DAY 5 Travel from Bangkok to LAOS
After departing Bangkok, we woke up the next morning on the train as we approached the border between Thailand and Laos. Didn’t get much sleep. Very cold AC. The train stopped for the Thai exit process. We left our bags on the train, as we had to get back on, although there was confusion around this with the language barrier. While in the lineup for passport stuff, the train was broken apart. We were worried about our bags. Got through, and saw the train back together, and our bags were there. We departed again, crossed the Friendship Bridge, and arrived at the station in Vientiane where our guide met us to drive us to the Lao Orchid Hotel. This portion of the trip was all arranged and booked by Somsay at Wander Laos. We absolutely recommend this company. This tour was custom, private and affordable.
We walked to the mall, then to a Beer Garden, then back to the hotel. Different feel from super busy and crowded Bangkok. At night we ventured out for food and a walk through the night market that popped up near our hotel.
Day 6 Vientiane
We had a great sleep today, contrast to the train. Up early to hop into a van to tour around the city. Temples, and Buddha Park. Vientiane is not the most exciting city, but the tour was good. Tourists were limited which was nice.
Day 7 Travel to Kong lor Caves
Today we had a long drive east to Spring River Resort at the Kong Lor Caves. We stopped for lunch at a road side diner that some truckers also go to. One stop at a rural temple. Up and over a mountain range, with a quick stop to check the view at a little tourist site. On the other side of the pass, was a rural valley of farms. At Spring River Resort we checked into a river side cabin. Restaurant and lounge look over the river also. A evening walk from the resort to check out the farms. Locals were bundling the days harvest of tobacco.
Day 8 The Caves
Cave Day! We travelled in a traditional canoe with a shallow water motor setup commonly seen here. The cave is 7km long to the other side of the mountains. There were two stops inside the cave to where they had electricity run to light up some very cool large caverns with all the cave features. Mounds of minerals and stalagmites on the ceiling. One small set of shallow rapids to drag the boat up near he end of the cave. On the other side was a tiny market for the tourists and guides to grab a beer, and snack. We bought a scarf too. Back through the caves to return.
After the very cool cave experience we went for a walk through the nearby village. A traditional rural farming village. We say some kids, but no adults, as they wee all out in the fields working. This is the type of place that should have been full of tourists, but this is rural Laos! More authentic, more interesting.
Birds Seen Today
- Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher
- Verditer Flycatcher
- Grey Wagtail
- Common Tailorbird
- Pin-striped Tit-Babbler
Day 9 Travel Back to Vientiane
Today we drive back to Vientiane. A full day drive, for the most part. We stopped at the lookoff point, same one as before up in the mountains. This time we went for a walk down the slope to check out some birds and squirrels.
Birds Seen Today:
- Black-crested Bulbul
- Crimson Sunbird (above)
Day 10 Travel to the North on the Highspeed Train
We checked out of the hotel and the driver took us to the Vientiane Railway Station. We took a high speed train from Vientiane 3h North to Muang Xai where we’ll be in the jungle for a couple days. The train departed on schedule. It was a 160km/h train, which is “high speed”, but on the slow scale compared to most high-speed trains in the world. Still, a first for me to be on one. The route is recently built, connecting China to Laos. When we got off the train a driver took us directly to the Namkat Yorla Pa Resort up in the cloud forest. The town we drove through seemed more raw than the others. More impoverished, and lacking the niceties the tourist places have where we have been so far. We drove way up into the mountains, past homes, businesses, and farms before arriving at the resort, Namkat Yorla Pa Resort. We arrived around lunch time and had yet to eat, so we had lunch there while waiting for our room. We ate with a view of a small brook with some birds, and lizards moving about.
Now, were not a pair to stay in one place for long. The day was early, and our tour company only included one activity here, and it was a waterfall hike tomorrow. So for today we did a hike to a view point. After getting checked into our room the resort took us in a mini truck up to a trail a few kms away. The guide pulled out some harnesses and helmets and we looked at each other wondering what we signed up for. It was never clear. We start to hike up a very steep slope. We passed many large spider webs. Near the top was a little cable we had to cross to get to the view point on top of a rock. Wasn’t too bad at all. Minimal thrill. From here we got some photos, and also sent the drone up for some video. Not much for birds here.
Day 11 Waterfall and Treetop Trek
The next day we had two activities scheduled. A waterfall hike, and a 16-point canopy tour. The waterfall was okay. Nothing huge. We were dropped off at the end of the road where we follow a trail up and across some hanging bridges to the waterfall. Not much for birds here either. After lunch we head out on another adventure with the resort, the 16-point tour. We have no clue what we signed up for. Maybe a walk through the canopy on bridges? Not really sure. Communication is limited at this resort. The helmets and harnesses appeared, along with two guides as we head up in a resort mini truck. The guides don’t speak English, and we don’t speak Laotian, but they get the harnesses on us. I’m already accustomed to this as I use one often at at work because I work at heights sometimes.
Well, there were 16 obstacles at height, in the mid canopy of the trees. I won’t remember them all, but they all involve being secured to a high cable with a lanyard. But below that we have to try walking on very narrow bridges with or without a railing. A swing into a spider web, ride a bicycle across a cable, and other strange ways to cross 10-20m span from one tree to the next. It was fun, and a thrill at times. Not the type of activity we crave on our trips. Not because were scared of it, but a zip line in Costa Rica is not much different from one in Laos. Done one, done them all.
Back to the resort for booze, pool, dinner, and more booze.
Birds Seen Today:
Day 12 Orchid Trek and Train
First up today is an orchid hike with the resort. This time they gave us a guide that speaks English. I guess talking is a requirement here for the English speaking tourists. We haven’t been seeing many flowers so we were unsure of what exactly we would find on this flower hike, in the jungle. The guide, the resorts conservation manager, walked us through the jungle pointing out all sorts of things. Many were orchids, some actually in bloom, but most were just a green plant with no flowers. We chatted about birds, and other things too. It was an enjoyable walk that didn’t involve a harness.
Back to the resort to check out, and meet our driver who takes us back to the train station for the next leg of the trip. A short 50 minutes on the high-speed train to Luang Prabang to meet another driver. This was a busy train station as it’s the main tourist town in Laos. Our drive dropped us off at our hotel, and we check in as we usually do. But, it’s a new town for us, so time for a walk around town and check the place out. While on our walk, I get a text on WhatsApp form a accommodations wandering where we are, and to come check-in. We already checked in. Confusion ensures. I think were being scammed somehow, so I message our tour company, and he confirms we checked into the wrong place. The driver dropped us off at the wrong place, and they took us in as if we belonged. Like they were waiting for us! We gave them our names too! Might have been a little language barrier there. We walk back to the hotel, and the driver is already there trying to explain everything to the hotel. Another couple from Europe is there, presumably waiting for our room. Oops! We rush up, pack our things, and get back downstairs where the driver takes us to the correct place, Villa Chitdara. Nicer room anyway!
Minor hiccup, solved.
Beer with Somsay our tour organizer and owner of Wander Laos, at one of the fancy bars. No craft beer here. A couple big brands plus a bunch of European beers.
Birds Seen Today:
Day 13 Morning Alms and Pak Ou Caves
Early morning start to get ready for the Morning Alms. Everyday the monks quietly walk the streets single file and receive food from people in the town. Our tour guide had a spot for us to sit and wait. No shoes, no hat. Gloves on to handle the sticky rice we were given. This is a longstanding tradition for Laos Buddhist, but it felt like a tourist experience here. There were crowds on the street watching, rope to keep people a certain distance away. Lines of people there to make the offering, mostly tourists as far as I could tell. I’m conflicted as to whether we were interfering in a religious practice or if this was normal and ok. We are not Buddhist, so should we be taking part in this?
Some Chinese tourists jump the rope to get better photos. I get the impression Chinese tourists here are like American or Russian tourists elsewhere. A little bit crazy. Ours guides implied they were overtaking.
After the offering to the monks, we checked out the morning market on the streets. This is where we found the weird things. Eels and turtles still alive, bats, and frogs. Also a grid lock on the narrow streets due to where people parked their scooters.
Back to our hotel for breakfast, then we were driven to an organic rice farm on the edge of Luang Prabang to learn how to plough the fields, plant rice, transfer plantings, harvest, process, and cook over many steps. I won’t go on, but it was a fun experience I would recommend for others visiting Laos.
Next for the day was a private trip on a long boat up to the Pak Ou Caves, which is an important Buddhist religious site with thousands of Buddhas inside the caves. It took two hours to motor up there. Along the way we saw lots of examples of locals living along side the Mekong River. On the way back we made a stop at a small riverside village for a short walk. We learned about local whiskey, in which we brought some home obviously.
Day 14 More Temples
The next day we visited a palace, and some more temples. Yes, more temples. We were “templed” out at this point, and we were not overly engaged. Our poor tour guide was a bit rigid on his tour and was repeating information we had heard a couple times already in Bangkok, and Vientiane from other guides. At a couple times I get the thought that our guides were giving us just the “Government approved” information, and maybe the stiffness was due to this. Either way, we were not super excited about this guide. We liked the one we had in Vientiane better, but even he gave us information that was likely government provided, like that the Mekong River has no pollution. Maybe a language barrier again too.
After some of the city stuff, we hopped in the van for a drive to Kuang Si Falls for some swimming, bears and sightseeing. The bear rescue centre was very interesting, but it was just enclosures with some info inside the waterfall park. We watched the bears for a while, and also swam in some of the pools near the falls. We had a nice time before our drive back into the city, but straight to the airport for a flight back to Bangkok.
