Laos: Getting on Map!! Tied to Cruise Options??

[TLCOhio]

As we consider our options in early 2018 for Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok, Hong Kong, etc., a factor to consider is about what else we might do before and/or after our cruising segments. We are going ALL of that long distance, so why not maximize our various potentials and options??

 

LAOS, especially the ancient capital of Luang Prabang Province in northern Laos, is of special interest. It is located at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. The historic/religious town was the royal capital of the country until 1975 and is known for its many Buddhist temples, including the gilded Wat Xieng Thong, dating to the 16th century. Also listed of priority is Wat Mai, once the residence of the head of Laotian Buddhism.

 

Today the news hit about the U.S. President being the first American leader to ever visit Laos. From US News and World Report this morning, they have this Associated Press/AP wire report and headline: "Laos temple town excited it's on world map with Obama visit".

 

Here are some of the story highlights: "Thanks to President Barack Obama, this little landlocked country is on the world map, including Luang Prabang. The town of about 50,000 people, known to a relatively small number of international tourists for its stunning temples and quaint streets, welcomed Obama on Wednesday as he made a side trip from the capital, Vientiane, where he is attending a regional summit on Thursday. Obama visited Wat Xieng Thong, or Temple of the Golden City, a tourist destination because of its architecture, history and artwork. It remained under royal patronage until 1975, when the monarchy was abolished. Inside the temple grounds is a large golden barge, adorned with golden dragons at the bow. Obama looked in awe at the structure, staring straight at the dragon's mouth. Then he walked to the back wall of the temple to look at a line of large golden statues."

 

Luang Prabang is the location in northern Laos that we are planning to visit after doing stops in Hong Kong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, plus sailing for seven days up the Mekong River to Angkor Wat.

 

Added reactions, comments, suggestions, insights, etc., from those who might have traveled in these areas, what your friends have told you, etc.?? Below are a few of web/wire visuals from the President visiting these historic areas in Laos today.

 

Full story at:

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-09-07/laos-temple-town-excited-its-on-world-map-with-obama-visit

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 155,321 views for this posting.

 

 

In this first picture from web news sources, President Obama walks from Sim, or main building, which houses a large Buddha statue, as a part of a tour of the Wat Xieng Thong Buddhist Temple in Luang Prabang, Laos. The other pictures reflect his other meetings and activities, being inside this key temple, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[iancal]

Laos is on our list IF we return to SE Asia again this winter. We would be travelling independently. We are both in our 60's.

 

We have spoken to fellow travellers. They all tell us that Laos is very different from Thailand or Vietnam in terms of tourist..accommodations, ease of travel, etc. It will require some research. Myramar is on the list to be done at the same time. We would probably want a cruise of a week on the beach afterwards. WE think it would be a fascinating place to visit...beats the pants off Florida or Hawaii for our preferences.

Edited September 8, 2016 by iancal

[vietzay]

Well, i have been to Vietnam on a cruise ship visited Halong Bay for 3 day and then transfer to Hanoi and then visted Sapa. After that we flight to Luang Prabang and spent a great time in a quality resort visiting local tribes, elephant camps and so on. To be honest we didnt arrange all by ourselves, we just booked flight and we let the rest to a local agent in Vietnam (http://www.vietnameseprivatetours.com ), we highly recommend them on quality of the trip we received.

 

In Laos i recommend you to visit Luang Prabang, then go Luang Nam Tha 9 trekking, local life, scenic country side and welcoming local), about the accommodation i also felt they are a little bit different from what we got in Singapore or in Bangkok, they have lower standard in Laos.

Hope i could help

[iancal]

Thanks. Will file this away until Dec/early Jan when we finalize our plans. Saps is the one place that we missed on our last trip. We did Halong Bay instead. big mistake!

Edited September 9, 2016 by iancal

[TLCOhio]

Laos is on our list IF we return to SE Asia again this winter. We would be travelling independently. We are both in our 60's. We have spoken to fellow travellers. They all tell us that Laos is very different from Thailand or Vietnam in terms of tourist..accommodations, ease of travel, etc. It will require some research. WE think it would be a fascinating place to visit...beats the pants off Florida or Hawaii for our preferences.

 

Appreciate these very helpful follow-ups from iancal and vietzay. Yes, it will be interesting to see first-hand the differences among these countries of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

 

From the London/UK Guardian on Wednesday of this week, they have this headline: "Luang Prabang, Laos, in three days" with this subhead: "The ancient city in the north of the country is a delightful mix of exquisite temples and French colonial buildings – and a great place for cafes, restaurants, bars and shops"

 

Here are some of the added story highlights: "Luang Prabang means 'city of the Golden Buddha Phra Bang', a statue believed to be the source of the city’s protection since the 14th century. On his marriage to a Khmer princess, warrior Fa Ngum was given the diminutive statue by his father-in-law, the King of Angkor, and it has since bounced back and forth between Bangkok and Luang Prabang in wars with Siam (now Thailand). Since 2013, however, it has sheltered in the golden Haw Pha Bang in the grounds of the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace (entry £3), built by French colonialists between 1904-09, is a blend of Lao and French architecture, hallmarked by the royal symbol of Laos – a three-headed elephant under a parasol. The throne room shines with mosaic emerald palms, lapis lazuli elephants, silver rivers and golden robes. Return for de rigeur beerlao on the Mekong at sunset at any one of the bars lining the Mekong Road."

 

Luang Prabang sounds very interesting!! This good newspaper profile has a number of photos and many other important details to consider for visiting here. Am copying this complete story to computer trip file.

 

Full story at:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/oct/12/luang-prabang-laos-three-day-holiday-itinerary

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 44,089 views for these postings.

[Floridiana]

We spent 1 week in Laos last February, a land tour as replacement of a planned upper Mekong river cruise which was canceled by APT. The upper Mekong ship had been damaged a few weeks before our trip. It seems there are only 2 hotel ships on that stretch of the river.

 

We booked with a local company we found on the internet. The hotels covered the range of acceptable in the south to luxury with top food in Luang Prabang. Same quality range for our local guides.

 

We flew from Bangkok to Vientiane, it's like flying from a metropolitan center to a country outpost. Charming but limited sites to visit. Our first walk after arrival was on our own to the Mekong River: a green meadow and field expanse. The river was so low that the water flowed only on the other bank. The next day, a local guide and driver - they had picked us up at the airport at our arrival- took us around.

 

Next was a flight to Pakse in the south where a different guide and driver picked us up. They took us to the Bolaven Plateau, a tropical Black Forest like area, a coffee growing region with small waterfalls and minority villages. I felt the guide was ineffective, spoke barely passable English and went with the prescribed program as if we were a huge tour group. It was just the two of us. I was ready to cancel the next day. Luckily I didn't.

 

The Mekong has a series of waterfalls between islands, a fascinating thing to see. In addition there is some interesting French colonial history, a trip on one of the local river boats, a motorized bike ride and a small bustling river town with market. A great day!

 

On our return to Pakse, we took a flight up to Luang Prabang. The town has a beautiful location and a well-developed tourist infrastructure with all the pros and cons to go with it. (best guide!) We went to the early market for locals (great!) and the very popular night market for tourists (not interesting to me). We enjoyed a theater performance, a river cruise on a small boat and our fantastic boutique hotel with the best food on the entire month long trip in Southeast Asia!

 

Laos is very popular with backpackers due to its low prices and gentle climate. It is visibly the backwoods of historic empires and even today of other Asian countries.

 

If anyone is interested, I can write some more about the hotels and any other thing you might want to know. Remember, a week is just a glimpse.

Edited October 15, 2016 by Floridiana

[Floridiana]

By the way, we did the second part of our trip with APT, a Halong Bay cruise and a lower Mekong river cruise, both excellent!

You could add Laos to an ocean cruise before and after, flying in from Bangkok, Saigon or Hanoi. For Mekong river cruisers, there are also direct flights from Siam Reap to Pakse and to Luang Prabang.

[TLCOhio]

We spent 1 week in Laos last February, a land tour as replacement of a planned upper Mekong river cruise which was canceled by APT. The upper Mekong ship had been damaged a few weeks before our trip. It seems there are only 2 hotel ships on that stretch of the river. We flew from Bangkok to Vientiane, it's like flying from a metropolitan center to a country outpost. Charming but limited sites to visit. Our first walk after arrival was on our own to the Mekong River: a green meadow and field expanse. The Mekong has a series of waterfalls between islands, a fascinating thing to see. In addition there is some interesting French colonial history, a trip on one of the local river boats, a motorized bike ride and a small bustling river town with market. A great day! On our return to Pakse, we took a flight up to Luang Prabang. The town has a beautiful location and a well-developed tourist infrastructure with all the pros and cons to go with it. (best guide!) We went to the early market for locals (great!) and the very popular night market for tourists (not interesting to me). We enjoyed a theater performance, a river cruise on a small boat and our fantastic boutique hotel with the best food on the entire month long trip in Southeast Asia!

 

Appreciate all of these wonderful details and background on Laos from our Florida friend. Very interesting and helpful!! Hope others will share more specifics about Laos, especially for Luang Prabang. These aspect of the French Colonial history have encouraged me to do more reading and research on that background from those past eras. Keep it coming!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 21,209 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

[Floridiana]

If you travel with your wife or significant other, make sure she has a look at handwoven silk scarves. I bought one at a local co-op in Vientiane (not in the American owned place downtown which has beautiful and very expensive stuff) and two more in a place outside Luang Prabang. We also stopped in a village on the Mekong where one lady stitched a beautiful pattern on a black piece of cloth. Bring enough cash and in small denominations!

 

They have beautiful handmade things and also the usual prints from (Chinese? Thai? Vietnamese?) factories. I had no plans to buy anything, but I liked the handmade material and it makes me feel good to support local women. The Laotians I met were not pushy at all which made for a relaxing shopping experience.

[TLCOhio]

If you travel with your wife or significant other, make sure she has a look at handwoven silk scarves. I bought one at a local co-op in Vientiane (not in the American owned place downtown which has beautiful and very expensive stuff) and two more in a place outside Luang Prabang. We also stopped in a village on the Mekong where one lady stitched a beautiful pattern on a black piece of cloth. Bring enough cash and in small denominations! They have beautiful handmade things and also the usual prints from (Chinese? Thai? Vietnamese?) factories. I had no plans to buy anything, but I liked the handmade material and it makes me feel good to support local women. The Laotians I met were not pushy at all which made for a relaxing shopping experience.

 

WOW!! More very helpful info and background. Appreciate this type of details and suggestion. Normally, I do not like my wife focusing too, too much on shopping. It's get expensive, but some of the "travel buys" become great memories from our overseas travels. Keep these good tips and ideas coming!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 203,903 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Floridiana]

The shops take credit cards, but the women who sell their own crafts don't have them.

 

President Obama is seen in one of the photos above with a female guide. She is wearing the traditional Lao skirt that you will see everywhere. I asked a group of teenage school girls whether it was ok to take their picture and it was. They wore such skirts as part of their school uniform. I also took pictures of a bride and groom during their photo session in a temple. They were wearing beautiful traditional clothing.

 

Although Laos is a communist country, the ambiance is very Buddhist. Much of the education for boys is handled by the monasteries, especially for the boys of poor families which includes many, many Laotians. By the way, they did not pronounce the s at the end of the country's name.

[TLCOhio]

The shops take credit cards, but the women who sell their own crafts don't have them. President Obama is seen in one of the photos above with a female guide. She is wearing the traditional Lao skirt that you will see everywhere. I asked a group of teenage school girls whether it was ok to take their picture and it was. They wore such skirts as part of their school uniform. I also took pictures of a bride and groom during their photo session in a temple. They were wearing beautiful traditional clothing. Although Laos is a communist country, the ambiance is very Buddhist. Much of the education for boys is handled by the monasteries, especially for the boys of poor families which includes many, many Laotians. By the way, they did not pronounce the s at the end of the country's name.

 

Appreciate these wonderful and interesting added details to help in planning for visiting Laos. Very helpful sharing. Keep these important items of background rolling along for my planning and to be seen by others on these boards.

 

From the Wall Street Journal late in October, they have this headline: "Buzzy, Newly Accessible Destinations" with these highlights: "Luang Prabang, Laos: Go to this beautifully preserved town—with its ancient temples, French colonial villas and fishing boats on the Mekong River—before the completion of the high-speed train that will change everything. Scheduled to launch in a few years, the train will connect Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province, to the Laotian capital Vientiane, with a stop in Luang Prabang."

 

Full story at:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/where-to-vacation-in-2017-youll-never-guess-1477493521

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 45,199 views for these postings.