A beautiful fragrant flower evokes a complex range of emotions. The frangipani flower is paradoxical: it is the emblem of the Lao nation but it comes from America, it is white and fragrant often offered to the pagoda but some say to be wary, it is the flower of death but also of love. Described...
How a Self-Trained Cartographer Made the Best – and Only – Maps of Southern Laos Following the trails of mapmaker Nicholas Klein brings me deep into the hills above Pakse. We wade across thin streams, swat away hairy branches, and finally creep out of the dense forest to a wide opening....
Oft-overlooked Pakse unveils reasons to stay a while longer In southern Laos, the Mekong river breaks away from the Thai border and winds its way to Pakse. For most visitors, the town is a one-night stopover before they follow the river’s course to Champasak and the Four Thousand Islands or...
Visit Ban Nayang before the crowds Ban Nayang village is a Tai Leu settlement, established several centuries ago in Luang Prabang province. The Tai Leu are one of the 50 ethnic groups in the Lao PDR. Because of its devout Buddhist culture, and its relative isolation until recently, Ban Nayang...
The province’s new museum brings ancient mysteries back to life. Opened in late 2018, the Xieng Khouang Provincial Museum has already been described as ‘one of the best in Southeast Asia’. After a good look around, it’s easy to see why; the place is full of stories, artifacts, exhibits,...
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