Legendary Louang Prabang (Part 1): Bus-ride and Waking-up in a Different Time

Of course, a visit in Laos would not be complete without seeing Louang Prabang, a World Heritage Site. LP has been the seat of power for several centuries of the Northern Lao Kingdom and home to many noble families. Being farther from the Kingdom across the Mekong, LP was able to enjoy less incursions from Siam, compared to Vientiane. Likewise, it has retained a more quaint Lao ethos, thus enjoying the privilege of being a repository to distinctly Lao architecture, weaving, cuisine and many others.

Part of Louang Prabang across the Nam Khan River viewed from Phousi (Sacred Hill)

The Mekong in this part of Laos

Going to LP via Vientiane

Going to LP is as easy as requesting your hotel's front desk for an arrangement, almost every single hotel and guesthouse in Vientiane will have this amenity. I booked a sleeper bus for 200,000 Kip. The fare included the van from the hotel to the Northern Bus Station. If I am not mistaken the real cost of the bus-ride alone is 150,000 to 160,000 Kip. The extra 40,000 to 50,000 Kip goes to the van that picks you up, and as commission to both hotel/guesthouse and the "agent" that handles the arrangements. I didn't mind the difference because the van that picked me up was really good and it was on time, plus, all I really had to do was wait for them to give me my ticket.

The first of the many wats I explored in LP - Wat Pa Phoutthabat

I am a bit on the corpulent side though, and the idea of sharing a bunk in the sleeper bus with another person was beyond my expectation, had I known, I would have insisted on just getting a VIP bus than a sleeper one. From Vientiane to Vang Vieng there were a lot of empty bunks so I just took one. But, at Vang Vieng, the bus took in more passengers, so I ended up having to share the bunk with a Thai tourist. It was a bit uncomfortable, although I only lost a few minutes of sleep because of this discomfort.

A quaint French Colonial-era Mansion along Sisavangvong Road

The bus ride from Vientiane to Louang Prabang is approximately 12-hrs. We left at around 8:40-pm  in Vientiane, and arrived at around 7:50-am in Louang Prabang the next day.

Going to the Town Centre

The bus station is some 5 - 10 minutes away from the town centre of Louang Prabang. In order to get into town, one has to get a songthaew, they will charge you 60,000 Kip, but you can wait for some other passengers and haggle-down the price to 15,000 to 20,000 sharing the cab of course.

Sisavanvong Road, Louang Prabang

Louang Prabang Accommodation

I stayed in the Louang Prabang Legend Hotel. I booked the hotel through Expedia with a whopping 70% discount! Needless to say I had my best bang-for-the-buck experience here. The hotel also is in a very quite neighbourhood but within walking distance to the town centre, which was most suited to my travelling style.

My bed at the Louang Prabang Legend Hotel

La Vie en Vientiane (Part 3): Other Things to See or Do in Vientiane

Vientiane Esplanade and the Chao Anouvong Park beside the mighty Mekong

In my previous post, I gave the must-sees of Vientiane for a 1-day visitor. Personally, I stayed in Vientiane for 4-days, something other travel-bloggers would freak out to know. Many travel-bloggers would only give Vientiane 1-day, and a few even say "it is a city that can be missed" in the Southeast Asian backpacking circuit.

However, I have my own travelling style and my own travelling preferences. I could say, it was worth staying in Vientiane for 4-days. It feels great to actually take time and imbibe the rhythm of this little metropolis.

Here are some more things one could see or try out while in Vientiane:

1. La Palais Presidentiel (The Presidential Palace)

Brief Background

Located at the other end of Lane Xang Avenue opposite the Patouxai, this building was built beginning in 1973 but its completion was delayed because of the transition in government at the advent of the Pathet Lao revolution in 1975. Its doors opened in 1986. Despite the name, this is not the official residence of the President of Laos - actually no one resides here. This place is closed to the public and is used only on state function.

La Palais Presidentiel de Laos

Rear Facade of the same Palais Presidential de Laos

Cross Beaux-arts and Lao Architecture

Tip
The rear facade is as grandiose and as beautiful as the front, so make sure to take a photo of both.
   
2. Old Colonial Houses

Brief Background

These houses were built back in the Mission Civilisatrice or the Civilising Mission days of French colonialism in Indochina. They are scattered throughout the old quarter of Vientiane, some retaining their very quaint Provençal charm, others retrofitted and converted into offices like that of the Bank of Siam or the Asian Development Bank and a few, worn down and in various state of disrepair.

 
3. Photograph the Various Embassies (especially the Embassy of the Sultanate of Brunei)

Brief Background

Embassies are mirrors of the country that they represent. If one walks in the old quarter of Vientiane, beside the Palais Presidentiel, is the Embassy of the Sultanate of Brunei. I find it intriguing because it is a fusion of three different architectural milieu. There is of course the overarching, French Provençal style, but which has been Asiaticised by obvious Lao elements, and rounding it up, the Brunei government added certain Islamic touches. Now that's one architectural feat I haven't seen yet in my travels except in Vientiane.

The Embassy of France though is less intriguing due to its very inhibiting high walls, one is left only to imagine what sort of structures are inside.

Walking from the Patouxai Monument to the Pa That Luang through 23 Singha Road, one would see more embassies and or residences of some ambassadors or defence attaches which are beautiful.

4. Take a Rest at the Eglise Catholique de Sacre Cœur (Sacred Heart Catholic Church)

Brief Background

Of course, as a Catholic, it is a must for me to visit the local Catholic Church, especially when part of my schedule falls on a Sunday. The Sacred Heart Church is located across the French Embassy. The architecture is not really noteworthy, coming from a country with so many Catholic churches. But of course, it is a welcome respite in a country such as Laos, it breaks the monotony of going one wat after another. The courtyard is well shaded with very old trees which make it a real good place to cool off a bit from the oppressive tropical noonday heat.

5. Watch the Sunset at Chou Anouvong Park and the Night Market

Brief Background

Like many places in Southeast Asia nowadays, a long stretch of walk or esplanade can be found usually adjacent to some rivers. In Vientiane, it is not just any river, it is the Mekong River and for some geographic peculiarity this is an esplanade right next to the border of Laos and Thailand. My mobile phone company apparently cannot roam through any Lao network, but in this esplanade, my phone picks up the Thai telecom company from across the border.

The sun setting in the Mekong in Vientiane

A statue of Chao Anouvong, the last King of the Lao Kingdom of Vientiane is centrally placed in the esplanade. At the other end of the walk is an open space that turns up as the night market at dusk, here one can shop for souvenirs, shirts, shoes, paintings, etc. Along this sprawl many street food vendors also open from dusk to late in the evening.

Chao Anouvong Park

6. Shop at the Talat Sao or Morning Market

Brief Background

Shopping for pasalubong is best done here at the Talat Sao. Here one can go around for hours bargain hunting for the best silks there are. Before you buy silk though, make sure you are trained to recognise whether the silk is a cheap import form neighbouring Thailand or an original hand-woven silk from Laos, be discriminating. Other items are available too, and if you are quite confident of your eye for genuine antique artefacts, you can find here a string of antique shops that might interest you.

At the back of Talat Sao is the busiest food scene I found in the whole of Laos, here meets the grilled food hawkers, the baguette paté vendors, the roadside Lao phô restaurants etc. It was very difficult for me to stop myself from trying all of the offerings there.


Apparently I do not have photos taken in the Talat Sao.

To be continued...

La Vie en Vientiane (Part 2): The 5 Must-See Attractions

Wat Sisaket, Laos foremost Royal Temple

One of the things I loved with my hotel is its very central location: the extra money I spent on the accommodation was offset by the fact that I needed not take any tuktuk to the attractions.

For the tourist pressed on time and have only 1 day to spend in Vientiane, the 5 must-see attractions are the following:

1. Wat Sisaket

Brief History / Description:

This Wat was built by King Anouvong in 1818 and was the only temple spared during the Siamese sacking of Vientiane in 1827. This was the country's main political temple, in the sense that, this is where the nation's nobles take their oath of fealty to newly crowned Kings. When the French established the Kingdom as its protectorate, the nobles came here to swear fealty to the colonial government too.

Verandah enclosing Wat Sisaket, something peculiar to this Wat as many other Wats in Laos do not have this.

Thousand Buddhas surrounding the Wat.

Things to See
The "thousand buddhas" on display. The murals inside the "sim" or main hall. The untouched "mondop" or temple library which is beside Lane Xang Ave.

Attraction Fee
Foreigners - 5,000 Kip or approximately  PhP 30
Locals - 2,000 Kip

The Mondop or Library / Archives of Wat Sisaket protruding to Lane Xang Ave. and half way out of the enclosure already.

The Main Hall of Wat Sisaket, this is about as close one can get a photo. Photography is not allowed inside.

Opening Hours
Morning - 8:00 am to 12nn
Afternoon - 1:00pm to 4:00pm


2. Wat Simuang

The main hall or "sim" of Wat Simaung.

Brief History / Description
This Wat was built on a former site of a Khmer temple. The ruins of this ancient temple can still be seen at the back of the "sim". Vientiane's guardian spirit or "naga" is said to reside in the "lak meaung" or the city's stone pillar, gilded in gold and covered in saffron cloth. Legend has it that the place has been consecrated with human sacrifice, a girl which was pregnant at that time.

Things to See
The "lak meaung" or sacred stone pillar of Vientiane housing they city's guardian spirit. The blackened teak ceiling due to the constant burning of candles and/or incense over centuries. The ruins of the ancient Khmer temple. Numerous worshippers doing various devotions.

Remnants of the ancient Khmer site (black mound) enclosed by a shrine.

Attraction Fee
Free

Opening Hours
No official opening hours, as with many Wats in Laos, this could mean from sunrise to sundown.

3. Patouxai

Brief History / Description

Built in the late 1950's to commemorate the heroes of the war by the Royal government. Many see the monument as an analogy to the Arc de Triomphe, as it is in one of the endpoint of Lane Xang Avenue, the main thoroughfare of the city much analogised to the Champs Elysées in Paris. After the revolution, some of the hindu carvings of this monument which was associated to the now defunct Royal government, was chipped-off. There remains still numerous carvings that are very attractive.

Things to See
The carvings, both inside, on the ceiling and outside.

Hindu Iconography remnant of the now defunct Old Royal Government.

Attraction Fee
Supposedly 3,000 Kip.
But I don't know why I was not charged any, it was probably because I didn't bother climbing up or because I looked liked a local.

Opening Hours
8:00 am - 5:00 pm

4. Pa That Luang

Pa That Luang, National symbol of Laos

Brief History / Description
Built on an ancient Khmer site, the present "that" or stupa is already a reconstruction from the 1930's. The original stupa was said to be built by King Setthatilat in the mid-16th century. It was deserted much like the entire city after the Siamese Invasion in 1827-28. Later, around the turn of the 20th century it was reduced to a pile of rubble by Chinese brigands looking for gold.

Things to See
The main golden stupa and 30 minor stupas. Small buddhas housed in the cloisters.

That Luang seen from the parade grounds.

Attraction Fee
Supposedly 5,000 Kip, but I didn't pay any, see explanation below.

Opening Hours
Supposedly 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, except on Mondays and public holidays.
I came on a Sunday trusting this information, but I found the attraction CLOSED. To my mind 23 August is not a Lao public holiday. I am still wondering until now why it was closed.

5. Buddha Park or Wat Xieng Khuan

Brief History / Description

Located some 25-km from the city centre, this park is a relatively recent attraction built in the 1950's by a self-styled holy man Bounleua who merged the Hindu and the Buddhist world views. Bounleua later fled Laos during the revolution and he established a similar attraction right across the Mekong in Thailand. He was said to have gone in seclusion and came out building this concrete sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist icons.

Things to See
The main watermelon-shaped stupa which houses Bounleua's meditation on hell, earth and heaven in sculpture. The many other sculptures scattered throughout the park. The huge reclining buddha statue.

Attraction Fee
5,000 Kip. + 3,000 Kip for cameras.
But, I don't know why I was not asked to pay even if I was bringing a hand-camera.

The watermelon stupa housing the sculpted meditation of Bounleua on hell, earth and heaven.

The entrance to hell.

I already forgot in which place was this, it could either be earth or heaven.

The huge reclining Buddha at the background of other figures of both Hindu and Buddhist iconography.

Opening Hours
Daily 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Getting There
Taxi Service (200,000 - 250,000 Kip) - can be hired from your hotel or guest house.

Hired Tuktuk (150,000 - 200,000 Kip) - that you can hail anywhere in the city.

Commuter Bus (6,000 Kip) - the cheapest, and which is the one I have personal experience of is by commuter bus. Just go to the Central Terminal at the back of Talat Sao or the Morning Market. Then ride the Green Bus no. 14. This bus will pass by the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge but it's ultimate destination is somewhere off Wat Xieng Khuan. Do remember that buses in Laos generally do not have stop-buttons, you have to shout to signal the driver to stop, or, you can tell the driver to stop you at the Buddha Park and then sit near beside him to ensure he remembers you. The locals generally know the Buddha Park as Wat Xieng Khuan, so do remember this name.



To be continued...

    
    

La Vie en Vientiane (Part 1): Getting There and First Glimpses

Painting the sky red onboard AirAsia flight AK609, KLO-KUL.

Barely recovering from my 2 month staycation in Brisbane, down under, the muse of wanderlust came hovering again. Pisay is currently undergoing a calendar shift, which means my travel plans of Melaka and Phnom Penh made last year will go down the drain. Usually we have downtime in the last week of October due to the school's Sports Fest and the Nov. 1 & 2 holidays, but that was before calendar shift, this year that's gone.

Mulling over this misfortune led me to give a second look at my calendar, and lo and behold, there was the window at the tail-end of August, two successive 3-day weekends and a local holiday (Iloilo City Charter Day) sandwiched in between! Woohoo, travel here I come!
I immediately checked airline websites and I checked AirAsia first, true enough they still had some seats left-over from their 300-seat sale. That was their promotion in celebration of their 300-millionth passenger. This was to be my most spontaneous travel plan ever. Usually it takes me 3 to 6 months to prepare for a trip, especially if it's abroad, this record cut that down to less than 4-weeks!

I ditched a Manila outbound flight to AirAsia's KL hub, instead I got the Kalibo, Aklan to KL route. First, it was on sale, and second, I only needed to board the Ceres Bus from Iloilo to Kalibo, compare the cost of that to getting a domestic flight from Iloilo to Manila!

The choice of where to go from KL was more difficult to make though! I had to mull over between (A) going around Malaysia for a little over a week, which meant Melaka, Kuala Terengganu and probably Langkawi, or (B) go back to Myanmar, this time through Mandalay and exiting through Yangon, or (C) tick-off one of my entries in my bucket list and go to Lao PDR. The little over a week I had, I felt, was not enough to do a rounds in Malaysia, meanwhile I would rather want to visit Myanmar after their elections in October and see what difference will that make to their country than visit it now. These left only one choice, go to Lao PDR!

So how to get there:

1. KLO (Kalibo) to KUL (Kuala Lumpur) - approx. 3 hrs 45 min flight;
2. Approximately 12-hr lay-over in KLIA 2; and
3. KUL to VTE (Vientiane) - approx. 2 hrs 45 min flight.

Total travel time - 18.5-hrs, 1-connection with lay-over

The choice was made, I went to Lao PDR!

Arriving in Vientiane

First glimpses of the Laotian planes.

The mighty Mekong seen from our airplane about to land at Vientiane.

Wattay International Airport is Vientiane's only airport, although it has two terminals, one for domestic and another for international flights. Only sections of it are air-conditioned, and do not expect to go down in glitzy style using a passenger boarding bridge, nope you aint in New York kid, you have to get off the plane and walk to the terminal, which mean climbing 2 flights of stairs afterwards because somehow, their arrival gates are at the second floor. The excitement of being in Lao PDR for the first time however will make you forget these considerations, trust me.

View of a Lao Airlines service from my cabin window.

Some of my fellow passengers alighting our aircraft and walking towards the arrival ramp.

Wattay International Airport (VTE)

The Airbus A-320 AirAsia service that brought me to Vientiane, Lao PDR

Being a Filipino-passport holder, we do not need a visa to enter Laos as a tourist, and we are granted 28-days, quite longer than the 14-days Myanmar gave me last year.

Visa-free for Filipinos, Lao PDR gives 28-days for tourism activities.

After clearing immigration, the first thing you would want to do is exchange your money. The Lao Kip (LAK) or simply Kip, is quite difficult to come by, so much unlike the Ringgit (MYR) which I usually get whilst still here in Iloilo. At the time of my arrival, Google valued the Kip at 8,171 to a dollar. Right after the immigrations desk, the money exchange of the Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao (BCEL) could be found, they offered 8,157 Kip to a dollar. Apparently, and I found this really good for them, BCEL had uniform rates whether inside the airport or in downtown Vientiane. If you exchange, say $100, the difference of 1,400LAK between Google rate and the going rate wasn't really that bad. A bottle of mineral water in Laos is somewhere around 2,000 - 3,000 LAK, so that won't even buy you a bottle of water.

Money Exchange Tips:

• Before crossing borders, always check Google rates, that would usually be the present money market rate, and which would be the best you could get: all money changers will offer lower than this. How much lower you could go, that's your call, but of course you would like it to stay as close as possible to the market rate.
• Do not exchange everything at the airport, in most countries, airport rates are one of the most expensive. Although, as I've said already, in the case of Laos, BCEL offered uniform rates in Vientiane, whether at the airport or downtown.

Wattay Airport does have a lot of ATM's so if you prefer withdrawing from your ATM to get local currencies, I think it won't be difficult.

 
Going to Downtown Vientiane

Wattay airport is 4-km. away from downtown Vientiane. The most common way to go downtown is by buying a taxi-coupon worth $8 to $10 (65,000 to 80,000 Kip) depending on where your hotel or guest house is, which I found quite expensive.

If you're scrimping a little bit on the budget, what you could do is to go out of the airport immediately and be prepared to walk about 500-m to the airport entrance off the street. In my experience as I was walking, I had two empty hotel vans who asked me how much I would give for the trip downtown. The first one offered me 60,000 for the ride, which I turned down, of course, we haggled and his last price was at 50,000. I firmly said no. Not more than a minute later, a second van stopped, he asked how much the first van offered me, I said, "50,000", then he asked how much am I willing to pay, I said "30,000, not a Kip more", he said, "hop in"! Lesson, don't be afraid to turn down and walk away. Apparently these vans are operated by hotels and guest houses, they send-off passengers to the airport, but usually they will be empty going back downtown, so instead of going back empty-handed, they would settle for less.

If you won't be as lucky, you can still do the entire 500-m walk, at the airport entrance, you can hail a tuktuk back to the city for about the same price of 30,000 Kip.

A very quaint street in old Vientiane, the French signages hark back to the colonial days of France en Indochine.

Some of my first glimpses of Vientiane

Vientiane Accommodation

Vientiane is a growing tourism-driven city since it reopened to tourism in the 1990's. The city offers accommodation from the luxurious 5-star hotels to the budget backpacking type dorm inns. It is very easy to shop for accommodation through booking websites like Agoda, Booking or Expedia. There is even a wider choice once you're in the city. What you could do is book for your first night, that saves you the hassle of looking for a bed on your first hour or two in the city. Besides, the arrival card for Laos will ask you for your address whilst in the country, which unless you have a local sponsor, means the address of your hotel. After your first night, you can go around and check other places. In reality, internet prices are usually 10-15% higher than rack rates, so if you transfer hotel after your first night, you may actually save up.

Fortunately, my choice of accommodation was really good, it was clean, comfortable, excellently located and had good value for money. I would really recommend the New Lao Paris Hotel to anyone going to Vientiane.
 

My room at the New Lao Paris Hotel

Very comfy bed!

To be continued...