Farewell to Laos

On my last night in Laos I sit in the southern island of Don Det, sweating in the humid sunset, Beerlao in hand, reflecting on the past 2 weeks in the country.

It would be fair to say I had fairly high expectations for the country. Nearly every traveller I met who had 'done' SE Asia would say "oooh wait till you get to Laos!" "head to Laos!" "I loved Laos!" "It's so lovely and relaxing!"

I'm still trying to get a handle on what I think of it, though. It certainly is tranquil and relaxing, a more rural and laid back version of the rest of SE Asia (or at least what I've seen of it). If you're looking for a place to sit in a hammock all day doing nothing - Si Phan Don is your place. If you're looking for trekking outdoorsy outings - opportunities abound throughout the country. It's definitely a respite from touts and scams and hassles that you can get in the likes of Bangkok, Hanoi or (as I hear) Cambodia.

But...for me I guess it's just 'nice...okay'. I had some great times here, met some great people, had a few interesting adventures and got to see a fair chunk of the country by local bus.

Heading into the height of the dry season, most of the countryside is parched and burned. I can picture lush rice paddies and the mountains of Luang Prabang being covered in green, but haven't seen it. The limestone karsts of central Laos are definitely interesting, but would I describe the country as the most stunning place I've been? No, not by a long shot.

Luang Prabang is known as the traveller's respite, filled with temples and serves as a base from which to explore the hills and waterfalls nearby. Waterfalls? Pass. Elephant trek? Did that in Nepal and my bum still hurts from it. Wats and monks? No different from Chiang Mai, really.

Vang Vieng...well...I've already described my experiences there - not bad for a stop off but certainly not something to define a nation.

Vientienne, as capitals go, lacks character and atmosphere.

Central and Southern Laos gets a bit more interesting but is also harder going. Don Det is a great place to hang out but...time is of the essence, I have to catch a plane in 2 weeks and still have Cambodia to go!

So much of what I love or don't love about a country comes down to my attitude at the time, the people I meet, the places I stay, and the country I had just visited. But I think that with Laos, I'm beginning to accept my journey is coming to an end and I'm starting to feel ready to make the long trek home. Ready to have the same set of friends for more than 3 days. Ready to wear clothing that hasn't made an appearance in more than 3 days. And ...deep breath... ready to set up a new life in an (effectively) new country.

This time last year I was stressing over selling my car (having just destroyed the front bumper in an ill-timed fender bender), packing up my house, selling my things and saying goodbye. And here I am, 15 days from now I'll be back in Australia, my home for 10 years, reuniting with friends and saying goodbye for real, this time.

So if I seem unenthusiastic about Laos, perhaps it's due to these thoughts weighing on my mind?

Or maybe it's just because I really, really loved Vietnam. Either way, Cambodia has a hard task ahead of itself.