A big day of sightseeing today meant an early start was in order if we were to squeeze in as much as we could. With so much to see and do we were grateful to have Khamla organising everything…so what did we see and do……. Vientiane, the capital, has a population of about 300,000 people, most of them seemingly unemployed, and a visitor could be forgiven for thinking that they must have arrived on a national holiday. The streets are virtually empt...

Got to see Phonsavan in daylight and confirmed my thoughts from yesterday. It definitely feels like a town that they started building and forgot to finish…..not what you would expect for a capital city!!! But we were not here for the town but for the trip out to see the Plain of Jars. The unusual Plain of Jars offers the mysterious sight of hundreds of stone jars, some weighing up to 6 tons, scattered over the landscape. The jars are over 2000 years old a...

What an Australia Day I've had!!! We left Luang Prabang after breakfast and headed out on the windy hills into Xiang Khouang Province towards Phonsavan. Xiang Khouang province in the northeast of the country is characterized by lush green mountains and Karst limestone. The capital, Phonsavan, enjoys a favorable climate being at an altitude of 1200m. About 2 hours into the trip we heard a LOUD bang and then metal scrapping down the bitumen road…..yes a whe...

A VERY early start this morning to observe the morning alms giving ceremony where monks walk through town in single file carrying their alms bowls to give laypeople the opportunity to offer alms and gain merit. Offerings by the people are usually comprised of sticky rice, fruit or simple traditional snacks. Known as Binthabat in Lao, this is a sacred religious ceremony and a spectacular scene that happens every day in Luang Prabang. Whilst people can take photos ...

After having a lovely fresh breakfast at our guesthouse we returned to the slow boat, made an offering to the gods for a safe journey and continued our leisurely cruise down the Mekong River. Started off in the mist but as the sun rose we were once again all delighted by the scenery and having the opportunity to gain insights into the local rural life of the Lao people. We were rapt when we got to visit a local village and meet the local people. Peregrine Tours ...