Mekong river and home stay
Travelling down the Mekong River from Thai border to Luang Prabang was the most relaxing experience. Observing life on the river, water buffalos, fishermen, kids playing on the river banks was like being transferred to another planet. The vastness of the river and the tranquillity of the scenery was mesmerising.
After a full day of travelling on the boat we stopped in a remote village, where we spend the night in one of the family homes – 4 people sharing a room. Local girls did a beautiful dance performance for us in the evening. After that we danced and played traditional games with the people from the community.
Life in the village is tough, the conditions are extremely basic, with very limited electricity, no schools or medical care. It was fascinating to observe their interactions with each other, children playing happily, and old ladies and young girls taking care of the babies and younger children. People seemed to be all very kind and united.
The most breathtaking moment was watching the sun rising over the village and the river.
Caves
We stopped on our way to visit some impressive caves. Loved the lighting in them.
Kayaking in Vang Vieng
We stopped in Vang Vieng to experience “the adrenaline bundle” – kayaking down the river and other fun activities.
Sunsets
The town was surprisingly charming and even romantic. Lots of hot air balloons in the sky make the scenery quite special. The sunset over the mountains was absolutely magical.
Capital of Laos -Vientiane
We had a very short visit to the capital, here are some photos of the main sights in the city centre, the Pha That Luang – “Great Sacred Stupa”, is the most recognised monument in Vientiane.
Patuxai Victory Monument was designed to resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and is truly impressive. Musical fountain created very festive atmosphere at sunset – the place was full of people, locals and tourists all enjoying the water show.
Monk offerings in the mornings
It’s a common buddhist practice, which is still happening in countries like Thailand and Laos. We got up at 5 am to witness people lining up along the street to do the offerings.
Morning market
Another memorable moment in Laos – seeing the town waking up and the market getting busy with visitors.
Kuang Si Waterfalls
Kuang Si Falls – It was amazing to see this stunning multi-tiered waterfall near Luang Prabang, and the best part was having a swim in it’s fresh turquoise waters.
