This week's travel photo is of some rice fields in front of limestone karst mountains, located in the countryside near Vang Vieng, Laos. When I was in Vang Vieng, I rented a bicycle and spent a day out cycling around the countryside and meeting locals - a great way to experience the area.
Most of the temples that I visited throughout Laos and Thailand were very old and historical, which added to the draw of their overall beauty. Haw Pha Bang, however, is not old, and in fact it was only completed in 2006, located in the grounds of the Royal Palace Museum in Luang Prabang, Laos. Haw [...]
This week's travel photo is of some rowers on the Mekong River at sunset in Vientiane, Laos. Every day that I was in the small capitol of Laos I went down to the river to watch the beautiful sunset, a time when the locals love to come out and exercise. It's a great time for [...]
Wat Inpeng is one of four temples that sit close to each other in the centre of Vientiane, close to the river front. Although it is located right in the main guest house area of the city, I noticed that most people seem to just walk past the temple. I decided to take a closer [...]
On my first day in Vientiane, the sleepy little capitol of Laos, I took a walk along the Mekong Riverfront. I was surprised to find that a lot of work has been done in developing the river front into a recreation area. A lot of work is still to be done but the main part in [...]
This week's travel photo is of a line of Tuk Tuks and Songthaews along the side of a street in Luang Prabang, Laos. I loved walking the streets of Luang Prabang and the Tuk Tuk drivers didn't bother me very much. I found that they all seemed to offer everything in one sentence. "You want [...]
After a long 8 hour bus ride from Vang Vieng the day before, I awoke in the early morning ready to explore the spiritual heart of Laos - Luang Prabang. One of the first things I like to do when I get to a new place is to go for a walk and try to [...]
Ho Phra Keo is one of Vientiane's oldest temples. Built in 1565 by King Setthathirat, the Wat was used as the royal chapel of the Lao Monarchy, but more importantly it was built to house the Emerald Buddha. This sacred statue, which is now housed in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, ended up in [...]
This week's travel photo is of some tiny bird cages at the top of Mount Pousi in Luang Prabang, Laos. I noticed these at many temples and religious sites in Laos. Vendors would sell these little cages with two tiny birds inside them, people then buy them, pray to Buddha and then release the birds [...]
As I travelled through Laos, the Mekong River made a lasting impression. It was the first thing I saw as I entered the country across the Friendship Bridge to Vientiane, it was ever present as I explored the spiritual heart of Laos at Luang Prabang, and finally it was my highway as I made my [...]
