Laos 2019

I had no idea what to expect in a country that is so often overlooked in the crowd of Southeast Asia. I arrived with no plans, no dates, I just knew that it was going to be amazing and that I needed to go. And boy, oh boy, Laos did not let me down.

Luang Prabang: I flew into Luang Prabang and I saw such a beautiful little town. It is a Unisef heritage site, so most of the buildings are preserved from when the French were there. The city was nestled by the river and the surrounding mountains and plants were beautiful and radiant. I walked down and around to the river and had a couple of beers and I noticed how special Laos was going to be. I stayed a few days in Luang Prabang. This lovely city was once the capital of Laos and has a pretty neat museum and temples around. It also as such a unique coffee and restaurant feel. I loved the night markets and the street food where they had this amazing vegetarian buffet in the alley. Wow, it was so good and the cultural experience was unique. There was this little boy that must have been a son of one of the workers at the stall I was dining at. The little boy was helping clean after the patrons and he would eat the scraps of people’s plates and drink the left over beer from the bottles. He had the most mischievous smile on his face the whole time. Another favorite spot was the Kuang Si Falls outside of the city. It was also nice but a little packed. Also there are fish that nibble on feet, be aware that it is not a pleasant feeling. I even wore my chacos and the little fish bit my toes. The falls were a great place to take pictures but I would recommend wearing proper footwear. The park where the falls were also had some adorable sun bears! Definitely a nice day trip.

Vang Vieng was the second city I stopped at in Laos. I booked a single room after being a little over being in hostels. Sometimes a girl just needs some space. Ya know?! I walked around the area and looked for things to do. At first glance, Vang Vieng is not as pretty or clean as Luang Prabang, but when I I got out of the town it became a quick gem.

I was completely alone, thinking that I was going to meet up with this somewhat hot tattooed man but he ended up being a total tool. I found myself looking at the sunset when This group of people from different places seemed nice and fun. I glanced over and said "Hi, I'm Jazmin!" very American of me to do so, but it was the best decision that I made. I met some great people including FLO! There was a girl from Oklahoma, two German girls, a hot PE teacher from the Netherlands, a guy and a girl from England, and this outrageous French man. The group took me in and I had a blast. We ate together, took motorbikes around to blue lagoons, hiked, drank, and floated down a river together. The group had such an amazing energy and the kind or genuine laughter that is contagious. I was so happy and fortunate that I met them in my hostel. I

Vientiane: Flo and I had an over night stop in Vietanne before heading down to Thakhek. We walked and walked and walked some more. We enjoyed seeing the city, but besides some mini tourist self guided tour, thanks to our Lonely Planet tour book, we noticed that the city was very limited. I ended up going back after the Thakhek Loop to fly to Vietnam, and I enjoyed some museums and night markets.

Thakhek loop: After being convinced to change my plans and travel down to Thakhek with Flo, we made it down from Vientiane on a bus. We met this lovely couple from England. They have been traveling for 4 years and working in different places via workaway. Their names were Heidi and Tom. Tom was fabulously hilarious and Heidi might have been the sweetest person I have ever met. They decided to stay with us at our hostel called Bike and Bed or was it Bed and Bike, whichever, with a great host named Ping Pong and his vicious animal killing dog named eggplant but in French, Aubergine. We decided to go get some dinner and we ended up going to this little tiny place on the corner of the street called 6 Friends. The only thing is we only had 4 friends they're great food and ridiculously cheap prices which were a good way to wrap up our night before we headed off on the loop. The next morning we woke up early got our stuff ready and set off to try the semi-automatic motorbikes. We decided to set off just Flo and I. I was super scared because I hadn’t really ridden a motorbike, but one day, AND I had never used a semi-automatic. We set off and the views were gorgeous. Flo and I were stopping to take pictures almost every few kilometers. There were caves, viewpoints, limestone cliffs, rice fields, and so many shades of green that just blew my mind. We stopped at a hostel and ended up seeing Tom and Heidi again. We ate, chatted, saw Aubergine kill a baby chick, and enjoyed the rain and company. The next day we were off again! Through flooded forests and more caves. Day two, we ran into this guy name Johanis that had dinner with us in Thakhek. He decided to join us and ended up sticking by our side for the rest of the Loop and with me back to Vientiane. The most second day was stunning and completely unforgettable. Between going into caves, getting stuck in mud, sleeping in a guest house, sharing Laos Laos (rice wine.. amazing), drinking with the guesthouse owner, and teaching him how to play cards without English, it was one of the best days I had in Laos. The next morning we entered another cave in which we needed to go in by canoe. Over all the Thakhek Loop was absolutely incredible and will forever be a wonderful memory.

So a little take-away from this Laos, when someone asks you to get on a motorbike and ride, just do it.