I luckily found something safe to eat though!
On Tuesday I hired a bike for the day to explore some of the surrounding ethnic minority villages. The tourism office supplied me with a good map of the Luang Namtha Valley which displayed a cycle route taking you through the villages. First stop was That Poumpuk, another golden stupa situated next to the ruins of one which was bombed by the Americans in the Vietnam War. There were great views from the top too. Nearby the stupa was the Akha village of Ban Nam Matmai, which was probably the most picturesque village of the day. It was interesting because at the entrance to each village there was an information board telling you about the history, including where they originated from and some of their traditions.
The next village I stopped in was Ban Phieng Ngam, which was particularly famous for its weaved products, associated with the Tai Daeng people who lived there. It was interesting seeing the local women weave these intricate handicrafts as I passed through. I passed another couple of villages of Tai Daeng origin throughout the day too, one of which was based by river where at a certain time of the year it's apparently quite a sight seeing people extract silk from the silk worms. Between the villages I passed through the countryside was beautiful, and some people call it the 'sea of rice'. The Namtha Valley is surrounded by mountains, but inside that there were rice fields as far as your eye could see which was quite a sight!
Later in the day I passed a couple of villages of Tai Dam origin, which had particularly picturesque vegetable crops. Throughout the day I passed through so many different villages of different ethnic minorities, the information boards in each village helping to put things into context. The people weren't putting on a show, they were just living there everyday life which made it that much more pure. The final village I visited was Had Yao, home of the Hmong people. They were particularly famous for their embroidery making, although I liked watching the kids in the river as they were literally using this sewage pipe as a water slide! It was a really good day, although with all my detours to the villages I was knackered by the end, covering a fair distance on a very basic bike. I caught a night bus to Luang Prabang that evening.
When reaching the border it was empty, getting stamped out of Thailand with ease. When getting to the Laos side however I had a few problems, as I didn't realise they had an entrance fee to get in which they would only accept in US Dollars, Thai Baht, or Laos Kip. My issue was the fact I was dealing in NZ dollars, and didn't have enough Thai Baht left to pay the fee, with the money exchange booth not able to exchange NZ dollars. This faced me with the prospect of having to return to Thailand to change some NZ dollars into Baht to pay the entry, although luckily someone kindly agreed to buy some off me at a fair rate under the circumstances so I eventually got my visa.
When finally getting into Laos in the town of Huay Xai, I waited at the border for the bus to Luang Namtha to arrive, an increasingly popular place for trekking and cultural experiences. In the 1970s during the Vietnam War Laos closed its borders to tourism and only reopened them again in the 1990s, but restricted people to visiting just Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and Vientiane. The northern and southern regions of Laos only opened to tourists in the mid 2000s. Therefore what many backpackers do from Huay Xai is catch a slow boat down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang over 2 days, and then visit the aforementioned places before crossing back into Thailand. This means places like Luang Namtha where I was heading have only recently experienced tourism so I knew I had to be prepared for pretty basic infrastructure.
I didn't arrive into Luang Namtha until late in the end, and the bus station was frustratingly 8km out of town which was not a walk I really wanted so late, but I got there eventually! The following day I explored Luang Namtha and some of the nearby villages, going by foot. I would have loved to have done some trekking in the nearby national park to some of the hilltribe villages but that was only realistic on a guided trek as it was remote and the tourist office didn't supply maps for that, just maps for the Luang Namtha area. I therefore had a walk round the town which didn't have much other than a few shops, restaurants, and trekking companies. There was a morning market just outside town though which was interesting, in particular the meat area which spared no parts of animals, with literally things like heads and organs for sale!
From the market I headed to That Luang Namtha which was this golden stupa surrounded by a few Buddha related relics. Nearby there I went for a short walk through this valley which was really pretty. From there I headed out of town towards the Nam Dee Waterfall, via a couple of the local villages. It was very poor although many of the locals waved as I passed through. The expansive rice fields along the way were also quite a sight.
When arriving at the waterfall there was a circuit through the jungle which basically followed this stream via the waterfall, and then back over the hill into the nearby village. It was very humid though. I headed back the same way towards Luang Namtha, although just prior to town I did a detour via the river which was nice. When returning to the town itself I just relaxed, before heading out in the evening to the night market, which was only small and but had several "what the hell is that?" dishes which people were cooking on these charcoal bbqs. I luckily found something safe to eat though!
On Tuesday I hired a bike for the day to explore some of the surrounding ethnic minority villages. The tourism office supplied me with a good map of the Luang Namtha Valley which displayed a cycle route taking you through the villages. First stop was That Poumpuk, another golden stupa situated next to the ruins of one which was bombed by the Americans in the Vietnam War. There were great views from the top too. Nearby the stupa was the Akha village of Ban Nam Matmai, which was probably the most picturesque village of the day. It was interesting because at the entrance to each village there was an information board telling you about the history, including where they originated from and some of their traditions.
The next village I stopped in was Ban Phieng Ngam, which was particularly famous for its weaved products, associated with the Tai Daeng people who lived there. It was interesting seeing the local women weave these intricate handicrafts as I passed through. I passed another couple of villages of Tai Daeng origin throughout the day too, one of which was based by river where at a certain time of the year it's apparently quite a sight seeing people extract silk from the silk worms. Between the villages I passed through the countryside was beautiful, and some people call it the 'sea of rice'. The Namtha Valley is surrounded by mountains, but inside that there were rice fields as far as your eye could see which was quite a sight!
Later in the day I passed a couple of villages of Tai Dam origin, which had particularly picturesque vegetable crops. Throughout the day I passed through so many different villages of different ethnic minorities, the information boards in each village helping to put things into context. The people weren't putting on a show, they were just living there everyday life which made it that much more pure. The final village I visited was Had Yao, home of the Hmong people. They were particularly famous for their embroidery making, although I liked watching the kids in the river as they were literally using this sewage pipe as a water slide! It was a really good day, although with all my detours to the villages I was knackered by the end, covering a fair distance on a very basic bike. I caught a night bus to Luang Prabang that evening.
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