Mattie Do doesn’t consider herself a superstitious person. But in Laos, sometimes strange things happen. Many Lao people believe in the afterlife. They believe the dead can send messages, and that daily life is filled with secret codes and patterns that, once unlocked, can bring great luck to a family. And sometimes this involves money […]
Many travellers are surprised to find that Vang Vieng, the tourist hotspot and stop-off town on the way from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, is visually spectacular. The party scene, which once made the town’s reputation, has died down in recent years, and many of the riverside bars and grubby stalls have disappeared. The attention of […]
No matter the season, now is always the perfect time to visit Hanoi to savour the range of fresh and fantastically affordable local flavours that are the pride of Vietnam’s capital and her people. Known for its rich and varied cultures and cuisines, it’s no secret that South-East Asia is a paradise for foodies, with […]
I am standing in an immense, high-ceilinged wood and thatch building. There are no walls, so a slight breeze provides some respite from the heat, while Mr Viphat’s gravelly voice is recounting a story. It is said that, long ago, a great flood covered the world, leaving two survivors – a woman, Anoi Amek, and […]
Standing on the baking hot tarmac at Vientiane’s international airport on a May afternoon, Soudaphone Visounnarath doesn’t quite know what to do with her arms. She’s a bit embarrassed to don the pilot’s cap she rarely wears, and is a tad uncomfortable in her full uniform outside on such a hot day. But when the […]
Something is happening on the banks of the Mekong in Vientiane – a joyful kind of energy building behind a half-empty commercial development near the city centre. On any given night, you could drive right past it and not notice the flickering lights, wonder about the sauntering figures or clock onto the chilled out beats […]
Sally Pryor tries out Crowne Plaza – the latest luxury hotel to arrive in Vientiane – and is mightily impressed. It’s a muggy and oppressively hot Saturday afternoon in Vientiane, but in the hushed, carpeted corridors of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, there’s no weather at all. Nor are there any intrusive sounds, or smells. Just […]
Champasack province in southern Laos is dotted with stunning, pristine waterfalls, as our photographer Johnny discovered on a recent trip. Here are some of the amazing images he captured while there. Lao Airlines flies directly to Pakse in Champasack province every day. The horseshoe-shaped Pha Suam waterfall is accessible as a day trip from Pakse, […]
When he arrived in Sydney as a student in 2001, Ariya Khamvongsa spent his first days sightseeing. But as he took in the famous Darling Harbour and the iconic bridge, it wasn’t the world-famous landmarks that caught his eye – it was a queue outside a harbourfront café. With no idea why he was lining […]
The world finally catches up to what Laos does best. Hemmed in by culinary giants Thailand, Vietnam and China, the cuisine of Laos has never enjoyed the attention it deserves, but one Vientiane chef is determined to change all that. In this fast-paced world of ours, some things are still best enjoyed slowly. For Ponpailin […]
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