Something you can learn in developing countries is that no matter how many western woes you have, you’re still far better of than most people on earth. All pictures taken near Luang Prabang, Laos. The country has a GDP per capita of USD 1,204 (Germany: 44,558), making it number 144 on the current IMF list […]
Mekong Cruise
The northern part of Laos is still largely undeveloped and the road network reflects that. Going from Luang Prabang to the Thai border at Houay Xai by bus would mean 14 hours on dirt roads in a vehicle that is old twenty years ago. A more pleasant alternative is to travel on the Mekong. Every […]
Up and Down
Getting to sleep the other night proved a bit difficult. There was a lot of unfamiliar noises from the pigs and dogs around the house and in addition the villagers had a bar playing music till the early night. The village has a water-powered generator that provides a bit of light after sunset but they […]
Afternoon Exertion
The meal was good and the rain had stopped, so everybody was ready to tackle the second half of the day. Back into the jungle. Walking got considerably harder. The path was still muddy and now constantly lead up and down, sometimes just inches from a slope down to the river. The guides were doing […]
Going remote
In Thailand the usual treks to hill tribe villages go along a well beaten path. The country sees a massive amount of visitors and the locals have adjusted to that. Far fewer people visit Laos and even fewer take it on them to walk for hours through the jungle to reach a remote village. We […]
Kwang Si Waterfall
One of the main attractions around Luang Prabang is the Kwang Si waterfall, about 45 minutes out of town. We joined forces with a couple of other travellers from the guest house to get a transport out there. The tuk-tuks here are a bit bigger and fit eight people quite comfortably. As much as sitting […]