25 Days of Laos (Part 18)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 24: Thakaek to Vientiane
This day was spent heading back to Vientiane and sorting out our visa for Vietnam. Then, we checked in the Mixay Guest House where we stayed last time. After that, we headed to Le Silapa for dinner. It's got amazing food, fantastic decorations and really friendly cats. So, make sure you sit inside if you don't want to be anywhere near them. We sat aside and it was difficult to pry them off my lap -- They're not shy nor afraid of humans. 

Vientiane

Day 25: The Buddha Park
We drove 25 kilometers out of Vientiane to see Xieng Khouan, a sculpture park which was created by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat in 1958. The park represents the union of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. In the park, you'll see statues of gods, animals, humans and demons. You'll also see a pumpkin-shaped head of a monster with its mount open. Inside this monster is the creator's interpretation of heaven, earth and hell. You can climb into the monster's mouth to check out the different compartments filled with statues.

The Reclining Buddha

Enter The Mouth If You Dare

What's Inside The Head

The Buddha Park

Our last day in Laos ended with ice cream in Swenson's and some pizza at Le Ranch after failing to find the shooting range which has apparently moved to a different location. With a box of pizza for the road, we headed to the bus station for our trip back to Hanoi.



Read About The Journey From The Beginning:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8
• Part 9
• Part 10
• Part 11
• Part 12
• Part 13
• Part 14 
• Part 15
• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18

25 Days of Laos (Part 17)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 22: Hin Boun to Thakaek
The next town that we were going to visit was Thakaek which was around 181 kilometers away from Hin Boun. The journey would've been more eventful were we able to visit the legendary Kong Leng lake which the villagers believe to be sacred. They say that they hear the sound of a gong from the lake every full moon. 


The Lonely Planet describes the lake as crystal clear since the water in it has been filtered through the limestone karsts. The thing is it's hard to get to -- You'd have to get through terrible dirt roads. And, when you get to the lake, you'll have to ask for the villagers' permission to swim in there. Also, you can only swim in the stream near the wooden footbridge and not the lake itself. But, some lucky tourists have made it to this location and it is indeed magical. 

What Stopped Us From Getting To The Lake!

We got to Thakhaek in the afternoon. And, we decided to splurge a bit and stay in the Inthira Hotel where we got a beautiful room with a terrace. What made the room unique was that the toilet and the shower seemed as if they were in two wardrobes separated by a sink. Feeling a bit rich that night, we decided to have their sashimi platter and were sorely disappointed to find out that the serving was small and it was more like a ginger platter than a sashimi platter.

That orange glob in the middle is ginger!

Day 23: Around Thakaek
We visited Tham Pha Pa, a Buddha cave which is 18 kilometers from Thakhaek. Their collection of six-hundred-year-old Buddhas was impressive. And, one of the people guarding the place recited some incantations while tying bracelets on our wrists. I guess this means that we will have double the protection during the remainder of our bike trip. Sad to say, I wasn't able to take any pictures in the cave.

The Cave Guardians' Pet?

The Pool Outside The Cave

After the Buddha Cave, we decided to go to a nearby stream called Tha Falang. It may not be as beautiful as the lake that we missed the day before but it was definitely a magical place. By the stream, you'd see several butterflies flying about, making it seem like a place you'd only hear about in fairy tales. And, the best part about it is that you've got it all to yourself. During our stay there, we only ran into two tourists who jokingly left us to have the place for ourselves.

The Road To Tha Falang

Tha Falang

After a dip, we headed back to our hotel and chilled. After that, we looked for a place to eat. This time, we had dinner by the Mekong River, looking at the bright lights on the Thai border. And, we decided to get a cheaper fare that night -- Some local food from the stores scattered by the river.


Quick Travel Tips:


Khoun Keng Long. It's about 30 kilometers northeast of Thakhaek. These are the directions according to the Lonely Planet: "Head north along Rte 13 and turn right (east) at Km 25 onto a dirt road. After 2 km, turn right (south) again and bump up over hills and through villages for 16 km until your reach Ban Na Kheu. Once you've got approval for swimming, it's another 1 km to the lake."


Tham Pha Pa Cave. We weren't exactly asked for an entrance fee but there was a donation box at the entrance. Tham Pha Pa is arond 18 kilometers away from Thakhaek. 


Tha Falang. It's just a few kilometers away from the Tham Pha Pa Cave.



The Journey Continues:

• Part 18

25 Days of Laos (Part 15)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 20: Vientiane to Phu Hin Boun NPA
After having gone through our loop and with 5 more days in Laos, we decided to go to the Phu Hin Bun NPA which is around 311 kilometers for Vientiane. The roads from Vientiane to Vieng Kham were pretty straight and were sort of boring after going through the mountainous terrain up north. The only thing you'd probably find exciting during the trip would be having a glimpse of North Eastern Thailand across the river or the occasional traffic jam caused by water buffalos. We had two stopovers before getting to Sala Hinboun where we were going to stay for the night. One was at a restaurant (for the sports commission according to the sign) by a river and a bridge and a small store in Vieng Kham.

A Temple That We Passed Along The Way

In Laos, water buffalos tend to have their way on the road.

Beep all you want but they ain't moving.

It was after a turn in Vieng Kham that the landscapes changed. The karsts that we passed were definitely striking. Around 38 kilometers from Vieng Kham was a view point. Below it stood several limestone karsts that had a dark, gothic appeal amidst the green and blue hues that surrounded them. It was absolutely breath-taking.

The View From The Viewpoint

The Sala Viewpoint 

 It was already 7 in the evening when we finally reached Sala Hinboun. There, we got a charming bungalow with a spacious terrace by the river. It was well-maintained and the bedroom was beautifully decorated. The only complaint that we've got would be the water running out at night. And, on our first night there, we did have some challenging shower situations. Since it was already dark, we didn't get to appreciate the beautiful view opposite our terrace.

Quick Travel Tips:


Sala Hinboun. It's around 15.1 kilometers from the Kong Lor Caves. http://www.salalao.com/Salalao/Content/Hinboun.htm

Sala Kong Lor. It's around 1.5 kilometers from the Kong Lor Caves. We didn't get to stay here when we were in the area since it was open yet. http://www.salalao.com/Salalao/Content/KongLor.htm


The Journey Continues:

• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18

25 Days of Laos (Part 14)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 18: Luang Prabang to Kasi
The next day, we packed up our things and headed to Cafe Bat Van Sene for our last breakfast in our favorite cafe. When we got back to the Khem Khong View, we were ready to hit the road. But, our bike wouldn't start and we had to wait for someone to come and fix it. The good thing is that the owner of Jules Classic Rental had a lot of contacts in Laos. And, he was able to ask a mechanic in Luang Prabang to pick up our bike and have it fixed.


We ended up leaving Luang Prabang around 12:30. Since we knew that we weren't going to make it to Vientiane before dark, we decided to spend the night in Vang Vieng. Although the motorbike problems held us back, our spirits weren't dampened because the landscapes that we passed on the way back to Vientiane were more beautiful because of the noon sun. It was the perfect time to take pictures. 

Taken from one of the view points indicated in the GT Rider Map

UH-OH!

 As we made our way through the town of Kasi, however, the weather suddenly changed. The skies became darker and then the rain fell in torrents. Although we had our rain gear on, it was impossible to drive through it. So, we had to stop by a shade in one of the houses that lined the streets. We were lucky that the rain fell when we were already in town and we weren't stuck in the middle of nowhere. It rained for a long time and we were lucky that the owners didn't mind having us in front of their house. They even asked us to come inside but we didn't want to intrude. And, we wanted to leave as soon as the rain lifted.


When it finally did, it was starting to get dark so we had to stay in Kasi. Since truck drivers use this town as a stopover, we were able to find some guest houses along road. We ended up staying in a small bungalow by a farm. We had dinner in a nearby duck restaurant and karaoke joint which seemed to be popular in the area. It wasn't the best dinner we've had in Laos but we were happy to find a place to stay and something to eat.


Day 19: Kasi to Vientiane
The next day, we headed for Vang Vieng with a craving for a greasy breakfast. We reached Vang Vieng around 10 in the morning. And, we found a nice, quiet restaurant where we got some cheesy garlic fries and toasties. The place had a unique motif -- It was filled with monkey figurines.

We finally reached Vientiane at around 4:30 PM. We decided to stay in the Mixay Guest House where we got a fan room for around 90,000 kip. The room we stayed in was very clean. And, there was a shared veranda outside our room. After we've taken our bags into the room and chilled for a bit, we headed to The Pizza Company for a pizza. 



The Journey Continues:

• Part 15
• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18

25 Days of Laos (Part 9)

This is a journal of our 25-day trip around Laos on a rented Honda FTR that we fondly called Mustafa. It starts with a long bus ride from Hanoi to Laos and ends with a longer bus ride back to Hanoi.

Day 10: Vieng Xai to Sam Neua
The day began with a visit to the Vieng Xai caves, a network of caves in limestone mountains which were used as shelter by the Pathet Laos and 23,000 people during the Indochina War in the 1960's.  Hidden in the caves are hospitals, schools, meeting rooms, military barracks, a theater and a radio station. 


During the 1960's, in order to stop the spread of communism, the United States bombed this area in order to get rid of the Pathet Laos. Their original hide out was in the nearby area of Xieng Khouang but after their base had been bombed, they moved their base to the limestone caves of Vieng Xai. After that, Vieng Xai was heavily and regularly bombed by the Americans. More bombs were dropped in that area than any country in Europe during World War II -- Around 2,000,000 bombs were dropped in this very small area. The people of Vieng Xai had to stay in these impenetrable caves and do their farming and gathering in the evening once the bombing has stopped.


Despite the tremendous amount of ordinance that were dropped in this area, the Americans managed to keep this war a secret. And, for some time, even the Laos government kept this secret. It was only around 2 years ago that this place was opened to the public. 


Since we were late for the morning tour, we had to pay for a private tour (around 120,000 kip) along with an entrance fee of 40,000 kip which included an audio guide that was narrated by John Hurt and contained some accounts of people who lived during the war. We were very lucky that four other tourists arrived and we split the fee for the private tour.


The tour included the caves inhabited by the key leaders of the Pathet Laos. These are: Kaysone Phomivhane who was the leader of the Laos People's Revolutionary Party, Nouhak Phoumsavan who was the Minister of Finance during the Second War, Prince Souphannouvong who was the first president of Laos PDR and Khamtay Siphandone who was the supreme army commander of the Secret War. We also got to see the hospital, the school, the theater and the barracks.

A Meeting Room (found in Kaysone's Cave)

Wash Room

Bedroom

A Contraption Used For Pumping Air

Air Holes

Nouhak's House By The Cave

Bomb Crater

Memorial Stupa For Souphanouvong

Hospital Cave

Really Old Medicine Bottles

After the tour, we headed to the restaurant where we had drinks yesterday. This time, they were serving food. Unfortunately, I found some maggots wriggling in my fish laap. After my unsatisfactory lunch, we packed our bags and head to Sam Neua where I finally got to eat my lunch at the Dao Nao Muang Xam Restaurant very near the guest house we stayed at. Not only did I enjoy eating the fried rice that I ordered, I also enjoyed the company of the two French girls that we shared the Vieng Xai tour with. It's quite funny that we ran into them there.

Sam Neua

Quick Travel Tips:
Watch The Most Secret Place On Earth to know more about the Secret War before coming to
Vieng Xai.


Accommodation
The place we stayed at cost us around 80,000 kip and is around one building away from the Dau Nau Muang Xam Restaurant. There, we got our own en suite bathroom, a TV, A/C and a shared terrace.



The Journey Continues:

• Part 9
• Part 10
• Part 11
• Part 12
• Part 13
• Part 14 
• Part 15
• Part 16
• Part 17
• Part 18