Luang Prabang: Jewel of the Mekong

Ask anyone who's been here: Luang Prabang, Laos is indisputably THE place to be. It's no wonder that the world is slowly starting to wake up and realize that Laos' historical center and the former capital city of French Indochina is a hot travel destination... In my opinion, there are two main reasons that L.P. has retained it's unique brand of lazy, crazy cool:

1) It's really hard to get here. Well, maybe not anymore, now that Bangkok Airways have started to operate non-stop daily flights from Thailand... but until very recently, the only way to get to Luang Prabang was either on the bus from Vang Viene (8 hours of hairpin turns... be sure to skip breakfast for this one) or on a slow boat down the Mekong from the northern Thai border (a grueling two-day experience... Paul did this trip 3 years ago and was not terribly eager to repeat the adventure). Unwilling to pursue either of these options, most two-week Western vacationers have left Luang Prabang off their Southeast Asian itineraries... helping the town to retain it's sleepy, backwater charm.

The second reason I believe this amazing city hasn't become totally played out:

2) There's no major sites, ruins, cathedrals, or other attention-grabbing landmarks. Tourists love ancient ruins and burned-out Gothic churches; iconic architectural images that photograph well for tourism posters. These types of attractions draw in huge numbers of visitors and can quickly turn an "off the beaten path" destination into a major tourist hub (ie: Siem Reap, Cambodia).

Luang's charm isn't tied specifically to one big attraction, but in the myriad tiny details around every corner. I imagine that the unbelievably well-preserved historical center looks very much the same as it did when the French begun building here about 150 years ago, and having been recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Sight has helped to provide the funding to keep Luang Prabang looking immaculate. Beautiful wooden shopfronts have been converted into quaint bed and breakfasts; glittering Buddhist temples dot the city; fishermen continue to sleepily cast their nets across the muddy water; the silk and antique markets retain a flavor of old colonial France and yet are still completely Laotian.

The lack of mass tourism here has also had a distinct effect on its citizens, or maybe more of a lack of an effect: once again, I've found that there is none of the aggressive, demanding, and nasty behavior towards visitors that is so prevalent in Thailand's big tourist destinations... the Lao people continue to be gracious, humble, kind, and in a word: wonderful.

I only hope that daily flights from Bangkok don't squash the vibe here... but I can't worry about that, so I'll just continue to kick back, enjoy another sunset over the Mekong, and sip my coconut shake... More soon. x Jason

Vang Viene, Laos: Shangrila of the 20-somethings

Who in the world would have known it: the hottest travel destination for the sexy and un-attached university student is located in the remote jungles of north-central Laos, a little slice of heaven by the name of Vang Viene. Known primarily for its amazing limestone cliffs and enviable trading position on the banks of the Mekong, Vang Viene has suddenly become the hottest adventure travel destination in South East Asia... There's not really much to do here but go tubing in the river, spend the day climbing in and around the numerous caves, and chilling in the beer bars and Lao restaurants that line the town's main road. Even though if you are over 30 you might be mistaken for someone's Dad, the laid-back atmosphere and natural beauty of this place should place it high on the list of "must-see" destinations in Asia.

We rode yet another "chicken" bus into town in the heat of the mid-afternoon and quickly realized that there is not much to Vang Viene: the single strip of simple guesthouses and restaurants is about as long as 2 city blocks. Back in Vientiane, we discovered the the local currency, the Lao Kip, is definitely preferred (unlike Cambodia, where everything is quoted in US Dollars), so we immediately went in search of a bank... 70 bucks purchased an OBNOXIOUS amount of stained and tattered Lao currency; we spread it all out on the floor like criminals in a low-rent bank heist movie!

Aside from rolling around in filthy bank notes, the real action in Vang Viene takes place just outside of town. The following afternoon, we rented two mountain bikes and cycled through some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever witnessed: amazing mountains and dramatic rock formations, covered with dense jungle foliage, separated by bucolic green pastures complete with little goats and wandering water buffaloes. We rode along the dirt road, through a few little villages... At one point, I stopped and made silly faces at the little kids playing in the river; all the boys were taking turns jumping like monkeys off the bridge into the water below, making sure I was taking their photo.

We continued on towards the Pooh Kam Caves... The park surrounding the cave entrance was like something from an Asian-inspired Walt Disney movie... thousands of butterflies filled the air; a little bamboo bridge crossed a natural swimming lagoon of impossibly blue water; flowers and plants of every imaginable shape and color. We had to just sit and take it all in for about an hour before attempting to navigate the steep rocky path towards the cave entrance... Once inside, we discovered a beautiful golden Buddha shrine and the first cool temperatures I've experienced in what feels like months... It was hard to leave!

Back in town, the road-hardened beautiful people swapped stories about their adventures while swilling down dangerously huge cocktails made from questionable Lao spirits, before not-so-discreetly hooking up and stumbling off into the night... We vicariously enjoyed this "coming of age" experience and sipped our modest light beers, reminiscing about our 20's when destinations like Mykonos were still considered to be far-flung adventure destinations.

Next Stop: Luang Prabang

More soon! x Jason

Welcome to Laos!

Our arrival in Laos... Today has been a particularly LONG day... We have just disembarked the overnight train from Bangkok to the northeastern border with Laos, near the town of Nong Khai... Still in a bit of a transit daze, we shuffled through the absolutely baking hot sun across the Mekong river "Friendship Bridge" towards the Lao border... This was physically exhausting because of the heat and weight of our bags, but the added constant stress of being surrounded by taxi drivers, hotel touts, pushy trinket salesmen/women had us both a bit on edge. Sometimes, adventure travel is enough to drive a person INSANE!!! After a bit of a minor meltdown on my part, followed by a lovely air-conditioned iced coffee break, we finally made it to Vientiane, the 1-horse capital of Laos.

On first impression, Vientiane is a lovely town (you wouldn't really call it a city) lacking in traffic, congestion, and pollution... The people here seem to be so soft spoken and gentle in comparison to the aggressive, tourism-jaded Thais... Such a noticeable contrast from the shouts of "You come! Buy Suit! Taxi? Massage! Now, you EAT!" and the like from almost every Thai street corner.

I think we are going to love our time in Laos... Tonight, we are off to an Indochine-style French restaurant overlooking the Mekong River in a 200-yr. old colonial style house... I'm planning to suck down a bottle of cheap French wine, gaze upon the river, and try to infuse a bit of "soul" back into our trip... We've very recently hit midway doldrums but thankfully are not at each other's throats... but with the almost daily strain of moving, packing, haggling, schlepping, sweating, and sleeping on other people's nasty pillows... it can be trying at times. The unrelentingly high temperatures do not help matters and the inhumane climate is certainly a factor in my very-recent travel burnout: I am longing for cooler temperatures and not being soaked with perspiration the second I leave the comfort of a cold shower.

Next Stop: Vang Viene

More soon. x Jason

The Island Life

Lovely, amazing little Ko Tao... Our week long stay on Turtle Island has unquestionably been one of those life experiences that I will not easily forget! Not only did this place manage to live up to my expectations (and actually exceed them), but my confidence is partially restored in the Thai's ability to simultaneously develop a tourist infrastructure and sustain the fragile ecosystem... I hope that Ko Tao can remain as it is for future generations of travelers: wild, rugged, and fabulous beyond belief.

We had a (thankfully) uneventful ferry ride from Samui to Tao, and upon arrival, could immediately tell that things here were a little bit different: the pier itself was not made of concrete or steel, but old packing crates nailed precariously together... The island's main port is nothing more than a small cluster of fishing boats and water taxis, beached at the end of Ko Tao's single shopping street, aptly named "Pier Road." Although the main town of Mae Head Beach is still pretty rustic, we managed to eat incredibly well. There is no shortage of restaurants catering to western palates, our favorite being "El Gringo," which serves up a mean frozen pina colada with fresh coconut and delicious plates of nachos. I find it so crazy that the best Mexican food I've ever had outside of Mexico is on a tiny island in the Gulf of Siam!

We thoroughly loved our week long stay at the gorgeous Sensi Paradise Resort http://www.sensiparadise.com/, a highly polished operation catering to honeymooners and upmarket 40-somethings in search of seclusion... Located just a stone's throw from the main part of town, the only noise surrounding our little wooden bungalow was that of the various birds and animals that live in the jungle. A good bit of the local fauna managed to make it inside our room: our resident gecko Bellisimo and his gigantic spider friend did their very best to consume the majority of mosquitoes in our bathroom. Being used to camping in Kansas, this was not a problem for me... but Paul made his visits to the bathroom as short as possible.

Ko Tao is known for it's amazing diving and snorkeling sites... Just off the beach at Sensi Paradise is one of the best dive sights on the island: the only shipwreck on the Ko Tao coast. Sunk over 50 years ago, this former cargo vessel came a bit too close to the rocks... it is now home to tons of tropical fish and various soft corals that have attached to its massive steel hull. I spent one afternoon swimming alone just off the beach, exploring the wreck and watching the local fishermen watch me.

Later in the week, Paul and I hired a long-tailed boat piloted by a funny young guy named Baan, who took us around the entire island for the day... We stopped and snorkeled at 5 or 6 various sites, including Shark Bay, the super-secluded Mango Bay, and the small group of islands just off the Ko Tao coast, the Nang Yuan islands. The coral here is truly FANTASTIC and largely intact: Paul and I both agreed that it is nearly of the same quality and variety as the Great Barrier Reef. I am really very proud of Paul for overcoming his fears of swimming in the open ocean and he seemed to really loosen up and enjoy himself!

We were both a bit sad to leave this wonderful place, but are getting very excited about our upcoming adventures in Laos. We have purchased overnight train tickets from Bangkok to Nong Khai, on the Thai border with Laos, on the night of Sunday, 20 May. From there, we will cross by land into Laos and continue north to Vientiane and eventually Luang Prabang. Hopefully we will be able to fly back into Thailand to begin our month-long stay in Chiang Mai, but we are still unsure about the availability of flights... Will keep you posted!

More soon. x Jason

Paradise Redeemed: Khao Sok National Park and the island of Ko Samui

Having finally having washed the stink of Phuket out of our clothes, we are so glad to discover that a few places in Thailand have managed to actually develop a thriving tourism industry, without killing themselves in the process... Can Khao Sok National Park develop at a pace that is sustainable? Can Ko Samui survive the thousands of visitors that pack its shores? The answer to these question is: probably not. But we are certainly glad to be on Planet Thailand for the beginning of the end! We left Phuket (now dubbed "Poop-ket" and also "Puke-ket") in a very bad mood, needless to say... The bus-to-ferry combination ticket could have tried the patience of Mother Theresa herself, after being shoved around by pushy touts and forced into several unscheduled stops at restaurants, most likely owned by the bus driver's cousin. ("Now you EAT!")

Khao Sok National Park is a true diamond in the rough, and when I say "rough," I mean RUFFFFF. Located in a pristine rain forest in the mountainous center of Southern Thailand, the park has yet to be "discovered" by western tourists and remains somewhat unaffected by the fever of mass tourism... ie: no Internet. Surrounded by limestone cliffs, gorgeous waterfalls and dense jungle, contact with the outside world is very limited: most of the products and services on hand were distinctly Thai in origin. Pretty cool! We checked into the Rainforest Lodge expecting something a bit more... hmmm, lets say, enclosed. The accommodations here were perfectly suitable... for a caveman. No electricity (hence no air conditioning or fans), no hot water, and no one to hear our screams, Paul and I checked in for a rather long 2 night stay. The national park is a real treasure, and I really appreciate the experience of being in rural Thailand... but after a few days, our spoiled western asses were ready for something a bit more, ahem, civilized.

Several cold beers on the ferry ride from Surat Thani town and the beautiful scenery from the boat's deck added to the excitement of heading to Ko Samui. Upon arrival at Sumui's main port, we were glad to have NOT purchased a pre-paid taxi voucher to our hotel (one of the many "purchase suggestions" forced upon us en-route), as several others on our boat found that these vouchers were totally worthless, and the contact numbers printed on the ticket were bogus. When approached, the sleepy-eyed tourist policeman at Ko Samui's port mumbled a few things in Thai, and slowly walked away. Hmmm. Our hotel on Ko Samui, the Jungle Park Resort, is absolutely lovely. Situated smack on Lamai beach, the views from the property are stunning and the grounds themselves are perfectly landscaped with little fountains, flowering trees, a huge swimming pool, and lots and lots of greenery. Most of the other guests staying in the Jungle Park are French, and most of them seem to be absolutely miserable. We both faced our fears of two-wheeled motorized vehicles and actually rented two little motor bikes for our 4 days on the island! Today was our first day out, and we quickly gained confidence zipping along the narrow roads. We initially headed towards an elephant camp on the southern end of the island, but were put off by the exorbitant prices for a ride (800 Baht for 30 minutes!!!) and we just hung around for a while instead. It must have been good fortune that we continued up the same road, and discovered the most beautiful hilltop restaurant, where we stopped and had lunch. The views from the top were amazing: we could see beaches to both sides of us and unlimited visibility... Gorgeous!

Ko Samui does indeed have a Starbucks, loads of Internet access, and a more than a few girlie bars, but somehow manages to retain plenty of wildlife and it's unique local flavour, unlike the ruined Phuket. Next up is Ko Tao, the tiny diver's island 2 hours north from here, and I have high hopes that it will be the one of the best destinations Southern Thailand has to offer... More soon! x Jason

Paradise Lost: Thailand's Ruined Island of Phuket

The tropical southern region of Thailand, bordered by Burma and the once coral-rich Andaman sea to the west, and the island studded Gulf of Thailand to the east, used to be a lush, paradise on Earth... before fast-food tourism took its deadly toll.

Not very long ago, the tropical islands of Phuket and Ko Phi Phi were like something from a dream: pristine beaches, abundant wildlife, and laid-back friendly locals... But like Eden, paradise ultimately fails to remain beautiful and continue to thrive under the voracious appetite and ever-increasing consumeristic demands of earth's lowest life form: budget travelers.

Long discovered by zillions of low-cost chavelers and their better-accented equivalent, middle class flashpackers, the southern Andaman-coast Thailand (in particular: Phuket) seems to have been completely and permanently ruined. This once-beautiful island is a truly miserable example of what happens to paradise when no thought whatsoever is given to developing an ecologically-based infrastructure for tourism that supports and cares for the delicate balance of nature... a (sort-of) living example of a paving over paradise.

Cheap flights to the local airport and long lines of air-conditioned tourist buses deliver thousands of pleasure seekers to Phuket and the surrounding islands every day, bringing with them a seemingly endless appetite for destruction. Around the clock, these travelers crowd Patong Beach's strip of tacky trinket shops, massage parlors, and western fast food restaurants, which cater almost exclusively to the drunk and sunburned masses... Once replaced by a fresh batch of morons a few days later, the departing tourists have left behind what amounts to (literally) tons of garbage: empty beer bottles, stray flip-flops, plastic bags, and candy wrappers litter the sand and the sidewalks. The island's drainage and sewerage systems, landfills, and local water treatment facilities, are obviously unable to cope with the huge demands placed upon them by millions of visitors. This results in mountains of waste, polluted beaches, brown water from the hotel taps, and a horrible, noxious smell throughout the city... kind of like a giant, backed-up toilet with palm trees. You get the idea.

In an attempt to escape the sickening state of Phuket, we booked a day long boat trip to three tiny, out lying islands: Khai Nui, Khai Nok, and Khai Nai, three minuscule specks on the map of the Andaman sea... Once home to millions of tropical fish and a thriving coral reef, these islands are now practically dead, with the exception of the obnoxious touts pushing cheap T-shirts and over-priced bottles of Heineken (that we wished would die). What coral hadn't been destroyed by the last decade's tourist mobs was finished off by 2006's tsunami, leaving the vast coral beds completely trashed. Piles of broken, bleached coral have washed up on the beaches, mixed with a pot-pourri of non-biodegradable plastic garbage. These once immaculate tropical islands are now simply a disgusting example of the destructive nature of tourism, and a complete failure of the Thai government to restrict tourist numbers, educate visitors, and ultimately protect it's fragile national treasures. Shame on them.

I would like to be able to put a positive spin on the situation by saying something like "it's never too late to make a change," but sadly enough, there seems to be absolutely no hope for Phuket. This place of fragile, natural beauty has been strangled to death, gasping it's last breath long before I ever arrived.

Tomorrow, we thankfully leave Phuket in search of a tranquil place to hopefully redeem our island experience... I only hope, in Thailand at least, that this place still exists.

More soon. x Jason