Statue in the Temple Cave, Pak Ou, Laos


A journey through South-East Asia

How to get there
Luang Prabang, November 21


'How to get there' - that's one of the basic questions you deal with when you travel. You find the options in your Lonely Planet guidebook, together with the 'Places to stay and eat' and 'Things to see and do'. Here in Laos, there often is just one answer to the how-to-get-there-questions. From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang: the slow boat. It takes two days to cover the distance. There's no other way, no road, no train, and that's just fine. Floating down the Mekong is a relaxed way to travel and to fill the word 'Laos' with pictures and impressions. and to meet other travellers.

There aren't too many who travel Laos, and most of them have the same itineraries. Like Tip and Kira from London, who are on their way to Cambodia. Or Peter from Germany and Isabel from Canada, who fell in love in Australia. Or Bianca - we first met on the slow boat and then again in a guesthouse and decided to travel together for some days. Today, we visited the caves of Pak Ou. No organized tours to get there, so we chartered a boat, together with Peter and Isabel. It's all different here in Laos. Nearly no one at the caves, and only us at the upper temple there. It felt special, to be there, to visit this beautiful place in such a peaceful atmosphere.

And on the way back, a little shipwreck, some water coming into the boat, and everyone helping to get it out again. A little adventure. We laughed about it, later, when we were back in Luang Prabang again, on safer grounds.

Part 5: Route Thirteen


this travelogue is part of the subside travelzine
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