Showing posts with label Phonsavan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phonsavan. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Phonsavan to Vietnam border

Heavy mist engulfed the whole of Phonsavan's town this morning with visibility of less than a kilometre.

 Phonsavan is roughly about 1200 metres above sea level surrounded by lush tropical rain forest.
Traffic on the road were still very quiet except for the hive of activities at the main market area.

The pedestrian walkway was quite wide and well paved and it would be very refreshing to go for a morning walk in this cold weather.





This was about 7:00am when I made my way to the Honsava II Bus terminal hoping to catch a bus to the Vietnamese border.


Xieng Khoung Hotel was nearly covered by the thick mist and hardly to be seen despite being 500 metres away.

During the day ,temperature can be as high as 31 degree celcius while at night can drop to about 15 degree celcius.

The highest temperature will be the month of April and the lowest around December. July and August will be the wettest months.





Monks on the morning alms round.
Walking barefooted on the cold pavement is quite an enduring task and  a specific discipline which is considered very practical and natural way to practice fulltime mindfulness.

 By also going barefoot outside, the practice can be seen as an extension of expanding sacred space beyond the walls of the sanctuary.

The goal of any Buddist is to acheive "enlightenment" which means that any Earthly possesion had no meaning to them.

To achieve enlightenment you must stop wanting everything.

So monks believed that not having anything will relieve them of their earthly desires.





The only bus to Vinh in Central Vietnam is at 06:30am and has left.

This will only be available on Tuesday,Thursday,Friday and Sunday.
 The fares is 150,000 kips.

Now my next choice is through Xam Neua border checkpoint which will be nearer to Hanoi,capital of northern Vietnam where I'll be catching my flight back home.

Minibus departure time is at 08:00am fare price is 80,000 kips.

After waiting at the empty ticketing counter for nearly half an hour,there were no signs of anyone around nor even passengers.

A Vietnamese lady baguette seller was very kind enough to direct me to this bus to Nong Het which was also a border checkpoint that leads to Vinh in Central Vietnam.

The bus driver has his wife as a ticket conductor so I paid her the 35,000 kips bus fare.

I would advise all travellers heading to Hanoi or Vinh to buy the bus tickets from your guesthouses or hotels.

As for Nong Het and Xam Neua,we can just hop in at the bus station and pay the bus conductor the fares.





Muang Nong Het is a district in North-eastern Laos bordering Vietnam via the Nam Khan(Nam Can) border passage.

Nong Het is about 150km from Phonsavan.

General Vang Pao born on December 8, 1929 in Nonghet was a venerated leader of the Hmong people who has also fought along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

In the outskirts of Phonsavan school children were seen all along the road walking to their respective school.

Khan Khay Teachers Training College and a Khan Khay Guesthouse was also in the vicinity.






8:00am:Departure from bus terminal. 8:30am:Milestone says 120km to Nam Khan. 9:05am:Arrived Ban Nong Pet near Tham Xang Cave
9:10am:About 87km to reach Nong Het,25km to Muang Kham.
9:50am:Kham District.A small little town with a few rows of shops as in the photo. Regular songthaews and the odd bus travel between Muang Kham and Phonsavan cost 13,000 kip.
Muang Kham is at a road junction connecting to Nong Het(2 hours journey) towards the east and to Xam Neua in the north(roughly 7-9 hours journey).
As the bus slowly climbed through the winding roads along the highlands,the sceneries were superb and pockets of Hmong communities could be seen along the way. (Hmong Community News). 

 Most of the Hmong people that comes from China are known as Miao.

 Hmong New Year celebrations frequently occur in November and December (traditionally at the end of the harvest season when all work is done), serving as a Thanksgiving holiday for the Hmong people.







It was close to 12:00noon when the bus was nearing Nong Het.
The undulating hills in the surrounding areas seemed to have the effects of the Secret War bombings.

Hardly can you find tall trees and all were grown with bushes and shrubs.

Yellow flowers blended most of the landscapes.





Just across Nong Het small bus terminal,school children were seen going home after school.

 There was only one regular bus parked in the compound with destination Vientiane.

Couldn't see any buses to the Nam Can border except for the many songtheaws around.

 The songtheaw station leader opened a ridiculous price of 50,000 kips and I had to haggle. As I walked along the road standing in front of the post office,managed to ask one of the Lao lady staff whether the Vietnamese border is within walking distance.

The answer is a big No,you better get the songtheaw.






As I walked back to the market and bazaar area where the bus stop was just beside it,couldn't figure out which one to take so have to meet the station leader again.

This time I only agree with 30,000 kips or I don't go,will stay here till I find out from the locals.

 Nong Het small market has one specialty,there were couple of tailoring shops sewing the Hmong tribal clothes and headgears.

This is very unique as you can see them sewing on the spot with made to order. Most Hmong girls in Laos today do not wear Hmong clothing in their everyday lives, but continue to do the Pa Ndau or embroidery.






Well time for my lunch and an opportunity to get some travel details to the Nam Can border.

Noodles (vietnamese:fur) is one of my favourites.

A large bowl for 5,000 kips.It's not that spicy but taste a bit sweet sour,looks like 'tom-yam' gravy.

 It is advisable to order something hot and boiled so that you won't have stomach upset as precaution.





When the Hmong settlers first migrated over here from mainland China,they will stay in the highlands while the Khmu people will be at the lowland.

Many Khmu moved to Luang Prabang province and later joined the communist Pathet Lao against the many highland Hmong on the side of the Royal Lao Government.

By the time Laos became a French protectorate in 1893, the Hmong had settled in greater number in Laos and could be found not only in Xieng Kouang, but also in Sameua, Luang Prabang and Phong Saly provinces.

The system of Hmong paying tax to lowland Lao had been well established.
 Not only was tax paid in the form of two silver coins per households, but those Hmong chiefs who were given village or clan leadership by the Lao such as the Kiatong, the Xophia, the Photong also had to pay occasional tribute with the product of their hunting and gathering: elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, deer meats, etc. without counting a few kilograms of opium.

On 9 March 1945, Japanese troops occupied Laos and systematically attacked all French military and civilian strongholds.

Many local resistance French officers took refuge with the Hmong who hid them in their mountain fortress.







Finally at an agreeable songtheaw fares of 30,000kips ,I was on my way to the Nam Can border at about 1:00pm.

A few local villagers were also heading for the same destination.

The road was very winding and on the way I had a glimpse of Dindang village in the valley.

 Estimated time of travel was 45 minutes to reach the Lao Immigration checkpoint but the songtheaw will only stop nearby the checkpoint.

We had to walk for a short distance along the gravel unpaved road which were badly damaged by those trailers and timber lorries.

Immigration post were closed for lunch and the lorries were parked at the narrow road blocking the access road.

Tad Kha Waterfall in Nong Het is surrounded by spectacular limestone karst.
The water runs down in cascading steps alternating with steep areas for more than 100 meters and flows all year round.
To get to the falls follow Route 7 to Nong Het, at Khang Phaniane Village turn left into a graveled road (100 km from Phonsavan) and drive for about 3 km; take the trail to the left and walk about 30 minutes to get to the waterfall. Taking a guide is recommended. Best ask at the local tourist information, or if that is closed at the Nong Het guest house.






Teak wood timber lorries transporting to Vietnam.
 Nicely sawn without the tree bark. An undercover investigation by United Kingdom-based Environ- mental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Indonesian conservationist Telapak said illegal logging and timber smuggling is widespread in Laos.

 Laos has many laws and regulations to control forestry industry but implementation is confused and enforcement is weak.

Smuggling of logs across the border, mainly to Vietnam, is facilitated by connections with military and officers on both sides of the border, the EIA-Telapak report said. "In Laos, the military remains a powerful institution with wide business interests, including logging, and has close links with its Vietnamese counterpart," the report said.

Vietnam has imposed restrictions on the forestry industry, reducing the supply of timber cut in natural forest from 520,000 cubic metres in 1997, when the policy was enforced, to 150,000 cubic metres last year.

Despite such restrictions, Vietnam has rapidly developed a dynamic wood-processing industry and has in the last decade earned a reputation as a world-class furniture producer, exporting 90% of its products to 120 countries, including the United States, Japan, UK, Germany, France and China. Vietnam's furniture exports reached $2.4 billion last year and the export value is estimated at $3 billion this year, making Vietnam the world's fourth-largest exporter of wood products.

With a wide gap between demand for products and supply of raw material, Vietnam has emerged as a major destination for illegal timber, the EIA-Telapak report said. Laos is a major source of smuggled timber due to geographical proximity and close political relations between the two governments and militaries.










Xieng Khouang Province Nam Kanh(Nam Can) International Border Pass checkpoint.

No officers were around due to lunch break.

 Lorry drivers were all around me and some having a nap.

Only a handful of local crossborder travellers were seen. This is really an off the beaten path being a lone ranger in this rugged high mountain of former Ho Chi Minh's trail.







Laos side Immigration Checkpoint operating hours: 07:30am - 19:00 hours. 11:30am - 13:30 hours must be the lunch break.

No wonder most buses from Phonsavan must leave very early at 06:30am.

Nong Het -Nam Kanh is an official port of entry and exit.

You can get a visa on arrival in Laos if you are traveling for tourism, have two passport-size photographs and pay $35 at the following ports of entry: Wattay Airport, Vientiane; Pakse, Savannakhet, and Luang Prabang Airports; Friendship Bridge, Vientiane and Savannakhet; Nam Heuang Friendship Bridge, Sayabouly Province; and border crossings at Boten-Mohan, Dansavan-Lao Bao, Houaysay-Chiang Khong, Thakhek-Nakhon Phanom, Nong Haet-Nam Kan, Nam Phao-Kao Cheo, Veun Kham-Dong Calor and Vangtao-Chong Mek.

You can also get a visa on arrival at the Tha Naleng train station in Vientiane, which connects to the train station in Nongkhai, Thailand.

If you obtain a visa from a Lao embassy or consulate prior to your travel to Laos, you may also enter at the following international entry points: Napao-Chalo, Taichang-Sophoun, Pakxan-Bungkan, and Xiengkok.

You will generally be allowed to stay in Laos for 30 days after you arrive.

If you were born in Laos, you may be admitted for 60 days or longer. You can extend your 30-day tourist visa up to an additional 60 days for a fee of $2 per day through the Department of Immigration in Vientiane.

If you overstay your visa in Laos, you risk arrest and will be fined $10 for each day of overstay as you leave.
The Lao government calculates visa fees and fines in U.S. dollars. Thai baht and Lao kip may sometimes be accepted for the fees but at unfavorable exchange rates.

If you plan to visit Laos, additional information is available from the Lao National Tourism Administration.

If you enter Laos with a visitor visa issued at a Lao embassy abroad, you will be allowed to stay in Laos for 60 days.

Business visas can only be arranged in advance; a company or individual “sponsor” must contact the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Vientiane and request a visa for you and offer a “guarantee.” Once the Lao MFA approves the request, the approval will be sent to the Lao Embassy in Washington, DC, and business travelers may then apply for the business visa.

This process usually takes one to three months. After you arrive, business visas can generally be extended for one month.

Do not attempt to enter Laos without valid travel documents or outside of official ports of entry. You should not cross the border between Laos and Thailand along the Mekong River except at official immigration check crossings.

If you attempt to enter Laos outside of official ports of entry, you may be arrested, detained, fined, and deported.

Immigration offices at some of the less-used land border crossing points are not well marked. Make sure you complete all immigration and customs requirements when you enter or depart Laos.

If you enter Laos without completing these formalities, you may be subject to fines, detention, imprisonment, and/or deportation.

In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated additional procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship, such as the child’s birth certificate, and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure.






Goodbye Laos,I had a wonderful trip.

 My immigration clearance was less than 10 minutes without any hassle.

Most of the Lao people I presume only use border pass and not passport but they were required to pay a fee. 

Distance to Vietnam Immigration checkpoint was a 10 minutes walk.

 I felt being in a lost world as not even a backpacker nor the locals can be seen walking to the checkpoint. Lorries were screaming all along the way spewing the dusts from the road.






Took a breather at this stone monument marker 405 which must be the demarcation international boundary line.

 Wondering which side is the office after crossing bridge over trouble waters.






By 3:00pm I've cleared all immigration formalities including the efficient Vietnamese side.

No buses,no cars,no songtheaws except for the motorcycle man offering his services to transport me to Ky Son which is the nearest town in the lowlands near Vietnam-Laos border for USD5.00 fee.

Across the Vietnam Immigration office is a minimarket.





A long and winding road downhill to Ky Son town in Vietnam.

The sceneries were superb with the deep valley surrounded by mountains on all sides.

Hmong villages were along most of the higher altitude.

Luckily my backpack was small and accomodative to be a pillion rider.

 Throughout the mountain descend,the clutch system Yamaha motorcycle was at free gear. At about 3:15pm,the Vinh-Phonsavan bus passed by going uphill,must be an overnight sleeper bus.

At 3:30pm we passed by Muong Xen town and finally at 3:45pm arrived in Ky Son just in time to catch the minibus to Vinh which was about to leave. The motorcycle rider demanded another extra dollar but I ignored him.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Ornamental bomb shells in Xieng Khouang Province

United States Airforce bombing data map of Xieng Khouang Province.

Among the 8 districts,the most intensely bomb is Pek also called Paek district(No:1) where the administrative capital Phonsavan is located.

Phookood District(No:2) has 90% contamination of bombings.

Phaxay District(No:3) was also hit badly and Kham District(No:4) together with Nong Het District(No:5) experienced a trails of bombings right to the HoChiMinh trail along the Vietnam border.

 Khoun(No:6),Maukmai(No:7) and Thathon(No:8) has mild infiltration.

In Laos, victims have encountered an amazing range of unexploded ordnance(UXO), including experimental models of cluster submunitions.

The most common forms of submunitions encountered were the BLU-24, the BLU-26, the BLU-61, and the BLU-63. Of these, the most common bomblet found in Laos is the BLU-26. For example, villagers and clearance personnel discovered 133 BLU-26 bomblets and two large bombs under the school yard in the village of Ban Khangnhao, Xieng Khouang province in April 1995.From 1964 to 1973, Laos endured one of the most intensive bombing campaigns in history, as the US attempted to destroy the social and economic infrastructure of the Pathet Lao communist forces.

Part of the larger war in Indochina, the US bombing attempted to block the flow of supplies over the Ho chi Minh trail which went through southern Laos.

In addition, the US bombed northern Laos in support of Royal Lao Government military campaigns.

 On January 10, 1998, seven children were killed instantly, and one seriously injured, in Namsai Village, Xieng Khouang Province. The children, ranging in age from four years to age eleven, found a cluster bomb while looking for wood in an adjacent forest. They brought the bomb into the village where they tried to take it apart. It exploded, killing three children from the same family, along with four cousins.

 Cluster munitions are indiscriminate. Cluster munitions kill long after a war is over. Cluster munitions should be banned.





During the war, the US dropped over 6 million conventional bombs and likely well over a 100 million cluster bomblets.

 The 580,000 bombing missions flown over Laos equaled one bombing mission every eight minutes ‘round the clock, for nine full years.

 In Xieng Khouang Province, one of the most heavily bombed areas, an estimated 300,000 tons of bombs were dropped, equaling more than two tons per inhabitant.

A 1971 US Information Service refugee survey found that at least 80% of the victims were civilians. The BLU-24/B bomblet, designed during the Vietnam conflict to penetrate jungle canopy before exploding, was referred to by the Vietnamese as an “orange” due to its shape.

It is a 1.6 pound cyclotol-filled antipersonnel fragmentation bomblet made of cast nodular graphitic iron. The CBU-25 dispensed the BLU-24/B. According to the Federation of American Scientists, BLU-26 submunitions are delivered by the CBU-75 Sadeye cluster bomb: The CBU-75 Sadeye is a cluster bomb unit filled with 1,800 one-pound bomblets such as the BLU-26.

This submunition is a cast steel shell with aerodynamic vanes and 0.7 pound of TNT in which 600 razor-sharp steel shards are imbedded.
The BLU-26 can be equipped with fuses to explode upon impact, several yards above ground, or some time after landing. It is lethal up to about 40 feet.
The CBU-75 has a total lethal area more than double that of a standard 2,000-pound bomb, the equivalent of 157 football fields.

According to Mines Advisory Group demining teams, the BLU-26 contains 300 small iron ball bearings. The BLU-61/B is a spherical, grenade-like anti-personnel fragmentation bomblet about the size of a tennis ball. The CBU-49 carries 217 submunitions, while the CBU-52 carries 254.

 The CBU-52, loaded with 220 antimaterial, antiperso[n]nel [BLU-61/B] bomblets, weighs 785 pounds and can be used with a variety of proximity fuzes or the mechanical MK-339 timed fuze.

The submunition is a 3.5-inch spherical bomblet weighing 2.7 pounds with a 0.65-pound high-explosive warhead. The CBU-58 is loaded with 650 bomblets.

These [BLU-63/B] bomblets contain 5- gram titanium pellets, making them incendiary and useful against flammable targets. The CBU-52, -58 and -71 all use SUU-30 dispensers, a metal cylinder divided longitudinally.

One-half contains a strong back section that provides for forced ejection and sway-bracing. The two halves lock together. Four cast aluminum fins are attached at a 9~degree angle to the aft end of the dispenser and are canted 1.25 degrees to impart spin-stabilized flight.

When released from the aircraft, the arming wire/lanyard initiates the fuze arming and delay cycle. At fuze function, the fuze booster ignites and unlocks the forward end of the dispenser. Ram air action on the dispenser forces the two halves apart, instantaneously dispensing the payload and allowing the bomblets to spin-arm and self-dispense. A total of 17,831 were expended during the Gulf War.
Because of the air war, many Lao villagers fled to the larger cities where they lived in refugee camps. A significant number, however, stayed near their villages, living in caves and forests in order to escape the bombing.

Many of these villagers lived in caves for years, doing their field work under cover of darkness, and hiding their cooking fires so they would not be seen by the bombers. Villagers in Xieng Khouang repeatedly assert that the air war did not distinguish between military and civilian targets, and that any sign of life or activity risked an attack by the bombers Ironically, these were the areas of heaviest bombing, and consequently the areas most infested with unexploded ordnance.

According to estimates of ordnance clearance agencies working in Laos, “there were probably in excess of nine million BLU 26 bomblets still unexploded at the end of the war.






The Tourist Information Office in Phonsavan has a few of these bomb shells displayed near the entrance.

Tragically, as Lao villagers moved back to their villages and farms after the war, they were to discover that the war had not ended for them.

 Unexploded cluster bombs which were buried in the soil, hidden in the weeds, or lying exposed on top of the soil exacted a grim toll of suffering and death.





Fourteen of Laos’ provinces are affected by UXO, and 25% of the country’s villages remain severely contaminated.

Because of the proliferation of cluster bomblets, and the central role of agricultural activity in the lives of most villagers, it is not unusual to encounter families who have suffered multiple cluster bomb accidents.

 In addition to the emotional burdens this places on the survivors, multiple accident families often find themselves in very difficult economic circumstances. Sometimes children are orphaned, and must be placed in the care of other relatives.

Sometimes a family loses its primary laborer, and must depend on relatives or other villagers for help.




Ironically, the high percentage of youthful casualties almost certainly means that a majority of those injured or killed by the cluster bomblets had not yet been born when the bombs fell.

 Year after year,children were killed and or injured while playing and working, farmers killed and injured while tilling their fields.

In May 1996, 15 year old Ton Kemla’s plow hit a long-hidden cluster bomblet that exploded and ripped apart his genitals while tilling the family rice paddy behind a water buffalo .

On May 18, 1995, nine year old Tao Yer Ver was tending cattle in Keth Tetsabahn, Muong Nonghet with his brother and sister when he discovered a bombie, which he picked up and threw.
He was killed instantly.
The very same month, four children herding cattle tried unsuccessfully to pry open a bomblet to use the shot inside for their slingshots.
They enlisted 12 year old Yeng Hen’s help, who was killed instantly after he threw the bombie against hard soil.




  On March 18, 1995, 15 year old Thao Mee struck a bombie while beginning to dig a fish pond in his family’s rice paddy in Ban Koua, Muong Khoune, Xieng Khouang.

The bombie’s explosion “made Thao Mee’s face and his body, his legs and his arms full of shrapnels,” according to the accident report.

 He was taken to hospital the following day. He stopped breathing and had to be revived. Within three weeks, his right arm had to be amputated. While follow-up medical care was needed, his family ran out of money after selling off all of their chickens and pigs to pay for treatment.

Xieng Khouang The Land of Heroes.

Xieng Khouang Province is a land of Laotian as well as the American heroes who both fought in the Secret War which also involves Thailand and North Vietnam.

Udon Thani in Thailand was the American headquarters airbase where Pan Am 707 planes and C47 transport planes supported in the covert operations in Laos.

 It was in 1961 when the Vietnam War started and the Pathet Lao, the communist Laos party has allied with North Vietnam while the Royal Laotian party which was the ruling government, allied with Thailand and the United States. In order to stop the spread of communism(communist Soviet bloc also in the shadow),Laos must not be overtaken so as to prevent a domino effect which will spill into Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asian countries.

Hence these three countries formed an alliance to counteract the communist aggressor which is thereby known as the Secret War.

The American CIA most vital backup in the war against communism was Vang Pao, a leader among Hmong hill tribesmen.
 The hostility between the communists of Laos and the Hmong minority was not only due to the Marxist enmity toward traditional cultures (and religion).

The Hmongs, long ago driven out of China, had been on the side of the French in the anti-colonial revolution.
 American intelligence agents who remained in Thailand after the defeat of Japan helped organize the Hmong and other ethnic minorities in an alliance with the Royal Lao Army against the Pathet Lao, counterpart of the Viet Cong.

The Secret War ended in the same year as the Vietnam War—1975 and subsequently the Pathet Lao communist party also took over Laos and the Hmongs that were left behind were seen as a threat and persecuted.

Thousands of Hmong people left Laos in 1975, at the end of what some historians have begun calling The Second Indochina War, taking refuge in sordid camps along the Thai border.

Slowly, Congress allowed some of the refugees to immigrate to the U.S.

Most settled in California, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The Census estimates about 250,000 Hmongs and their descendants live in the U.S.

But few Americans even know their name. Vang Pao died at age 81.
 In early February 2011 the Associated Press brought worldwide attention to his six-day funeral in Fresno, California. His body lay in the Fresno convention center, where CIA veterans paid their respects amid Hmong ceremonies for a hero.






The plain of Jars is situated about 12 Km from Phonsavan.

There are over 300 stone jars scattered across the plateau.

 The size of the jars is varied from 1 to 3 meters high and up to 2.7 meters in diameters and the heaviest one is weighing 6 tons.

Information centre and village Ban Phai:
Ban Phai is a mix of lowland Lao, Hmong and Khmu families and has a high degree of traditional houses. The villagers are subsistence farmers and women weave or embroider in their free time.
Visit the information centre to learn more about this typical rural village and be information about the nearby granite jar site; have a relax drink on the hill side whilst admiring the stunning landscape.

Jar site at Phai village: this small jar sites consists of 36 granite jar and oppose the sandstone jars found at most site. It is easily accessible and within walking distance from the information centre.

Pha Keo village:this remote Hmong village, located on the upper slopes of the mountains, is only accessible by walking. The small farming community with 20 households has retained a high degree of traditional customs and living.
Stay at the community lodge, taste local cooked food prepared by villagers and enjoy the interaction with villagers.  

ThaLin Village: Ban ThaLin village is a traditional Hmong village located at the end of the road in a valley in the mountains and starting point of the trek. The scattered houses of the village are surrounded by farm fields.  

Jar site of PhaKeo village:on the mountain ridge near the village of Phakeo are several jar sites; the biggest group counts nearly 400 sandstone jars and is the most impressive recorded jar site so far. Located in a lush forest with wild orchids growing on jars, this site contains stone lids and grave markers with animal bas reliefs.

Tad Kha waterfall:the waterfall is very great place to relax, have a picnic and enjoy Loa’s natural beauty.
The community manages the place to keep it clean, maintains the trail and protects the forest.  

Tajok village:this Hmong, village is very good example of how war remains are integrated into daily lives. Take a walk to the village and discover bomb fences and herbs growing in bomb casings.

 Old Capital(about 30km southeast): Muang Khoun is the former capital of the Phuan kingdom and was the provincial administrative centre during French Indochina.
This rural centre of faded glory was heavily bombed at the end of the 1960’s and bears testimony to centuries of aggression. Traditional Tai Dam village basket and textile weaving can be seen at Nasi and you can buy directly from the handicraft maker.

Cemeteries: a small Vietnamese style stupa and cemetery on the way to the village of Ban Phai show the close relationship of Xiengkhouang in particular the old capital with Vietnam.

Other places of interest in Xieng Khouang. 

War Memorials:
South of Phonsavan are two war memorials set 1 km apart from each others. One is Lao war memorial and the other is Vietnamese war memorial.  

Muang Kham Cemetery:
Unique and worth a visit just for the unusual site of mixing together Thai Dam animist tombs, Catholic headstones and Laos (Buddhist) tombs, situated east of Phonosavan.  

That Foun (Old Xieng Khouang - Muang Khoun)(5): 
 This Buddhist stupa is also known as That Chomsi. It measures about 30 meters and was built in 1576.

 Muang Sui:
Ex-Americans landing site for planes during the Indochina War.

Tham Pa Caves(6): These two limestone caves contained hundreds of small Buddha figures, believed hidden from the Haw invasion a few centuries ago.





  Xieng Khouang Province is being administered by a provincial governor.










Entrance to Wat Santiphat on a hilltop.















Young monks of Wat Santiphat,from left Siphon,Duangdee and Tavon.













An English speaking monk Pratsomchai attended the evening language class at Asa Phattana College.

Surprisngly he comes from Thailand.
This side of building facing main Route 7, presumly must be the back entrance as another side road is the main entrance with gate to the four storey building.






 Phonsavan's busy large market behind the post office.
It closes around 8:00 pm at night.










 Fresh water fish 'tilapia'













Laotian Chinese girl doing cross-stitch embroidery. You can try the barbeque banana for 1,000kips.













  Wild boar for sale.








Wildlife on the table already dead.
Must be the  palm civet (musang).















  Porcupines.

















Fried noodles for 10,000 kips as breakfast in the market.










  Sticky rice bamboo containers (Tip Khao).

















  Multi layered roof architecture building being a local government official residence.








Young Lao boy just back from school.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Phonsavan places to stay

Phonsavan is the gateway to the Plains of Jars about 435km northeast of Laos capital Vientiane.

The old capital Xieng Khouang was destroyed during the second Indochina War and was replaced by Phonsavan in the late 1970s.

Phonsavan lies in an altitude of near 1100metres above sea level and has a cool climate during winter months of between November to February so remember to carry some warm clothes as well when during the night temperature can be as low as 10 degree celcius.

March and May is the hot season while June till October will be the rainy season with a mean temperature of around 30 degree celcius.

Phonsavanh is home to various ethnic groups, such as the Phuan, whose ancestors once founded the kingdom of the same name, the Hmong, which New Years celebrations in Xieng Khouang are famous throughout Laos, and the Khmu and Tai Dam.

There is also a minority of Laotian Chinese and Vietnamese as well as some international workers and missionaries from Korea and the United States of America.

On arrival from Xieng Khouang Airport from Vientiane which has 4 flights per week,the main road leading to town center is the first sight of a "Welcome to Xieng Khouang" signboard on a beautiful small landscaped garden at a junction just across the Xieng Khouang Hotel(a top end hotel popular among dignitaries) and Post office.

Xieng Khouang province has a border with Luang Prabang and Huoaphanh in the north, Vietnam in the east, Bolikhamxay in the south, Vientiane and Xaysomboune in the west.

There are 8 districts in the Province of Xieng Khouang with a population of mere 264,000 according to year 2004 consensus: 1) Kham 2) Khoune 3) Morkmay 4) Nong Het 5) Paek 6) Phaxay 7) Phoukood 8) Thatom








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The main office Classic Tours is at No:039-05,Fa NgumRoad, Mixay ,Vientiane Capital.
Tel +856-21 24 0931/0939/2802 Fax +856-21 21 3037 Mobile Phone +856-20 5550 7950

Discovery and Barefoot Tours Luang Prabang Branch, 410 Visounarath Road, Ban Visoun, Luang Prabang, Tel : 856-71 253340, Fax : 856 71 253340.

Pakse Office, Ban Sok Am Nouay, Unit 6, Pakse Champasak Province,
Tel/Fax : (856-31) 900405

Xieng Khouang Branch, 204 Road N7, Phonsavanh, Xieng Khouang,
Tel/Fax : (856-61) 211532 Phonsavan has close to 12 hotels and 36 guesthouses.






Sabaidee Guesthouse,my temporary homestay which is off the main Road 7 and less than 5 minutes to the main market right in the heart of Paek District,centrally located. Tel:020-5067990/020-5068174 Mail:Sabaidee2000@hotmail.com

Room rates from 30,000 kips onwards.
A mixed of tenants including some locals as well.Motorcycle and bicycle for rent available. Three star ratings.





The White Orchid Guest House offers 18 comfortable, clean and well-equipped guestrooms that present great value for money in the very centre of Phonsavan.

Room rates from USD10.00 Tel:+856 21 262530 White Orchid Guest House is a large green hotel located on the corner of the main street and Old Airport Road in the centre of Phonsavan town.

It is surrounded by restaurants, shops and tourist facilities and a short walk to the market and post office and just a 10-minute drive from the airport or provincial bus station and 15 minutes from the 1st Plain of Jars site.

From small and simple but good value
Economy rooms for the single traveler on the ground floor to large and spacious Superior and Executive rooms for 3 to 4 people featuring a lounge suite and dining table on the higher floors and everything in between.

White Orchid Guest House provides guests with a wealth of local information together with a laundry service, safe at reception and a restaurant with complimentary breakfast.
Pre-booked guests receive a complimentary airport or bus station transfer on arrival.






Along the side road from White Orchid at the very end is a very huge modern entertainment and convention centre in the midst of construction with nearly 80% completed.

The ultra modern cultural and entertainment stage has already been in commisioned and being used as a musical training center.

This is the old airport of Xieng Khouang land parcel in the Paek District.

The project started in early August year 2010 with the goal of being a trading center for Northern Laos and also tourism promotion.









Golden Mountain Garden Group is the tunrkey project developer of this 12.5 hectares concession rights wholly managed by the Lao citizens.

The exhibition center building has a very large floor space so in time to come this will be the focus of international companies converging here to tap the vast business opportunities in the IndoChina region.

Meanwhile a small night market has already started and the tourists draw is still not up to mark.

Night golfing is available at the far end.






Miss Dam,the cheerful reception of Golden Mountain Garden Resort is on hand to greet visitors who need assistance.

Tel:020-233 45645,061-213 899. Property division reception of Phoukham Group company Limited is near the main entrance.

Tel : (+856-61) 213 899 Mobile : (+856-20) 2234 5645, 2234 5657
This area is in the Phonsavanhxay Village.





Bungalows in Lao traditional style so unique constructed with teak timbers.

This is truly a place to relax in the cool highlands of Phonsavan.

Single room is 80,000kips while double is 100,000 kips.

Meanwhile everything is still new and low occupancy,very dark the whole surroundings at night.

In time to come,the rates will be a five star category so if you happened to be here in Phonsavan why not try having the experience living in a traditional Lao house.






Back to the main street of Route 7,Honsava II market is less than 2km north from town center and this is where the bus terminal is located.

The ticketing counters don't seemed to have anyone around.

It will be best to book bus tickets through your hotels or guesthouse because long distance buses only operated once in the early morning.

Otherwise you'll be entertained by the Vietnamese lady selling baguette.







Chittavanh Hotel same row as minibus and bus terminal Address: No,7Rd, Phone Savanh Tai, Peak District, Xieng Khouang, Laos, Phonsavan

Room rates from USD19 with free Wi-fi, Chittavanh Hotel is a large and bright peach colored hotel with inhouse restaurant, bar and karaoke rooms.




  Houphan Guesthouse is at the very far end of Road 7.
Tel:061-211260/020-2937300













Dok Khoune Hotel,a 4-star hotel is located in the centre of the main street, close to many shops, restaurants, tourist information, and Plain of Jars.

The Dok Khoune Hotel offers clean, comfortable guest rooms with a choice of double, twin or triple beds.

Room rates from 18.00. It has mountain views and featuring an impressive display of old artillery and ammunition left over from the ‘Secret War' behind reception where staff is friendly, inviting and helpful.

 The sister property, Dok Khoune Guesthouse, located across the road has a street front restaurant with a great, diverse and affordable menu with breakfast served here every morning.






Anouluck Kenlao Hotel is a mid-range hotel same row as White orchid guesthouse, The Anoulack Khen Lao Hotel is the only Phonsavan hotel to feature an elevator lift and one of the few with air-conditioned rooms for warmth or cooling.

Anoulack Khen Lao Hotel has a good range of facilities and services including a 5th floor restaurant, cars for rent and free airport or bus station transfer for arriving guests. Tel:06-213599,020-2152499
Room rates from:USd25.00





NamChai Guesthouse same row as Sabaidee Guesthouse. Tel:061-312095,020-2340546,2937744.

List of other accomodations:

1) Vansana Plain of Jars
 Professionally managed hotel with sister hotels in Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Modern, clean and spacious rooms at around 45-55 USD or more. Phonesavanhtai Village, Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province.
Tel: (856-61) 213 170.

2) Maly Hotel Located in the southern part of town. Very good restaurant. The better rooms are much nicer than the basement rooms. Idiosyncratic UXO and local ethnic themed decorations.
The owners are very knowledgeable about recent history.
LAK 150,000-500,000 Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province. Ban PhonsaAathneun
Tel: + 856 61 312 031

3) Xieng Khuang Hotel Free Wi-Fi. Big rooms. Functionalist Vietnamese architecture.
LAK160,000-640,000 Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province, Ban Phonsavansay
Tel: + 856 61 213 567

4) Thien Chaleung Guesthouse Thonghaihin Rd, Phonesaat Thai,towards the intersection with Route 10 near airport and Tourist Information Center. Tel:(+856)61312454 Rates from USd10.00

5) Duangkeomany Guesthouse Phonesaat Village, Paek District,opposite Information Centre office,5 minutes to airport. Free pickup.Rates from USD30.00

6) Banna Plains of Jars House. Road 7, Ban Turn,Paek District Has an impressive display of cluster munitions left over from the war in the lobby. Free pickup.Tel:(061)212 484. Rates from USD10.00

7) Phouxang Hotel Another hill top hotel. Rooms from 10-20 USD. Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province, Ban PhonKham Tel: +856 61 312 097

8) Nice Guesthouse The name tells it all. Popular with backpackers. Located on the main strip. LAK 60.000- LAK 80.000. English speaking staff. Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province. Ban Phonsavankang Tel: +856 61 312 454

9) Vanaloun Guesthouse Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province. City Center. rooms are LAK 50,000 Ban Phonsavan-kang SengTavan Guesthouse Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province, Ban Phonsavannue. rooms are LAK 50,000-60,000
Tel: +856 61 211 131

10) Koukham Guesthouse Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province. Rooms are LAK 50,000-60,000 Ban Phonsavanxay Tel: +856 61 211 216

11) Samphan DouangPaekob Guesthouse Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province Ban Nguay. Rooms are LAK 50,000. Tel: +856 61 212 338

12) Say Pha Souk Guesthouse Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province, Ban nguay. Rooms are LAK 50,000 Tel: 856 20 587 5284

13) LaPhoneKham Guesthouse Paek District, Xieng Khouang Province, Ban Numngum, located on the road to Plains of Jars,opposite the information Center, provincial Tourism Department Xiengkhuang Rooms are LAK 50,000

14) Kong Keo Guesthouse