Laos and Vietnam - border checkpoint improved

The upgraded border checkpoint in the South of Laos' Attapeu province and Vietnam 's Kon Tum province is expected to boost economic growth.

The Lao Phu Keua checkpoint is being constructed with a grant worth US$ 1.6 million from the Vietnamese government.

The checkpoint is scheduled to be fully operational within one year.

The Phu Keua checkpoint is located in the far east of of Attapeu province in the Phouvong district, which is 113 km from the provincial capital. The newly upgraded Phu Keua checkpoint will link with the Vietnamese Bo Y checkpoint.

Before only locals were able to cross the border by using this checkpoint.

It is believed, that the new International checkpoint will contribute to economic grow in the region.

The checkpoint will link the four southern most provinces of Laos (Saravan, Xekong, Attapeu and Champassak) with Vietnam and thus facilitate the transportation of good between the two countries .

Last the Phu Keua checkpoint serves as part of the east-west economic corridor not only Laos, but also Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Sunset over the Mekong

Wat Phu Thok - “Isaan's Stairway to Heaven”

One of the most compelling and interesting destinations in the region to the east east of Nong Khai is the hilltop meditation retreat of Wat Phu Thok. Wat Phu Thok resides near the foot of two massive sandstone outcrops on a plain 35 km to the southeast of Muang Bueng Kan in Nong Khai province. Wat Phu Thok accommodates for fifty or so monks, which live in scattered huts on perches high above breathtaking cliffs on the sandstone mountains. Wat Phu Thok has been turned into a a quite Meditation retreat, famous with locals and foreigners alike.

While driving from Bueng Kan towards Wat Phu Thok, the two sandstone outcrops comes into ones sight long before one gets there. Its impressive red sandstone wall, surrounded by green vegetation and lush forests on the narrow Khorat plateau is most astonishing. While getting closer to the rock, the white lines on its wall across the whole mountain reveal themselves as wooden walkways, constructed in seven connected levels, which represent the seven different stages of enlightenment in the Buddhist belief.

The beautiful garden at the base is reflected in a small lake and houses a marble chedi, which commemorates Phra Ahjan Juen, the founder of Wat Phu Thok. He founded the temple in 1968 and died in a plane crash ten years later on the way to Bangkok.

By following long, sometimes slippery, wooden staircases takes you to the third level. Here the visitor is presented with a choice of two routes which will finally lead to the top. One – the left way is more interesting – as it leads around the rock to the fifth and most important level of the Wat Phu Thok complex, where temple's main Buddha statue is housed in the Sala Yai in a dimly lit small cavern.

The artificial ledges, which are built into the rock and across the northeastern face are not for the fainthearted, as crossing these bridges gives the feeling of walking into the air...But they will lead you finally to the dramatic northwestern end of the level five. Here a deep crevice can be crossed by using a wooden bridge which was constructed by monks to connect to the open-sided Buddha viharn.

This spot allows for most stunning views over a broad sweep of the Isaan countryside and across to the second, uninhabited sandstone outcrop. The flat top of the hill forms the seventh level, where you can wander through overgrown paths and thick forest. Make sure, that you remember where your entrance/exit to the seventh level was, as it is easy to lose the orientation on the dense jungle covered hill top - or one could say to find enlightenment will searching the way back...

The visit with my family to Wat Phu Thok was amongst the best experiences and day trips I ever did.

A great, easy and pleasant journey.

Phra That Renu and the Phu Thai minority

Nakhon Renu is home to the Phra That Renu and to the Phu Thai minority group, which traditionally settled along the Mekong River and its tributaries. Phu Thai people preserved their unique tradition of the Baci ceremony.

Definition: "Briefly the Baci is a ceremony to celebrate a special event, whether a marriage, a homecoming, a welcome, a birth, or one of the annual festivals. A mother is given a baci after she has recovered form a birth, the sick are given bacis to facilitate a cure, officials are honored by bacis, and novice monks are wished luck with a baci before entering the temple. The Baci ceremony can take place any day of the week and all year long, preferably before noon or before sunset. [...]”. (Lao Heritage Foundation)

Phra That Renu is located within the compound of Wat That Renu. The 35 meter high That Renu is an imitation of the famous Phra That Phanom, which is located further south along the Mekong River. From Phra That Renu to Phra That Phanom it is approximately 40 km. Phra That Renu was built in 1918. The stupa itself houses the Buddhist Tipitaka - the three divisions of the Buddhist Canon, consisting of gold and silver Buddha images, some other precious items and regalia of local noblemen.

Wat That Renu can be reached from highway 212, and the following the road 2105 for another 7 kilometers.

Wat Phra That Phanom (วัดพระธาตุพนม)

Wat Phra That Phanom (วัดพระธาตุพนม) is a sacred chedi, located in a small village with the same name on the border of the Mekong River, in the southern part of Nakhon Phanom Province, northeastern Thailand or

better known as Isaan. The temple is around a kilometer from the banks of the mighty Mekong River located on a small sacred hill called Phu Kamphra.

According to legends the That Phanom chedi contains Lord Buddha's breast bone (Urangkha That). With this relic, the Phra That Phanom chedi is one of the most important Theravada Buddhist structures in the upper Isaan region and much revered by Isaan and Lao people alike.

In the tradition of Theravada Buddhism of Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand it is commonly believed that Lord Buddha made a journey throughout the whole region to visit sacred and holy sites of earlier Buddha beings and also to support the emerging Buddhist monastic tradition in Southeast Asia. This travel were made by Lord Buddha shortly before his demise. However, no historical evidence profs that such a journey ever took place.

A collection of old manuscripts better known as the Phra That Phanom Chronicles tell that the first shrine was erected shortly after Lord Buddha's death. Scientist and Archaeologists date the earliest structures between the sixth and tenth centuries. While the present form of Wat Phra That Phanom was established by the Lao kings of Vientiane in the fifteenth and sixteenth century.

The main structure of the holy pagoda is constructed on a square bases which is 12 metres wide. The spire is pure gold and weigths 110 kg. The center piece of the pagoda itself is 57m high That. In August 11, 1975 at 7 pm, in a stormy and very rainy night, the chedi collapsed and fell down. Because of its imense importance, funds were raised and the chedi was rebuilt under the supervison of the Fine Arts Department and the support of his Majesty the King of Thailand.

Every year a week long festival is held to honor Wat Phra That Phanom.

Naga Fireballs in Laos and Isaan along the Mekong...

On the last night of the Buddhist Lent, Naga fireballs (Thai: บั้งไฟพญานาค, bangfai payanak) appearing from the Mekong River's surface, can be seen once a year in Laos and Nong Khai province in Thailand. These glowing fireballs appear from the depth of the River...

The origin of this phenomenon is not clear. Some scientists have proposed that the fireballs are a product of the fermentation of river sediments, which can combust in the Mekong river under certain atmospheric conditions.

A Thai television channel once suggested that tracer fires originating from drunken Lao soldiers are the true cause of this spectacle. Furious protests from local villagers have been the answer. They believe that the
Naga fireballs are produced by a snake-like Guardian spirits of the Mekong River - the Naga or Phaya Naga. These spirits have been living in Laos and Isaans Rivers ever since. This local belief was also supported by a popular Thai newspaper.

However, on the Lao side of the Mekong River, the Naga fireballs can be spotted where Nam Ngum and Mekong River join in Thaprabath District, Bolikhamxay Province, as well as in Pak Ngum District, 60 km east of
Vientiane capital.

In Thailand Isaan region, Phon Pisai in Nong Khai seems to be the most famous and maybe the best place to observe this yearly spectacle on the Mekong River. One has to be early in order to get a good place as this

spectacle is very popular amongst the Lao and the Lao speaking Isaan people.

This might have caused some headache!

This picture was made in Luang Prabang. The very unfortunate Tuk Tuk driver was actually lucky as he was not hurt by the falling tree parts.

Some big branches of an old tree broke down in a thunder storm.

All this happened near the famouse Wat Xieng Thong temple.

The road along the Mekong River was blocked almost the whole day.

Luang Prabang in Laos

Luang PrabangThe Ancient town of Luang Prabang, which lies in the center of Laos, has been described as one of the most beautiful and preserved towns in Southeast Asia. In 1512 King Visounarat got Buddha image - the Pha Bang - as a gift from the Khmer monarchy, that is where the town became known as Luang (Great or Royal) Phabang (Prabang). Luang Prabang was the capital of Lane Xang (Laos) for many years until King Phothisarat moved the royal seat to Vientiane in 1545.

There are 34 Buddhist temples among colonial French and Chinese architecture, all nicely located within surrounding green mountains.

The Mekong River, which frames the western border of the town, is still used as transportation link within Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and other important cities along the Mekong River.
Temple Its cultural traditions, rituals and artwork, which includes temple murals, woodcarving and pottery, make Luang Prabang an attractive cultural tourism destination and an ecotourism hub for the whole region, which allows visitors to do hiking, tracking, elephant trekking, kayaking and other adventurous activities in a spectacular natural environment with possibilities which cope for a wide range of interests. The town of Luang Prabang was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 due to its cultural and natural features. Luang Prabang is accessible by air directly from Bangkok, Vientiane and Chiang Mai, but also overland travel is an option from all directions. There is also a regular boat service on the Mekong River available.

Most of the visitors to Luang Prabang enjoy its cultural and historical heritage, stay in nice renovated Old townguesthouses and small lodges for 20 to 30$ per night. However, there are also quite a few backpackers with an interest in Luang Prabang’s culture as well, but the will also enjoy some more adventurous excursions and day trips to the countryside of the ancient town. Laos is strongly promoted as an ecotourism destination in Asia, whit a lot of interesting national and international ecotourism projects and developments going on. A quick search in Google for “ecotourism” brought up a 150’000 hits and 108’000 hits for “sustainable tourism”.
The amount of visitors tripled within the last 10 years from around 400’000 in 1996 to about 1, 3 Mio in 2006 according to the Lao National Tourism Administration. About 1 Mio of the customers are Asians, where the visitor numbers from Thailand (600’000) is the biggest, followed by Vietnam (170’000) and China with 50’000 old lady in luang prabangvisitors in a year. China has now allowed its citizens to travel more freely to Laos. Therefore, Chinese tourists numbers to Laos are expected to rise and will probably account for 25% of the total number of visitors to Laos in the future. Europeans or Westerners account for about 200’000 tourists.

The pressures on Laos to modernize and develop its tourist infrastructure is rapidly increasing, there is a big demand to cater for an increasing amount of package tourism, which will have a significant impact on the development of Luang Prabang.

Therefore, the inscription of Luang Prabang on the World Heritage List in 1995 happened just at the right time, to preserve the town of Luang Prabang. With new roads being build from Vientiane and the Chinese border, the small town of Luang Prabang was about to rapidly expand and transform it - not an entirely positive development.
monk There is now a strict zoning law, which ensures that the character of the town is preserved by restricting advertising billboards and decreeing that no out-of-character buildings can be constructed, which means, that no photo-finishing shops or fast-food outlets can be opened in the old town. Big tourist buses are not allowed within the old quarter of the town. Luang Prabang promotes eco-friendly tourism in different ways, such as reinforcing the visitors to walk or ride a bicycle to explore Luang Prabang, closing roads to make space for the morning and night markets, and setting and enforcing speed limits within the whole town (quite unique in Asia).

There are very good maps available, which make it a pleasure to walk around to visit the different attractions of the towns. All attractions are also well explained in Laotian, French and English language. There are many good web sites and books, with a lot of useful information on Luang Prabang available, so that the visitors can inform themselves easily. In the town are also some very good local tour guides available, so the cultural interested tourists can get there information from locals as well.

Market In the UNESCO plan, there are three zones: the old quarter, a peripheral zone, and natural zones along the Mekong River. The main problem is now how to maintain Luang Prabang as a World Heritage Site and accommodate the fast growing number of tourists that will be attracted.

The Luang Prabang authorities are handling increased tourism well so far. The plan is not to build new hotels, but rather modify existing mansions for use as hotels. The whole area has a lot of natural attractions within a short distance, such as caves, waterfalls, jungle and rivers and the plan of the Laos authorities is, to further develop sustainable tourism by involving local communities in the over all tourism development of the area, but also to direct some of the tourist to the neighboring attractions to take some pressure of Luang Prabang.
My recommendation is, to raise some of the entrance fees of the attractions for foreign visitors, which may take a little bit pressure of the attractions by reducing the amount of visitors to them. With the so collected money the local authorities would have the choice to renovate some public buildings, such as schools and government buildings, which will further improve the image of the town. Then, there are a few hotel developments well underway about 5 to 10 km outside of the town. I suggest providing some shuttle bus or other public transport to accommodate for the visitors need to go out to town, to prevent them of using private taxis and motorbikes. Then, I think, that the roads of the old quarter should and could be closed during the day time for private traffic to implement a pedestrian zone.

Laos has done a lot to improve its tourism facilities and to make it easier to obtain Visas for tourists, therefore tourism will further grow. Especially, when the fast growing and powerful neighbor China starts to travel, I think, tourism in Laos and basically in the whole region will change dramatically.

Fragrant Flowers in Laos Capital...

Yesterday in the afternoon I strolled through Vientiane and found a ad from Vientiane Orchids Farm (www.vientianeorchidees.com). The Farm is resides in a lush shaded garden in the northern suburbs of Vientiane. Bertrand Laville, the Technical Director of the Farm and the most knowledgable Orchid Guide in Phou Khao Khouay NP, showed me around and explained me:

In Vietnam there are about a 1'000 known Orchid species, while in Thailand around 900 different species of these flowers can be found; and for Laos an estimated number of 800 Orchids species growing in the country seems in relation to the size of the area as well as the many still intact National Park a reasonable amount.

Around 60% of these orchid species can be seen next to Vientiane in the nearby Phou Khao Khouay National Park. The National University of Laos together with the Vientiane Orchids Farm collects, protects, breeds and classifies these orchids. Together they have a pool of nearly 450 different Orchid species, which can be found in the whole country of Laos. The Orchids are grown on the compound of the Farm and can be visited throughout the week. Bertrand says, that they also support local communities around the Phou Khao Khoay National park in breeding orchids rather than to take them out from the park by collecting them in the nature...

Small guided tours through the farm can be arranged. Bertrand is more than happy to explain in French and English about the flowers, some medicinal plants and their use as well about the polinisation and breeding process of this Orchids. The farm can be reached by tuk tuk...

The Vientiane Orchid Farm also conducts guided field tours to the Phou Khao Khouay Park, where some stoning waterfalls, butterfly licking places and some Khmu villages can be explored and visited. The fees collected for the tours contribute to the local communities: local guides and food is used from the villages and freshly produced and eaten there...

The Orchid trek is easy and can be done by everybody. For up to 4 people Bertrand will take the Orchid Farms' own 4 x 4 Ford Ranger Pickup; for bigger groups a rented van.

A very interesting project in close proximity of downtown Vientiane...