At first, visiting the tourist cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang, my spirits were a little low. Vientiane was a bland-spirited, straight-faced urban player with few bones of humor to pick; and though, Luang Prabang was inviting as a foreigner-friendly, party-throwing mecca, convivial to tourists, its only dwellers seemed to be travelers, monks and those who work in tourism. Where was the virgin Laos I’d heard about from others?
Hitting the Laotian countryside, the facades of French colonial architecture melted away. Concrete turned to wood and earth, revealing a Laotian maiden. Small communities of bamboo hut villages, wrapped in the karst landscape that’s fed by the Mekong snake. Rice paddy fields stretch over the land like canvas and locals enjoy the simple unfettered existence of ‘village life’.
Outside of the cities, rural Laos is ‘purely’ refreshing...
rice fields
- karst mountains
Photos: River life on the Mekong (slideshow of 13 photos)
Raised houses of bamboo and woven thatch are common elements of a Laotian house.
The drying brush outside the house is sometimes used as brooms for sweeping.
- laotian cooking
Photos: Laotian lifestyle and people (slideshow of 18 photos)
Is Laos still a virginal beauty? It would seem so.
Nice to see it still looks lovely, I will be visiting there soon.
Mica recently posted..Photo Flashback of the week: Isla Palomino
@Mica: Thanks so much. Laos is gorgeous so hope you report and enjoy!
love the photos of the house and the lifestyle in particular! seems like in so many places, the best experiences are away from the “tourist zones”. ive heard a lot of differing opinions on laos as a travel destination, but its definitely still right up there on my list. it has a sense of mystery about it or something.
jamie – cloud people adventures recently posted..Border Crossing: Guatemala to Honduras
@Jamie: Thanks. Yeah, it seems Southeast Asia is currently hopping with travelers. Off-the-beaten path places are harder to find. For instance, how can you “fall off” the well-worn routes of Vietnam or Thailand? Kinda impossible. With Laos, if you go outside of Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, a more rural Laos is there. However, with rural Laos, where can you stay or eat, right? Catch 22. We want purity but as travelers, how much can we handle bedding down in it?