Laos - Sue Anderson. Date of travel: Oct 2007
Our driver who spoke very good English took us to the airport for our 1PM flight to Luang Prabang in Laos. It is the former capital. Our guide Tully was waiting for us at the airport. She was one of our favorite guides on the trip. We had the rest of the day free. Luang Prabang is a very small town and wonderful for walking. Because Laos is such a poor country, there were very few motor bikes on the streets and thus relatively quiet. Our hotel was the Sala Prabang Hotel which is right on the Mekong River and within a block of the wonderful Night Market. It is amazing! It is there every night beginning at 5PM and not a sign of it in the morning. In the morning, we had our breakfast at the restaurant right across the street from the hotel right on the river. What a treat! Laos is a very mountainous country unlike Vietnam and Cambodia and it gave a completely different feel to the town which is surrounded by the mountains. The rainy season was just over and people were already planting on the banks of the river. That morning, our guide and driver met us and took us to the boat dock for the boat to the Pak Ou Caves where there are many many Buddha statues. On the way we stopped at the “whiskey village” where they make rice wine and brandy. We wished we could bring some home! In the afternoon we toured several of the over 30 wats in Luang Prabang. The next day we walked to the museum which was the former palace and then climbed Mt. Phou Si for a view of the town and the two rivers. We had a leisurely lunch by the Mekong River and then our guide and driver took us to the airport to fly to Hanoi and then to Ho Chi Minh City. We had been in Hanoi about 10 years ago when the airport was a small building. We were shocked to see what had taken its place and the cell phones and laptops that were everywhere. Once again our driver was at the airport in Ho Chi Minh to meet us. By now he was an old friend! We got to the Vien Dong Hotel about 11 PM and got up at 3:30 AM to meet our driver for the final trip to the airport and our flight back to the states. Again, I would heartily recommend Nguyen at Discover Mekong to plan this or any other trip to Southeast Asia. Tour Operator: Discover Mekong

Ethnic Diversity in Luang Namtha province, Laos - Kees Sprengers. Date of travel: Jan 2007
I first visited Luang Namtha in November 2002. I had been travelling around Laos, looking for a place to do some documentary photography. I ended up in Luang Namtha as a result of seeing the excellent website of www.theboatlanding.com. I fell in love with the people and lifestyles in this province, and came back many times since. Until recently, Luang Namtha was very isolated from the outside world, and as result, many traditional lifestyles were unchanged for many years. Recently, the province got electricity reticulation, which has brought TV and satellite dishes, which in turn IMHO will add to a lot of social change amongst the younger generations. Other factors affecting change is the new road from China to Thailand, which will cause a huge increase of both truck traffic as well as foreign visitors, and the building of a new airport, which will also increase tourist numbers. Those three factors will inevitably contribute to change in the traditional lifestyles of the many minority groups in this province. Around the time of my second visit, I decided to dedicate some years to do an in-depth photo documentary on Luang Namtha. It is the intention of my project to document minority village lifestyle before and during that change process. As a visitor to Luang Namtha, the best way to get to see the villages is by going to either the government run Provincial Tourism office, or the office of Green Discovery Laos. Both can organise visits of one or more days to a wide range of villages, either by trekking, bicycle, boat, raft, kayak or tuktuk (Small local motorised vehicle). Around the valley you can also walk or cycle to villages on your own, but to enter the NamHa protected area you need a trekking permit and be accompanied by a registered guide from either of these two services. There is a lot to be seen and done in the province, and travellers would be wise to plan at least three or four nights here. I've spent many months, and rarely been bored. To get to Luang Namtha: The new Airport is not open yet (written in July 2007), so if you want to come by air, you have to fly from Vientiane to Udomxay, and take a minibus from there (about three hours). By road, you can come from the Thai border via Houay Xai and Vieng Poukha (at time of writing the road isn't finished yet, you may face some delays, especially in wet season). When the road is finished, this should take maybe four hours or less. By road from Luang Prabang is about seven hours, from the Chinese border at Boten, about an hour. By far the nicest way to travel to Luang Namtha is by boat, from Houay Xai in an open longboat down the Mekong, then up the river Namtha. The trip takes two days, in the night in between you will be lodged in the house of your boatmen in the small river village of Ban KhongKham. The people of this village are used to having foreign travellers sleep at their house, and are equipped with matresses and mosquito nets.

Laos for the adventurous! - Virginia Morris. Date of travel: Dec 2005
Laos has one of the worlds most notorious roads, The Ho Chi Minh Trail. This was North Vietnam's logistical supply line used during the Vietnam War. In some locations it is now open for tourists. I walked 700km along the Trail and would like to share just two places with you – The Desert of Fire in Khammouane Province, this was one of the most used crossing points from North Vietnam into Laos, now it is a magical area for adventurers who love history. The most beautiful region along the Trail is Nong Fa, the only Crater Lake in Laos which is found in Attopeu Province. The American pilots referred to it as Dollar Lake, so remote it took 7 days to walk there from the nearest path.

Vang Vieng - Jane Dunn. Date of travel: Oct 2003
I loved Laos in general, but my favourite places were Vang Vieng, a tiny village surrounded by exquisite natural beauty, and Luang Prabang. Vang Vieng is very much a one-street village with very little infrastructure, but with very friendly people and a beautiful setting on the river. We went on Mr Keo's river and cave trip, which was fantastic, and also hired bicycles to explore the surrounds and to visit other caves in the limestone hills. A tube ride down the river is a must!