Wednesday - Thursday 19th - 20th March were spent on a slow boat to Luang Prabang along the Mekong river stopping overnight in Pak Beng where electricity is supplied by generators which are only on between 18.30 & 22.30 each day! Our river trip through this pictureque and unspoilt area in Northern Laos was broken by a visit to Ban Hoi Palam, a village of the Kha Mu people. These villages are only accessible by river and the people are very poor, existing by working fields sometimes 4 or 5 hours walk from the village. This was a real insight into life in Laos. On the second day we visited the Pak Ou Caves which contain hundreds of Buddha statues. We are now spending a few days in Luang Prabang, a former royal capital and UNESCO heritage listed. Today we have been exporing the temples, admiring the French architecture, eating the lovely Lao food and having a Lao massage (better than the Thai massage!). Our final day in Luang Prabang was spent trekking. We drove to a hill tribe village of the Muang people and walked for three hours through jungle up to the Kuang Si Falls where we were able to have a well-earned swim and lunch. We also saw the Asian Black Bears and Phet the tiger, all rescued victims of illegal wildlife smuggling.

La gohn