Welcome to Laos travel

During the Vietnam war, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) used a network of trails, caves and gravel roads to move ordnance, tanks, trucks, men and provisions to South Vietnam. The trail became known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail and its existence at the time was denied by the NVA. The USA, on the other hand, denied saturation bombing the Trail, within Laos - with 900 sorties per day and over one million tonnes of explosive.
All of the jungle area of the Trail, previously destroyed with defoliants and herbicides has grown back. It is possible to visit parts of the trail - but this must be done with a guide, since there remain tonnes of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the area. Venturing off by yourself is not recommended!
Khanthebouly's main attractions are its noteworthy temples such as the beautiful Wat Saya Phoum and That Inghang...

When the water level falls back again in the dry season, thousands of small islands rise from the river, giving the area the name Si Phan Done (4000 islands). The biggest island with 55,000 inhabitants is Done Khong, a peaceful place for an overnight visit. Several waterfalls drop over the escarpment. Some of the most spectacular are Tat Phan with height of 120 meters and Khon Pha Pheng.

Another interesting island in this area is Done Khone, where the French built a 14 km long railway to by pass the rapids. Visitors can follow the old railway line, view and old locomotive, pass a massive French built bridge and watch a series of huge rive cascades called Tat Somphamit, also know as the Li Phi falls.

From the southern tip of Done Khone a small island is accessible from which Irrawaddy dolphins can be watched during the dry season and it is exited only on place in Asia. Mekong Dolphin Conservation Center is located on Done Khone Island. Tourists are welcome to visit the center. To visit the center, visitors must go by road to Bane Veunkham village and then take a boat north a few kilometers to the center.

Borikhamsay ( or Bolikhamsai ) province is located in the central Laos in the narrow "neck" with moderately high mountains sloping south west INTO the Mekong River valley. Vientiane and Xieng Khouang province lie to the north, Khammouane province to the south. Paksan the capital town is a commercial centre, can be reached from Vietntiane by bus in about three hours. . In Borikhamsay province, between Vientiane and the provincial capital Paksan, a 'footprint of Buddha' shrine at Wat Phra Baat is an important pilgrimage site.
The most famous attraction of the region is its striking landscape. At Ban Nahin, Poupha Mane, a stone forest featuring thousands of rock pinnacles, can be found. Due to its proximity to Lak Xao, the latter is within easy reach for tourists crossing to Vietnam. South of Lak Xao, the still pristine forests of Nam Thuen National Biodiversity Conservationa with varieties of wild life. The largest conservation area in the country
Pra bat phon san in Borikhamsay at 3700 sq km is home to over a dozen threatened species including Asiatic black bear, clouded leopard, elephant, giant muntjac, guar, Malayan sun bear, and tiger.
The saola (spindlehorn) or Vu Quang Ox - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis was discovered in neighbouring Vietnam in 1992 and sighted since then in Laos in the conservation area. Only two other land mammals have been classified with their own genus this century. The first live saola was captured in neighbouring Khammouane province in 1996.

Bokeo the smallest province in the country, Located along the three-border intersection of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. This is the Lao side of the 'Golden Triangle'. The province has 34 ethnic groups, the second most ethnically diverse province in Laos. It has five districts: Houixay, Ton Pheung, Muang, Pha Oudom, with 36 townships, more than 450 villages and a total population of 61,000 consisting of many ethnic groups, each with own lifestyles and customs.
Ban Houei Xai (or Huay Xay) is the border town with Thailand, the city is busy and prosperous.
The most lucrative occupation in Bokeo is gold panning and digging for precious stones, where you can see at Ban Nam Khok (The Lu village), 6 km from the town and Ban Houi Sala (The Hmong village), it's around 18 km far from the town of Houixay.
Getting there
Buses run between Huay Xai, Luang Prabang, Udomxai and Luang Namtha. Lao Aviation flies to and from Luang Prabang, Udomxai, Luang Namtha and Vientiane. Lao Aviation's domestic timetable.
Slow boats travel between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai via Pakbeng. Taking a slow boat is an adventure for seasoned travellers only. Speed boats run on the same routes but will take just a few hours - you will pay accordingly. The journey is fast and furious and not for the faint of heart.
From Thailand:
Huay Xai is reached by ferry from Chiang Khong in Thailand. This border entry point does not currently issue visas on entry. Unless you are travelling with a pre arranged tour, a visa in advance will be required. Chiang Rai airport in Thailand is served regularly by Thai Airways International. Chaing Rai airport is an hour or so away from Chiang Khong.
Golden Triangle

Once the capital of Lane Xang, in the latter years of that empire's greatness, Vientiane was devastated many times by foreign invaders, before finally being levelled by the Siamese in 1828. The only original monument to remain from before that time is Wat Sisaket, built in 1818 by Chao Anou - the very king responsible for incurring the wrath of the Siamese and causing his capital's obliteration.

When the French took control of the country in the late 19th century, they set about totally re-designing it with the same style as the magnificent Indochinese capitals of Saigon and Phnom Penh. The wide boulevards lend themselves nicely to monuments of a grand scale, and one such is the Patouxai war memorial. It was decided in the late fifties that Lane Xang Avenue - dubbed the Champs Elysees of Vientiane - should be crowned with its own version of the Arc de Triomphe (Patouxai is Lao for Gateway of Victory).
No account of Vientiane would be complete without mention of the Lao Revolutionary Museum, a monument to Laos' long struggle to free itself from colonization. The museum contains such relics as the photograph of Thit Chanto, who is shown baring his chest in defiance and waving above his head the rifle he used to shoot down an American fighter-bomber, which can be seen burning in the background. Though perhaps a little anachronistic in these post-Glasnost days, the museum itself is another sign of this city's sense of humour - for it is housed within the former residence of the French colonial governor.
Vientiane, the largest city in the country, is the National capital of Laos. It is located on the bank of the Mekong River which is also a natural border with Thailand. It is the political and economic center of the country with the population of 500,000. The city's exotic Eurasian setting fascinates most travelers. The confluence of several cultures has given Vientiane an appealing ambience. Tree-lined boulevards, French historical dwellings and Buddhists temples dominate the scene of central Vientiane and impart a unique character of timelessness.
Vientiane city is covered by Vientiane province. In Vientiane province, most people in are farmers. Agricultural is the major income of the province.