December 4th: the bizarre statues of Xiengkuane Buddha Park, from 3 Days in Vientiane
(This is an excerpt from my revamped book, 3 Days in Vientiane. More on that in a minute.) Xiengkuane Buddha Park Thadeua road, Vientiane (GPS: 17.912633,102.764289) Admission: 5,000 kip (add 3,000 kip for a ‘photography fee’ and 3,000 kip if parking a...
Destination: Lao National Museum – complete with American imperialism
The third time’s the charm. During our last visit to Vientiane, we tried to enter the Lao National Museum twice – the first time, the museum hadn’t yet opened after lunch (15 minutes past when it should have opened), and the second time it was to...
Random pictures and Engrish: the Lao edition
As it usually happens, I take plenty of photos that don’t quite fit in any other post. In this case, I’ve combined some of the funniest Random Pictures and Engrish (Laolish?) taken from around Huay Xai. This one’s for my readers familiar with Korean...
Visa run: Chiang Mai to Laos – the easy, do-it-yourself way
Living in Chiang Mai has been a great treat – but like most people, it became time to do a visa run. Here’s how we did it in a single overnight trip, with some time for sightseeing: Step 1: Get to Chiang Mai’s bus terminal early – by 8:30am if...
Destination: a hellish temple in Huay Xai (Laos border town)
It’s not as hellish as previous hell temples, so it doesn’t need a not-safe-for-work tag or warning. Spelled Vat Keophon Savanthanaram on site, the temple is essentially the only other tourist attraction reachable on foot (if you’re so inclined, a...
Destination: Fort Carnot – the former French fort of Huay Xai (Laos)
I’d love to find the person in Laos that’s constantly dropping playing cards around tourist destinations. That must be a fun job – and it’s the sort of thing that’s just so… random… Oh yes, there’s an old French fort...
Destination: Pak Ou Caves (Luang Prabang area, Laos)
After taking in Luang Prabang’s central, walkable area (see part 1 and part 2), it’s time to take the well-beaten path to yet another destination out of town. The Pak Ou caves (pronounced ‘pahk ooh’) are also called the Tham Ting (lower cave)...
Destination: Luang Prabang, part 2 (Laos)
This post continues from part 1 of Luang Prabang. If you thought you were done with the temples, there’s at least one more big one the first part didn’t mention: Wat Xieng Thong (20,000 kip admission, open 6am-6pm). This was the temple where kings were...
Destination: Kuang Si waterfall (Luang Prabang area, Laos)
As part of the Luang Prabang experience, taking in the Kuang Si Waterfall is right at the top of the list. About a half hour away from Laos’ second city, it’s a great half-day trip whether you go on your own or book a minivan to take you. Legend claims a...
3 Days in Vientiane – take in Laos’ most vibrant city.
5 Days in Laos – check out the best of Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
Hey, I'm Chris.
I write about weird, offbeat destinations and life as a long-term traveler.
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