Far North to Far South

Laos World Heritage List A brief country-by-country rundown of Southeast Asia’s various UNESCO Sites, beginning, for no particular reason, with the list of Laos World Heritage sites. It is an easy one to start with since the small, land-locked and sparsely populated nation has the grand total of 3 sites. Having said that, a scan through the UNESCO list, (which…

Konglor Cave Incredible really is the word for the amazing Konglor Cave system, situated amongst the dramatic karst scenery of Hin Boun District in central Lao’s Khammouane Province. Reminded of us of the spectacular scenery of northern Lao’s Vang Vieng but without the number of visitors, since mass tourism is fortunately yet to hit this remote part of the country. Whilst…

The Champassak Ferry The old fashioned rickety Champassak ferry that carts passengers, motorbikes and trucks across the Mekong between Champassak and Ban Muang don’t run much anymore. The recent completion of the spanking new road to Pakse along the west bank of the Mekong has drastically reduced the need for the car ferry. Time was when ferries would sit at…

Nang Sida Lying just a kilometre away from the Lao World Heritage site of Wat Phu, the Angkor-period temple of Hong Nang Sida does tend to get overshadowed by its prestigious UNESCO-listed neighbour. After hiking up and down the steep steps at Wat Phu, few visitors will be bothered to head off into the dusty surrounding scrubland to visit one…

Khone Phapaeng Falls Longest, tallest, widest, biggest….superlatives can be deceptive and statistics vary enormously, but the little-known Khone Phapaeng Falls in Champassak Province of Southern Laos is certainly right up there on the list! Just downstream of the picturesque Four Thousand Islands‘ region – along the Lao-Cambodian border – the entirety of the Mekong River goes over a 65-foot escarpment…

The Ou River The Nam Ou, or Ou River, flows south from Phongsali Province in the far north of Laos, to join the Mekong at Pak Ou (famous for its cave temples), just upstream from the ancient capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site Luang Prabang. The river is far less frequented by visitors than the Chiang Khong to Pak Beng…

Four Thousand Islands Laos’ Four Thousand Islands, or Si Phan Don, region lies just to the north of the Cambodian border in the far south’s Champassak Province. Here the Mekong River widens and shallows dramatically before crashing over the spectacular Khone Phaphaeng Falls. 4,000 is, of course, a guesstimate since islands appear and disappear with the dry and rainy seasons…