magazine

Photo Essay: Escape to the secret village of Muong Ngoi Neua

Filed under Laos, Luang Prabang & N.Laos by Christine Ka'aloa on November 21, 2011 at 9:33 pm {7 comments}

: Welcome to the Lao’ village of Muong Ngoi Nuea

Muong Ngoi Neua is a beautiful cove of a village, one hour north of Nong Khieuw on the scenic Nam Ou River, accessible by boat. An authentic Lao village, it sits in seclusion between towering mountains and is a serene haven for frazzled travelers to kick back or launch into trekking.

Is it a secret? Yes and no. It’s in tourist guidebooks, but it’s strays off-the-beaten path and is not over-run with tourists yet. Here, the Lao lifestyle is clearly chill and simple. The small village has one Buddhist temple, a school, a trekking agency and one worn and dusty main road, tenanted by roosters, dogs, local women and playing children. At night, local men gather around open fires to chat over their day; others, occasionally gather outside the unofficial community TV house to catch a peek of (more…)

Top 5 things to do in Luang Prabang

Filed under Laos, Laos tips & stays by Christine Ka'aloa on October 31, 2011 at 10:58 pm {7 comments}

: Luang Prabang’s main street

At the heart of Northern Laos rests Luang Prabang. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, the small city blends old European colonial architecture with a Lao urban structure and has a bit of everything. From river beach to tourist bars and riverside restaurants, roadside baguette stands and Buddhist temples, the diverse jewel of a city can easily be explored on foot or bicycle. So with all there is to see, what should you actually do?

Here’s 5 things to top your itinerary:

1) The view from the top of Mount Phou Si

Sometimes, I’m all for sentimental travel cliches. Watching sunsets and city views from mountain peaks are quickly becoming one of them! As the highest hill point in Luang Prabang, Mount Phou Si beckons travelers with an alluring and romantic view of the city. It’s a casual 8-10 minute stroll up (more…)

Photo Essay: Nong Khiaw, a traveler’s elbow and armpit of beauty.

Filed under Luang Prabang & N.Laos, Photo Essays by Christine Ka'aloa on August 17, 2011 at 8:06 am {5 comments}

Is Laos’s Khiaw merely a traveler’s hub or does it have its own unique pulse?

Dusty dirt roads and old wooden storefront buildings.

This is what I saw when the bus dropped me and a van full of tourists off in the middle of the main street of Nong Khiaw.

Did we arrive yet?

No one seemed to know. The small quiet town looked like a Laos version of a deserted Wild West with occasional motorbikes, kicking up dust as they passed.

Oh my god… what could I possibly do here? I thought…

5 minutes after arriving, I contemplated re-boarding our local minivan bus, but I’d just finished a three-hour ride from Luang Prabang. (more…)