Laos

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    • #1626
      Anonymous
      Member

      Not the least traveled area.
      But is there anyone that has any good tips were to go and do in the north, before I meet my neighbours and thier cat in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng.

    • #4015
      kramer
      Member

      I’m relying on memory and a really bad internet map here but I think I’m right with the places I went to:

      When I was there in 2000, I went up to Louang Namtha and went trekking with a mate for a couple of days near the China border, stayed in a village where one of the main guys who just smoked opium the whole time and we desperately tried to entertain the avalanche of kids who were standing around us, staring. Got horribly lost and had to hack thru bush for a few hours on the way back, coming across an opium field, hotfooting our way out of there. Also went to Muang Xay (woken up by the commie broadcasts all over town streets i distinctly remember) plus Muang Pakbeng (nice small cosy village where we hung out).

      Alternatively, you could always take a slow boat from Vientiane up the Mekong for a couple of days on a cargo/passenger boat that went weekly at the time but maybe better now (buy a ticket before you get on the boat), then get off at I think Pak Lay, then there is a route all the way to Luang Prabang stopping in various towns all the way. Shout out some names if you’re keen on the route and i’ll try and remember if I stopped there or not.

      Down south is great too, particularly the 4000 islands but a pain to get to within Laos.

    • #4016
      rickshaw92
      Participant

      LiveLife. Hey whats up? I went to the north when I was there Phongsail is good for a visit although it took 2 days to get there, Old women would try to sell me opium by shoving it into my face while I was trying to eat! From there I went to, I think, Huay Xai and caught a fast boat to a Thai boarder post, then on to C.M.
      Kramer. When in 2000 were you in Lao? I was there in Jan. 2000, I came in through Vietnam and left the way I discribed above. BTW I was subjected to the same shit as the one who sent you a story about being droped off the bus 42km from the boarder and having to deal with the local “mob” for transport :!:

    • #4017
      Anonymous
      Member

      Hi Rickshaw, down is up and up is down. Business as usual!

      Thank’s for the tips. A little change of plans, was supossed to leave tomorrow. But they want me to stay, and so long they keep on paying…..
      So tomrrow will I do the same trip as you did Rickshaw.

      thank’s onece again for the tips, I will come back with Q’s when it’s time.

    • #4018
      spamhog
      Member

      My suggestion is to travel to the Plain of Jars in Eastern Laos, the US blasted this place to hell during the war, part of the Hi Chi Mihn trail. You can still see evidence of the bombing. Strange thing is, the locals have adapted. Many bomb craters are now fish ponds, you can still see houses built on empty cluster bomb cannisters and housings for some bomb delivery units are cut out and small motorboats are made from them, I found their inginuity and adaptability amazing. Swords into plowshares indeed.

      Spamhog

    • #4019
      kramer
      Member

      Rickshaw,

      I was there in Feb 2000 after coming from Vietnam (flying thankfully).

      BTW Is there a more miserable city than Islamabad? Two hours is enough for me. Good bookshops tho’.

    • #4020
      Anonymous
      Member

      The slow boats run every day now (have been since I was there december 2001). Apparently they’re usually passenger boats now. If you enter in Huay Xai (Chiang Kong, northnmost Thai/Lao crossing), you can take a slow boat half way and a psycho speedboat halfway, or go north first, or use a road from one of the points to go somewhere. (Road may or may not be a kind name, some of them are decent). Pakbeng is kind of interesting because of the boatload of tourists who arrive at nightfall and leave at sunrise.

      The northern Viet-Lao crossing is supposedly open now, rt 7 I think. You probably have to go way around to get there, I never made it that far east (there is or was an occasional 30hr direct Xam Nua-Vientienne bus via rt 1, rt 13 since rt 7 is almost certainly ‘rebel territory’ near rt 13 now, though I have met people who’ve gone to and through various off limit zones), but good luck trying to figure out bus schedules from anybody in a big town, might be better going to Nong Khiaw, chilling, and asking the locals what passes through town. Stay in one of the places on the far side of the river.)

      A gift to consider for locals is the LP Thai phrasebook. I had someone ask me for mine, should have given it to him.

    • #4021
      rickshaw92
      Participant

      Kramer
      If its misery your after head to Bangladesh, misary at its finest :!: If I had better typing skills I could go on for hours :!:
      BTW Beman flys there cheap. I have spoken with more than a few who have killed cockroaches while flying with them :!:

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