The Land of a Million Elephants is as magical as the name would suggest. Cruising down the Nam Ou river in the shade of the sawtooth mountains, hiking to the hill tribes of Luang Namtha, living the Hmong life in Muang Sing, biking the royal city of Luang Prabang, and celebrating at the Elephant Festival…
Luang Namtha is famous for its diverse hill tribes and the scenic mountain paths that lead to their far-flung villages. Backpackers are starting to flock to this area for trekking but with dozens of the multi-day hikes in the area, traces of the west dissipate once you step off the main street. For our excursion,…
Tucked in the northwestern corner of Laos at the border of Myanmar and China, Muang Sing is one of the most diverse, strange, and fascinating places in Laos. This region has a Wild West feeling where the 95 villages and 12 ethnicities live side by side but seem to operate in their own world with…
As luck would have it, we were in Laos during one the country’s biggest events…The Elephant Festival. Eles are the symbol of Laos but their population and role in society are dwindling with the country’s modernization. To bring awareness to the elephant’s plight and simultaneously celebrate this cultural icon, the non-profit ElefantAsia started this festival…
Luang Prabang is on the list of must-see Southeast Asian cities. With royal roots, pristine temples, French colonial architecture, Buddhist monasteries, chic shops, bustling markets, and plenty of nightlife, Luang Prabang is a tourist dream–albeit less dreamy with all the touristas it attracts. We tried to see past the swarms of Westerners and focus on…
Ahhh Laos…a chill, beautiful, affordable, and friendly country. Here, things move at a slower pace and after the whirlwind that is Vietnam we decided to embrace the pace, traveling by river boat, trekking into the mountains, and living with local families. We began our three weeks in Laos in the idyllic towns along the Nam…