Laos - Easter 2007, Boten to Luang NamTha

I think the entering of Laos itself worked magic on our cardiac rythms. The mobile coverage was non-existent, unless you bought pre-paid Laos network sim cards (which we quickly decided to not even consider), and everything had a different pace. The difference from the Chinese way of life was striking, but good.

We found a tuk-tuk that was heading for Luang Nam Tha, our first real destination in Laos. The Laos tuk-tuks are small, retired Chinese lorries that have been converted into open back people-and-goods carriers. It can be quite a windy trip, but fortunately for this first experience we were well equipped with hooded jackets to keep the wind and dust out of our eyes.

The Lonely Planet guide and other guide books I've read list Luang NamTha as a rather boring place. Don't let them fool you, if you play your cards right, and depending on your budget, this might be the closest to paradise you have ever been. We arrived, quarreled a bit about where to go, but quickly settled down in a roadside café/bar/dump with a beer. The second we pulled out our books and stuck our noses into the beer glasses, vacation was upon us. Laos Beer - Hallelujah!

April is the last month of the dry season in Laos, hence the city was very dusty. We also experienced ash rains, caused by the Chinese lumber companies that go to Laos, cut down forests and burn the grounds to secure fertility after they've wrecked havoc on the environment. Thoughtful of them... This is where the budget issue comes into play:

If you are in Luang NamTha and on a strict backpacker regime, you will want to live in the centre of the city. It's packed with hostels that are very cheap and close to the bus terminal, and as this is a hub for people travelling along the road route to and from China, you will find other backpackers to hang around with. If you do this, however, you will not want to stay there for long. As we did not have any specific economic constrains and knew we didn't feel like stressing, we decided to locate The Boat Landing, a place mentioned in every single review we've read of this place, to see if they had any free rooms. The double rooms are around 30 USD per night, which is a big step up from budget Laos room rate.

We arrived at The Boat Landing (for Christ's sake, take a tuk-tuk from the centre, it's a long walk!), and they gave us a cabin for two nights. Not a room, a cabin. A lovely, lovely cabin, in Laos. I could have stayed here until my heart gave out. The place is an ecotourism lodge, so your environmental conscience stays relatively clean. The staff led by Mr. Thone speaks good English and is incredibly helpful, and the food is good. This is where I would go if I needed to find myself.