Perched high upon an ancient Khmer building block we gazing across the plain below, as stars make way for a burning dawn before the sun lifts spectacularly beyond the Mekong. Our collective silence is broken only by chirping birds, clanking cowbells and the temple gongs sounding the start of a new day. Angkor Wat this is not.
It’s hard to believe it’s ten years since our WF ‘recce’ group experienced this private sunrise at the mountain temple of Wat Phou, Laos’ second world heritage site. Over those 10 years I’ve been privileged to lead the16 Laos Unlocked tours. Despite inevitable (but necessary) progress in a developing country, the charm, spirit and tranquillity of Laos remains deeply embedded in the culture.
UNESCO World Heritage town Luang Prabang has undergone the biggest changes with the coming of the hi-speed international railway bringing Lao, Thai and Chinese visitors within easy reach of the former royal capital. North of the town, overhead cables, tunnels and bridges juxtapose towering mountains and rice fields which the railway expertly cuts through, linking China with Laos’ capital Vientiane. Although the $6B railway has spearheaded an influx of Asian tourists, by putting a little thought into the itinerary (and some early starts!) it’s still possible to experience the charm of Luang Prabang’s temple laden peninsular and observe traditional ceremonies away from the crowds.
70% of Lao people live in the countryside, but only a fraction of visitors venture beyond the tourist hubs of Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane. If you want to experience the real essence of Laos, though, it’s essential to travel throughthe country. Compare sanitised food photos from tourist restaurants posted on social media to slurping noodles and sharing smiles and with local villagers. Travel between destinations should be absorbed as it provides the key to understanding places, and uncovering how geography dictates contrasts between rural and town life. Laos Unlocked is an adventure – where else could you ride a tiny narrow boat for eight kilometres through a cavernous limestone karst or trek to wild swim in a turquoise lake at the mouth of another cave?
Tourists go to places, but travellers journey to places. It’s something I remind clients as we hit the track, leaving Luang Prabang (and 90% of tourists) behind. Laos Unlocked winds spectacularly up through the ethnically diverse mountains of the north, down through picturesque karsts and caves of the central provinces and finishes beside the Mekong in the south, among the beauty of the waterfalls and ’4000 islands’.
At the start of each tour, I mention an old phrase describing Laos not as a country but as a ’state of mind’. There is no obvious highlight which is the beauty of the tour; there is so much to absorb, to understand, question and enjoy. For most it’s a poignant journey of discovery too, seeing first-hand the remnants of the ‘secret war’ – the US’s largest covert operation prior to the Soviet Afghan war. In Phonsavan we meet local de-mining teams making land safe over 50 years later, which makes for a thought-provoking morning. That evening these reflections of Laos’ tragic past contrast nicely with the energy and determination of young students creating better futures for themselves at the Lone Buffalo English Development Centre.
There would be no adventure travel without ‘inconsistencies!’ Each Unlocked tour throws up its own dynamics and challenges – and things don’t always go to plan – which just adds to experience…
A bus stuttering in the dark (fortunately with an icebox laden with wine) once led to an impromptu village, party with flashing pink toy pigs procured earlier on the trip providing the entertainment while the driver fixed the bus! I mentioned it could be a ‘little damp under foot’ during a trek briefing which resulted in us wading waist deep through the forest. Dairy farmers made up much of that group which led to us spending a couple of hours offering advice to the owner of a (soon to open) buffalo dairy farm. These days we just settle for a buffalo milk ice cream on the way past!
A client once referred to a feeling of ‘Laos-less-ness’ after returning home and several clients have returned to explore further and re-acquaint themselves with the Lao state of mind, including most of that 2014 recce group who returned several years later to experience ‘Laos on ice’ – but that’s another story!
Whether you travel to Laos just once or keep returning, along the way you’ll find incredibly hospitable people still rooted in tradition but also eying the future, as Laos approaches an intriguing juncture in its long and fascinating history.
The Lonely Chopstick 