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    Quest to WuLu Land - Laos
    Wednesday, April 11, 2012

    A random suggestion, a random combination and a random destination. Chee Chow, Si Kuan, You Tian and I decided to explore the ever wulu land- Laos.

    Day 1

    We started our trip with a direct flight to Bangkok. And then went on to fill our growling stomachs with the ever tasty and cheap Thai food in the city. After refilling our food supplies and roaming around the city aimlessly for hours, we headed to Hualamphong(Bangkok)Train Station and awaited for our overnight train.


    Ever Favourite Thai Orange Juice


    Food Supplies=)

    We boarded our train no.69 at 20:00hrs and started our quest to Laos. 1st Class Sleeper was already sold out, thus we bought the tickets for 2nd Class Sleeper instead.


    2nd Class Sleeper


    Chee Chow and You Tian


    Sikuan and Eileen aka me

    Day 2
    We arrived at the Thai Borders- Nong Khai Station at 0825hrs. There's 2 way to travel into Laos from here, one can take a shuttle train or a bus. We decided to take the shuttle train to Thanaleng(Laos).


    Nong Khai Train Station(Thailand)


    Thai Borders Custom@Nong Khai

    We arrived at Thanaleng(Laos)Train Station at 0915hrs. After getting our passports stamped, we took a taxi(TukTuk Style) to Vientiane City. The driver dropped us off at the morning market instead of the agreed location, our place of stay. He wanted to charge extra to bring us to our place of stay so we decided to hang around the market for alittle and get breakfast instead. After which we headed to our place of stay, washed up and headed out to explore Vientiane. Relatively, Vientiane is a pretty boring town with little attractions and can be explored via foot in less than a day


    That Dam - the only roundabout in Vientiane


    Patuxai - Victory Gate


    Night Market


    Our Favourite Game


    The only winner

    Day 3
    So we woke up early and started our journey to Vang Vieng via a mini van. Do not be fooled by the mini van promoters! They claimed to be private, faster, air-conditioned and comfortable in comparison to bus. The ride from Vientiane to Vang Vieng was the worse ride ever!!! Seriously, ever! The mini van has no air-con and the driver kept pulling over to ask strangers at the bus stop if they were heading to Vang Vieng. Worse of all, the road condition from Vientiane to Vang Vieng was extremely horrible and the mini van has zero suspension. We felt every bumps and humps throughout the whole 4hr hour ride which they claimed was 3hrs.

    Enough on the terrible experience,we arrived at Vang Vieng at 12plus in the afternoon. We set off to find accommodation and chose to stay over at Central Backpackers.


    It is a pretty cool hostel which was almost fully booked at the time we arrived. We managed to get a triple room and Si Kuan happily volunteered to be the extra one to be sleeping in the shared dorm.

    After which we rented bicycles and explored the town. Without any clues, we cycled pass some nice scenery and explored our first cave with a random guide and zero preparation. They have signs everywhere pointing the directions to the cave, thus it was easy getting there. I believed we entered Padeng Cave as well as Ring Cave, one of which has a mini lagoon. So we took a leap of faith and floated in the icy cold pitch dark lagoon. Admission is 15,000kip per pax if I did not remember it wrongly and it includes a torch each. And a guide costs 20,000kip but we gave him alittle more.


    Signs






    Calfs in the field


    Bridge linking to the entrance


    Just before we enter the cave


    In the cave


    Scary looking stone structure


    Huge man making his way through


    Floating in the pitch dark lagoon

    Day 4
    We started off our day with a tour bought the night before. 130,000kip per pax for 1 village, 4 caves and a tubing adventure. I think it was totally worth it.

    Firstly, we went pass a village with cute animals and little human beings roaming around naked.

    Shy naked boy jumping off the bridge


    Cute litte attention seeking pup

    And then we went into 2 caves which was once inhabited by Laotians hiding from the war I think. These people get their water from the dews form from the stones. And since these 2 caves were once occupied by human beings, a Buddha can be seen sit near to the entrance of the cave. The Buddha is believed to watch over the people staying in the cave and also to guard the cave.









    Later on we headed to a super cool water cave in which we had to tube in. Despite the cave being freezing old, its totally worth visiting.





    Next, we carried on to Elephant Cave. I believed the cave got its name from the elephant like structure near the entrance. They have a big Buddha statue in the cave.





    And finally, time to party!!! Our tubing adventure started off with Beer Pong(Beer Lao edition) at a random bar. And then we tubed along the river stopping over at cool and fun bars. We went wild over the high swings, high slides and zip-lines. It was crazy fun but dangerous though. Just like what most websites said, it can be dangerous playing these stuff with zero safety measures. However, just make sure you land in the water properly and you will have a splendid time.


    Beer Pong


    Our ever favourite guide and us


    Human Revolution


    High and sprayed


    Improper and dangerous dismount


    High Swing

    Day 5
    Sadly, we had to leave Vang Vieng and carried on to our next destination, Luang Prabang. We decided to ditch the mini van and get a VIP coach for our 6hr winding journey instead. We arrived in the evening, spent some time finding accommodation and finally headed out to look for dinner. On the way we passed by a tour agency and decided to book some guided tour from them.

    Day 6
    We took up a one day tour which cost 30USD per pax. we headed to an elephant camp in which we get a 1hr hour elephant ride. It was pretty fun as the elephant brought us through different terrains. We went down the slope, crossed the river and through the bushes. It was alittle sad for me as I happened to read somewhere that most of these elephants in Laos' elephant camp were used to be labor elephants. They were used as tools to help carry super heavy stuff and they will be retired to elephant camp to join the tourism trade once they are deemed not strong enough to carry on labor work. It seems alittle harsh for a retired and totally wrinkled 40 year old elephant to carry 4 of us on her back and traveled through different terrains. Nonetheless, it was still fun and exciting especially when you get to buy bananas to feed the hungry elephants.


    Elephant Riding


    Water Splashing

    Shortly after, we went to the Pak Ou Caves which is also the famous Buddha caves. There is an upper and lower caves in the region and it is filled with Buddha statues. Our lazy and irritating guide did not exactly explained much in details how the statues got there etc. Instead he just rest his lazy ass and let us roamed around aimlessly.


    Pak Ou Caves and the offerings

    We proceeded to a nearby village where the locals sell their crafts to curious tourists like us. The kids were really cute and totally excited to get their pictures taken. We also stopped by Lao Village where the best Lao Whisky was supposedly made.


    Lao Whisky-40% alcohol

    Last but not least, we arrived at the phenomenal Kuang Si Waterfalls. It was really a very beautiful waterfall with clear blue water. And the cool thing is that there are designated parts of the falls which you can swim in and even simply take big leap from a tree into the freezing cold water.


    Kuang Si Waterfalls


    Kuang Si Falls and us


    Leaping off the tree

    Day 7
    We arranged for a 2D1N trekking to the hill tribes for 50USD per pax. I think it was good bargain in comparsion to those we saw online which costs at least 100USD per pax. We specifically requested for a different tour guide when we bought the tour package. Sadly, we got the same irritating lazy guide. Anyway, our trekking route includes 3hrs of normal uphill trekking and 4.5hrs jungle trekking and 1hr normal trekking to our place of stay.

    The lazy guide kept wanting to short change us and persuaded us out of the jungle trekking and do 7hrs of normal trekking instead. Being 4 irritated, young and fit beings, we demanded for our jungle trekking. We thought we were sort of punishing the lazy guide but we were wrong. No matter what, he was trained and prepared. On the other hand, we were newbies and totally not prepared. We were all wearing shorts and improper footwears. All of us got cuts and mosquitoes bites everywhere after the jungle trekking. And You Tian sprained her ankle along the way.


    Uphill trekking


    Jungle Trekking

    Worse of all, we got lost in the jungle. The lousy tour guide lost his way and we had to trek in the woods with only 1 torch light after nightfall. I was genuinely scared. We were totally not prepared to stay over in the woods with only 2 sandwiches and little water. More importantly, other than the persistent mosquitoes, who knows what else are in the woods with us.


    Finally out of the jungle

    After 12hrs of trekking, we finally made our way out of the dark woods and made it to our destination, the Hmong Tribe Village. Thank God! We reached the tribe at almost 11pm and everyone else was asleep. The village chief's wife made dinner for us. It was a simply dinner that warmed our heart and body.


    Simple dinner

    After washing up at the public bath area, we were invited to see the spiritual chanting at another villager's house. There was a shaman who chanted for hours to evict the evil spirits from the house to the woods or somewhere else. They made a peace offering with the spirit by killing a pig. Sadly, we missed the killing part as we were lost in the woods.


    Shaman performing the ceremony

    Anyway, it was still cool to see the traditions of the Hmong people so alike to us(Chinese), other than the life offering part. And, we got to sit together with the villagers and feasted on the pig after that. After that, we returned to our humble shack which was also the Chief's house.


    Peace Offering

    Day 8
    We woke up late today as we were all exhausted from the 12hr trekking and constant worrying in the dark woods the night before. But we were totally fine with taking our time, roaming around the village and choosing the shortest route back to town.


    A picture with the chief and family


    The Village Kids


    Free Roaming Piglets


    Women hanging her clothes or shall I say hanging her things.

    The Village Chief accompanied us down to town and we had lunch together. We bought quite some stuff from the convenience store for the villagers especially the kids. We were touched at how so little we gave means so much to the chief.


    Our donations

    Overall, the trekking trip was awesome, even for the part we got lost. I mean it became more fun because we managed to experience getting lost and then finding our way out in darkness. Kudos to our guide, Kerr Lo. As much as we disliked him before, this trip did sort of bonded us alittle and I kinda respect him for being able to get us out and keeping us calmed through the journey. Also, he was carrying our food all this time while helping us through the woods. And so, we don't dislike you anymore. At least I don't.


    Village JumpShot

    Hence we headed back to catch the 12hr sleeper bus back to Vientiane. It departed at 20:00hrs.

    Day 9
    We arrived at Vientiane at 06:00hrs, 2hrs ahead of schedule. So we rested awhile in the hostel and then proceeded to fill our stomachs and roamed around aimlessly. We ended our day early as we were all tired.


    The dried up Mighty Mekong


    Dusty Laos


    Day 10
    We took a flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 0945hrs. We arrived and had a nice old town lunch, wasted our day chilling at MacDonald and playing our only card game, UNO.

    Then we arrived at Singapore at 2230hrs. And that concluded our quest to Laos.