Thinking about Laos - it's always the Mekong, .

One of the largest rivers on earth. It is thousands of kilometers long, from its sources in the Himalayas to the vast delta in Vietnam, where it South China Sea flows.

It will be my guide on my journey traveling south along the Mekong.

A white spot

Laos. is still a white spot on the map.

In the east you will find Vietnam, in the west Myanmar, in the southwest Thailand and in the south Cambodia. And in the far north, the powerful neighbor China is steadily expanding its influence on the poor country.

Mountains stretch from the north to deep in the south, plus a small lowland with the capital Vientiane. Jungles, rivers like the Nam Ou, numerous areas where deadly mines still lie as a reminder of the Vietnam War.

The country is much bigger than I thought. I only become aware of it when looking at the map.

 

Map of Laos
Much bigger than expected

 

An unknown country

What do I know about this foreign country?

Not much.

Luang PrabangThe sacred city on the Mekong. The number one tourist hotspot of the country.

And of course - the Mekong, .

There are still elephants. Originally over a million elephants living in the wild. Today just 3000 left.

And opium. Wikipedia knows more about this subject than I do. Apparently a very old tradition.

And a thousand other places and rivers and adventures.

That's the reason for going there. Because that' s the reason for travelling.

The unknown.

And that is certainly true of Laos.

A few tips about Laos

Nam Ou,

The river cruise on the Nam Ou, a tributary of the Mekong, offers everything an adventurer's heart might desire. The journey on narrow boats leads over rushing water, dangerous rapids and shoals, along jungle and untouched nature.

Unfortunately, various dams are currently being built to generate energy using hydropower. The earlier river trips, as I am describing them here, are no longer possible. A shame!

Muang Ngoi

Halfway to Luang Prabang, where you can stop and spend the night, you will find the picturesque village of Muang Ngoi. It is located directly at the river, on a slope and has become a backpacker hotspot in a short time.

I don't know if the village can still be reached due to the construction of the dams. Maybe it has long since fallen back into a deep sleep.

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabangis one of the highlights of the trip. The magnificent sacred Wats, the morning begging tour of the monks, the French restaurants along the main road. One can spend weeks and months here, even if the number of tourists has increased to such an extent that it sometimes becomes crowded.

Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng is the country's notorious den of sin.

Probably it's not all that bad (and a hint from later news: the Laotian authorities were long aware of the place's bad reputation; 2011, according to official sources, 22 vacationers died, many of them drifting down the river on inflated car tubes and tipping over at rapids. By mid 2012, there were six casualties. In response, the Laotian authorities closed numerous bars in August 2012).

Vientiane

Vientiane, the capital of the country, is a quiet place, by no means according to the pattern of the monstrous Asian cities.

But you shouldn't miss the peace and serenity compared to the hectic cities in Southeast Asia. It is a calmness from old times, a breath of fresh air after all the stress and the permanent chase for further highlights.

4000 islands

The famous XNUMX islands are located in the very south of the country. Just imagine that. XNUMX islands, formed by the Mekong, a biotope of water and islands. And in some places the river plummets in terrifying falls. Where the French were looking for a waterway to the north and failed miserably.

And here the report starts with the first day ...

 

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