BOLAVEN PLATEAU – THE PARADISE OF SPECTACULAR WATERFALLS

BOLAVEN PLATEAU – THE PARADISE OF SPECTACULAR WATERFALLS

By sdvthuongmai   3:11 AM   No comments:

 Bolaven is a high land region in the South of Laos. Most of the plateau belongs to the area of Champasak, and the edges are located in the Sekong and Attapeu provinces of Laos. Being home to numerous beautiful waterfalls, breathtaking sceneries, idyllic tribe villages, and unexploded sites, Bolaven Plateau is becoming one of the most regarding Laos destinations.

Bolaven Plateau Overview

The Plateau is situated in an old volcano mountain that erupted millions years ago. The area is located 50km to the South of Laos. The people living in Bolaven Plateau Laos are almost the Laven, and the others are Mon-Khmer, Alak, Katu, Taoy, and Suay people. The culture of the region thus is very unique with the harmony of minority groups.

Bolaven Plateau

The highland region has played an important role in history of the country. It passed 3 most significant historical periods which effected by the French colonization, the Phu Mi Bun Revolt, and the Indochina War.

How to get to Bolaven Plateau?

There are many ways to reach the Bolaven Plateau, both by private vehicles and public transportation. The daily buses to Paksong, Salavan, and Sekong can drop you off at any stop on the way. You can also rent a car (with driver or not) or a motorbike from the town of Pakse and get to the region.

Where to stay in Bolaven Plateau?

Bolaven accommodation and cuisine facilities are almost located in Paksong and Tad Lo. Travelers can stay at a resort near the waterfalls or local home-stay along the road.

Things to see and do in Bolaven Plateau

The land of Bolaven Plateau is covered with coffee and tea plantations, as well as dramatic waterfalls, including Tad Lo and Tad fane Waterfalls, and lush green jungles. Situated on an altitude of over 1000m above the sea level, the weather in the region is cooler than others in the country, allowing more comfortable experiences for foreign visitors.

Taking a motorcycle trip in Bolaven Plateau, travelers will have a fascinating experience when discovering the lush plantations, exploring stunning waterfalls, and visiting Thateng Integrated Organic Farm. 

When being in Bolaven Plateau, travelers can reach tribe villages to understand their daily life and rustic culture. Do not miss the chance to try Laos coffee and buy some for souvenir when return. You will find the adventure in Bolaven is one of the worthiest things to do in Laos.

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Explore 3 Best Attractions in Chinatown Singapore

Explore 3 Best Attractions in Chinatown Singapore

By sdvthuongmai   2:54 AM   No comments:

 Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

Located in Chinatown of Singapore, Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum has long been famous for unique architecture and holy reputation. The temple is a place of worship of the Buddha.

 

Built in 2007, the temple is prominently characterized by architecture and furniture of Buddhist art and history. As the name would suggest, the temple is named as the left tooth of the Buddha. The relic was brought here from Kushinagar, India.

This Chinese-style pagoda was designed by Venerable Shi Fa Zhao, the president and Abbot of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, and Abbot of the Golden Pagoda Buddhist Temple with the help of local residents and foreign consultants. Temple’s construction costs up to 75 million USD. The architecture of the temple is based on elements of Tang Dynasty style and Mandala, a symbol of the universe in Buddhist culture.

The Buddhist Culture Museum on the third floor exhibits relics related to the Buddha, such as the bones and tongue. Noticeably, the Sacred Light Hall on the fourth floor is placed the temple’s most important treasures. It is the Buddha ‘s tooth preserved in the giant tower weighing 3,500. The tower is made of 320 kg of gold, of which 234 kg is donated by worshippers. You might enjoy the relics at the separate observatory from 9 a.m – 6 p.m everyday. Bear in mind, you have to ask for permission of monks before entering the reserve.

Sri Mariamman Temple 

Originally a wood – and – attap (palm fronds) structure completed in 1827, Sri Mariamman Temple on South Bridge Road is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. Commonly referred to as Mariamman Kovil (« Mariamman Temple » in Tamil), the temple has been serving as the place of worship of Goddess Mariamucted man by immigrants from Nagapatnam and Cuddalorre districts of South India.

« Mari », meaning « rain » in Tamil, is an important life – giving element in rural life, while Goddess Mariamman is also known as the curer of diseases. In addition to a place of worship, the temple was also closely intertwined with the Hindu community as it served as the first refuge for new immigrants, dispute mediation, and an early resgistry of marriage for Hindus.

Especially, if you visit Sri Mariamman Temple in October and November, you would definitely have a chance to witness the annual fire – walking festival named Theemithi.

Skybridge of Pinnacle@Duxton

Pinnacle @ Duxton is a public housing in Singapore, opened in 2010. This area has seven buildings, including 1,848 apartments and, significantly, all buildings were connected by a bridge on the 50th floor and 26th floor. The bridge of 50th floor, which is named Skybridge, definitely enables tourists to hold panoramic views of the stunning city and harbor. The entrance fee for visitors is very reasonable, which is priced at only $ 5 per person. However, the local authorities limit the number of visitors a day at 200 people so that they do not disturb the daily life of the inhabitants. Thus, if you want to make a visit to this amazing place, you should book tickets in advance.

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The Unique Philippine Festivals You Won’t Want To Miss

The Unique Philippine Festivals You Won’t Want To Miss

By sdvthuongmai   2:52 AM   No comments:

 1. Panagbenga Festival 

The word “Panagbenga” in Filipino means “hundred flowers bloom”. Unlike other festivals, the Panagbenga Flower Festival lasts up to a month, with peak activity on weekends.

The festival is held every February in Baguio City. At this time, the streets will be filled with splendidly decorated florists and beautiful dancers, ideal for those who like the summer and the beauty of flowers.

2. Moriones Festival

The Moriones Festival on the island of Marinduque (Philippines) lasts a week, from April 14-20, called the Holy Week. This is the most important holiday for Filipinos.

On the days of the festival, local people will wear masks, dressed in unique costumes and masked with strange animals, simulating the image of the Roman soldiers. In their hands they will carry a wooden weapon to reproduce the previous battles. You can also find statues of Roman warriors in real-life proportions at the harbor of Balanacan.

3. Aliwan Fiesta

Aliwan Fiesta, an annual event held in Manila, Philippines, last week in April.

Aliwan Fiesta was first celebrated in 2003 by Manila Bradcasting and the Philippine Cultural Center.

4. Pahiyas Festival

Held on May 15 of each year, Pahiyas is one of the most celebrated festivals in the Philippines. Like hundreds of other national festivals, this is also a celebration to honor a saint. The Pahiyas are celebrated in honor of St. Isidro Labrador, the saint who gave the farmer a harvest.

This festival is held in Lucban, Sariaya, Tayabas and other towns in Quezon Province, south of Manila.

5. Pintados Festival

Along with the Sangyaw Festival, the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival takes place in June every year in the city of Tacloban, which is not only the economic center of the region and one of the fastest growing cities in the Philippines.

The most exciting activities at the Pintados Festival are the celebrations of the city’s cultural and religious traditions, the introduction of local talent, creativity and fun with parades and street dances and contests.

6. Kadayawan Festival

Kadayawan Festival is an annual festival held in the third week of August in Davao City, Philippines. The name of the festival is specially originated from the friendly greeting “Madayaw” from Dabawenyo from “dayaw”, which means nice, valuable, tall or beautiful.

The festival is a celebration of beautiful life, a Thanksgiving for the gift of nature, the wealth of culture, the fruits of the harvest and the serenity of life.

7. MassKara Festival

MassKara – a festival of smiles held every October in the city of Bacolod, Visayas, Philippines. The name MassKara is a combination of the English word “mass” – many Spanish and “cara” – face. So, MassKara means “a lot of smiling faces”. This explains the highlight of the festival is the mask with a bright smile.

Today, the MassKara festival has become one of the most important Filipino festivals, attracting many locals as well as tourists to attend.

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Enjoy your Honeymoon in Thailand

Enjoy your Honeymoon in Thailand

By sdvthuongmai   2:46 AM   No comments:

 Actually, nothing is more wonderful than the moment you can enjoy romantic natural sceneries with your lover in a stunning place. If you are newly-married couples, a honeymoon in Thailand definitely will be a perfect choice for you to enjoy sweet love memories and create unforgettable experiences together.  From picturesque islands and pristine beaches to thousands of glittering temples, you will never regret when having your honeymoon trip in Thailand 

Thailand is famous with the name “Land of smiles” with beautiful beaches such as Phuket Pattaya and so on. With the excellent quality of services in Thailand,  every citizen is tourism ambassadors who are always helpful, friendly and hospitable. For years, Thailand is the perfect choice for the couples all around the world to enjoy their sweet honeymoons in a paradise country.

If you want to enjoy beautiful moments with your partner in a quiet and private place, there are a wide variety of choices such as the romantic coasts, Phuket island with spectacular natural sceneries or the paradise island Krabi…In Thailand, you and your spouse can have a romantic walk along the beach, in the context of deep blue sky bringing about relaxing and wonderful moments. 

With the hope of enjoying sweet moments of love, the two you can also choose a sweet honeymoon cruise on a luxury yacht to have an adventure travel on the sea to the Gulf of Thailand or to the beautiful island of Phuket, Krabi, the twin Phi Phi Island, Tarutao and so on. The romantic feeling is always beside two of you when traveling by ship or boat on the sea or journeying along the river. You will enjoy the alone static space and endless landscapes with great services from hotels and staff.

Noticeably, a beautiful island of Thailand, Phuket is a popular honeymoon destination wich is surrounded by 36 smaller islands and wonderful sights. It is highly suggested that you should visit it at least once in your lifetime. It offers beautiful beaches, sandy shores, blue sea water so that you can totally relax and be involved in many other interesting activities.

Moreover, Krabi is another ideal destination compared to Phuket. It is a coastal province located in the south with stunning beaches. It is not noisy and crowded as Phuket, not as expensive as Koh Samui, not hard to get to as Koh Tao, Krabi is a destination which is easy to come. This is a quiet place which is suitable for those who want to find themselves in a gentle seaside city, brilliant sunset and coastlines. The island is outstanding with white sandy beaches, blue water, diving areas and various shops. 

Ko Tarutao Island is also known as the pearl paradise island with the blue untouched beach and beautiful white sands. Next to Ko Tarutao island is Ao Son beach located in the west of the island. This beach is an ideal destination for tourists to relax. All the things here have brought about the happiness, peace and satisfaction to many travelers. Besides, visitors can sailboats to enjoy the scenery and do other wonderful activities such as snorkeling, swimming, watching abundant forests and viewing lovely animals like turtles, monkeys, monkey, crabs and wild pigs which are very popular on the island. 

If the two of you are busy and cannot stay long in Thailand, the Bangkok is also an interesting choice for your honeymoon. Bangkok is a well-equipped city with world-top shopping centers where visitors can stay and have a good access to sightseeing, shopping and dining. It is known as a city of rich history, fabulous shopping centers, a colorful nightlife and tasty food. Although Bangkok is one of the largest cities in the world, you can easily find traditional and spiritual features at one of many ancient temples here. Moreover, both of you can enjoy tasty Thai cuisine or the cuisine of countries around the world and feel excited with many cultural activities in the city.

Thailand is obviously an ideal destination for newly-married couples who want to spend most of their time together in a beautiful and special place. Thailand will help them to create the most memorable and romantic moments together. Thanks to the beauty and friendliness of people, Thailand makes a strong positive impression on international travelers. Romancing on a cruise or dining at a splendid restaurant, Thailand provides all necessary things for the love birds coming in for their honeymoon.

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Shwedagon Pagoda: Covered with 90 tons of gold and diamonds in Myanmar

Shwedagon Pagoda: Covered with 90 tons of gold and diamonds in Myanmar

By sdvthuongmai   2:42 AM   No comments:

 Shwedagon Pagoda is the architectural masterpieces of the Yangon city and the tower itself covered with inlaid gold, topped with thousands of diamonds and rubies.

Most Myanmar people dreamed once pilgrim to Shwedagon – the thousands year old temple situated on the hilltop Singuttara, Yangon, Myanmar. The taxi driver will bring international visitors to the south gate to buy ticket, while the Burmese are allow to freely entrance from the remaining three ports (East, West and North). The fare to visit Shwedagon Pagoda is 8 USD.

Before stepping inside pagodas in Myanmar, Buddhist devotees and visitors must remove shoes, sandals, socks and walk barefoot only. You should be prepared plastic bags to keep your shoes because Shwedagon Pagoda is very large, you might enter at one gate but head out another.

Being the golden symbol of the country Myanmar, the Shwedagon is more than 2,500 years old, believed to be launched before the death of Shakyamuni Buddha. The tower and the curved roof os the pagoda are prominent on the blue sky, brings a sense of majesty to the sacred land of Myanmar.

The main tower of Shwedagon Pagoda is 99m high, and surrounded by 1,000 small towers keeping many sacred treasures of Buddhism. At the corners around the temple put binoculars, allow visitors to sightseeing with a closer observation. Though experienced the wars and natural disasters, the Shwedagon is still the world’s most superficial pagodas.

Shwedagon’s golden tower is the most spiritual sanctuary of the Burmese people. The tower is plated with spire gold while the top is also fitted with thousands of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and gold rattles. The most notable thing is that on a towering spire lit by 76-carat diamond. According to estimation, the temple is plated with up to 90 tons of gold.

Most of Myanmar people come to the pagoda in the afternoon. They wear traditional costume and bring the trays votives in groups of young and old.

Nearby are two lines of young walking and cleaning the pagoda courtyard under the command of a leader.

The pagoda has many altars and Buddha statues also covered with gold. This is a place for worshiping of the monks and the Myanmar people. From Yangon airport, you take a taxi to the Shwedagon Pagoda. It would take half an hour with prices ranging 5000-7000 MMK (8 USD).

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The Hot Trend of Travel in Myanmar

The Hot Trend of Travel in Myanmar

By sdvthuongmai   2:38 AM   No comments:

 Nowadays, travel in Myanmar is gradually becoming one of the most favorite trend in the world because of its magical and pristine beauty.

According to estimated statistics of the tourism industry in Myanmar, the number of tourists coming to this country is expected to grow 150% by 2013 (about 1.5 million foreign tourists). However, tourism infrastructure is shorted severely.

Mr. Quoc Anh (44 years old, Hanoi) said that it was difficult to find accommodation in his Myanmar travel and he took a lot of time to find a suitable place to stay overnight in the resort on the Inle lake.

The price of travel services have increased twice a year

The price to take a taxi from Heho airport to Nyaung Shwe village was also very expensive as well as it is hard to find accommodation in Inle lake.

The hotels here are still shorted and have expensive price. If you have read Myanmar Travel Guide published by Lonely Planet (the most prestigious private publisher in the world who majors in travel) in 2011, you will see that the price for tourist services have increased twice fold comparing to previous years. 

Even in the hot weather, there are still more and more tourists coming to Myanmar, especially Inle lake – a favorite destination in this land. According to a travel agency in Vietnam, the price for Myanmar holiday packages has increased about 38% comparing to 2011.

Highly increase in revenue

Basing on the statistics of Ministry of Hotels and Tourism (Myanmar), the tourism industry has given dramatic income for the country in recent years, which increases to 67%, about 534 million USD comparing to 2011 (319 million USD). 

Also, according to estimated figures, there are about 1.500 tourists coming to Nyaung Shwe town and Inle lake while there is total of 1.200 rooms at both 45 hotels and guesthouses in the region.

In Bagan, there are also about 600 -1.000 tourists coming every day and there is a total of 2.500 rooms at 80 hotels provided for tourists. Many of backpackers have to stay overnight at several restaurants or monasteries because they can’t book the hotel room.

It is predicted that the number of visitors will continue to increase in the next years. However, tourist services and tourism Infrastructures still have not met the demand of many visitors yet. There is only total of 28.291 rooms at the hotels in the whole country.

Living standard at the level of about 1 USD

Many of Burmese have to accept to live far away from home to earn money. They are mostly women belonging to long – neck tribe in Myanmar. Weaving and sharing some interesting stories with visitors are the works daily of them. However, they only paid 30.000 Kyat (about 33 USD)/ a month equivalent to 1USD/a day. This means many Burmese are still living in the poor condition, although Myanmar travel is very developing nowadays. Ko Lyin (53 years old), a ferryman said that he got 3.000 Kyat (3.3 USD)/ boat tour/10 hours while travel agency got 4.000 Kyat. Also according to Ko Lyin, in the peak season travel, Myanmar always welcomes large tourists and vice versa.

According to statistics of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2011, per capita income in Myanmar is 857 USD / person / year comparing with Cambodia is 900 USD / person / year and Vietnam is 1411 USD / person / year. Especially, Myanmar has been applying open policy recently and expected as the hot destination in the Asia area, in which tourism industry will be a huge impact on the development of the country.

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Visitting the Bago City in Myanmar

Visitting the Bago City in Myanmar

By sdvthuongmai   2:19 AM   No comments:

 Bago City

• A city 80km north of Yangon

• An ancient city of Mon kingdom in the 13th century

• Another name is Hantharwaddy

• Be the capital of BagoProvince

• Famous for tobacco industry.

Bago, once known as Hantharwaddy when it was the capital of the Mon kingdom.Bago is located 80 km north of Yangon, the capital of Bago Province. Legend has it that Bago was discovered in 573 by two Prince Mon from Thaton, who looked out over a female hamsa(a myth bird) standing on the back of a male hamsa on an island in the middle of a large lake. In the past, Bago was an immense waters, one day the tide came down to make a small islet that could not enough for both birds, so the female bird stood on the back of the male bird on the islet.

The town’s main temple, Shwenawdaw, which hosts its annual festival in April, is one of the largest in the Myanmar delta.

There is a huge statue of lying Buddha Shwethalyaung, once hidden in the forest and discovered by railway engineers in the 19th century.

The unique position of this statue’s size has recently been replaced by the Myathalyaung Buddha statue at the southern end of the town, currently the third largest lying Buddha statue in Myanmar

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Top 3 The Most Famous Pagodas in Myanmar

Top 3 The Most Famous Pagodas in Myanmar

By sdvthuongmai   2:16 AM   No comments:

 Referring to Myanmar tourism, everyone will remember the golden temples with different architectural styles.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is one of the wonders for tourists around the world. Dubbed as the land of Buddhism, in the ancient capital of Bagan, visitors can also admire the thousands of temples without boring. Sagaings Hill on the Irrawddy River bank is home to countless temples and monasteries with over 5000 nuns and monks living there. Every morning they bring bowls around the area to collect offerings. Most of the people here are monks, there are people becoming monks for at least a few months. There are many families who have to save money every year for their son to dressed up like a prince during the Shin-pyu ceremony when they are ordained at the temple.

1. Swedagon Temple (Yangon)

As the most famous and sacred temple in Myanmar, Shwedagon Temple, also known as the Golden Temple, is located in Myanmar’s capital Yangon. It houses the four most sacred treasures of the Buddhist religion including the stick of the Buddha’s teachings, a piece of Buddhist karmapa’s cloth, the water filter of the Buddha’s Naughty Buddha and the eight hairs of Shakyamuni Buddha. The temple is 98 meters high and is gilded with gold, located on Singuttara Hill, from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of Yangon.

There are four roads up to the temple from the foot of the hill. At each entrance, there is a guarded lion pair. On the east and south side, there are many of the shops selling Buddhist instruments and religious instruments. At the steps on the way to the south, there is a second incarnation of the Buddha.

The base of the tower is made of bricks, inlaid with gold plates. On the base of the tower is the patio where only monks and men are allowed to enter. Next is the bell tower, on the bell is the tower cap, on the tower caps are parts modeled as lotus petals. The upper part of the pseudonym is shaped like a banana flower and a crown, framed with 2317 rubies and 5448 diamonds. At the top is a flag-shaped wing and at its highest point is the diamond top mounted with a 76 carat diamond. Gold plated around the tower is thin gold leaves and is crafted by craftsmanship using traditional techniques.

2. Golden Rock (Mon State)

Located more than 200km from Yangon, the golden stone is located at 1,100m along with the small temple of Kyaiktyo, creating a unique monument complex. Golden Rock is well-known to tourists for its gold-plated surface.

If you want to get to Kyaiktyo Temple on the top of the golden rock, you must surely pass this strange golden stone. A strange stone with a very strange rule is that only men can get near the Golden Rock but women can only see the land from far away.

3. Shwezigon GoldenTemple (Bagan) 

Shwezigon is the second largest temple in Myanmar, built in the 12th century and is also home to the magnificent architecture like Shwedagon Temple. The temple is located in the ancient capital of Bagan, which was the capital of the ancient Pagan kingdom, which still houses thousands of large and small temples.

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Suggestion of Itinerary in Vientiane in 24 hours

Suggestion of Itinerary in Vientiane in 24 hours

By sdvthuongmai   1:57 AM   No comments:

 In February, the weather is so cool, and nothing better than making a spring trip with your family and friends to Vientiane, the peaceful land of the famous land of a Million Elephants. There are many ways to explore the capital of Laos. Here is the suggestions for a day trip to help you not to miss the precious moments in Vientiane in 24 hours.

6h: Arriving in the Vientiane bus station

There are many tuk tuk waiting and the drivers warmly welcome travelers. It is 15 km from the central bus station (located along the Mekong River, where you can see the neighboring country of Thailand from this riverbank) to Vientiane and takes LAK 20,000 / person.

7: Find a room and store your lugguage

There are countless hotels and motels in the central area – Chanthabouly distric that all directions lead to major road along the Mekong River. If you stay at the hotel overlooking the river, the price will be high. To save costs, you can select a hotel on Frangcois Ngin road.

8am: Have breakfast at a rustic restaurant with typical dishes from Laos.

9h – 12h: Visit the Buddha Park (Xiengkuane Buddha Park )

You can hire a tuk tuk at the corner of the intersection for 220,000 kip to visit famous places in Vientiane such as Buddha park, Pha That Luang, Ho Phra Keo Temple and Patuxay triumphal arches. A tuk tuk can transfer 6 guests. Remember to bring some snacks or pastry for lunch because the tour directions are quite far from the center.

Buddha Park (Xiengkuane Buddha Park) is located in the village of Thadeua, about 25 km to the east of Vientiane centre, built in 1958 in a 4-hectare campus by the monk Bounlua. The park is considered a magnificent monumental sculpture with more than 200 large and small Buddha statues with different shapes, made of cement . There is a strange statue shaping like a giant pumpkin with mouth open, inside there are three floors represent hell, earth and heaven. You can walk up the stone steps beside the narrow aisle to go to heaven and enjoy panoramic view park Buddha statue. Entrance fee to visit the park is LAK 5,000.

13h – 14h: Pha That Luang Tower Sightseeing

Pha That Luang, or That Luang is located at the end of Lan Xang, is a world’s cultural heritage and the national symbol of Buddhist land of Million Elephants. This is the largest tower relics and most beautiful in Laos, which was built from 1566 on the ruins of an Indian temple from the 13th century, with the exterior is covered in gold. The main tower of the That Luang is surrounded by 3 massive wall layers, decorated with gilded lotus petals and splendid small towers. Surrounding the tower is a green lawn and the covered corridors. In the campus there are two small temples: Wat That Luang Neua to the north and Wat That Luang Tai to the south.

Entrane fee for the Lao people is LAK 2,000/person, for foreign visitors is LAK 5,00/person. It opens from Monday to Sunday, from 8am to 12pm in the morning, from 13h to 16h in the afternoon. Before coming inside, if tourists wear shorts or short skirts, a sarong will be provided to cover the lower part of the body.

14h30 – 15h30: Visit Ho Phra Keo temple, which is famous for rare sculptures.

Ho Phra Keo temple is the second famous site in Vientiane, after Pha That Luang. It is a temple but never had the monks living, built in 17-18 century when King Setthatirath moved new capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. Nowadays, there are many precious documents related to Buddhism preserved here and they are considered national treasures. Surrounding the temple are rows of sophiscicated bronze Buddha statues. Entrance fee is LAK 5,000

16h – 17h: Admire Patuxay the triumphal arches

Patuxay symbolizes the victory of Lao people, located at the rotation of Lan Xang Avenue – the largest avenue Vientiane. Previously, the Patuxay triumphal arches was called Anou Savary (anonymous soldier tower), built in 1958. The bottom and outside of the triumphal arches is modeled on the Arc de Triumphe (Paris, France) , but the top and interior of the architecture shows specific architecture and reliefs of Laos. Standing on the top floor of Patuxay , you can admire the peaceful rhythm of life of people in Vientiane.

17h30: Return to the hotel to rest and buy tickets for other leg of the journey advance, to Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang (Other places in Laos that you should not ignore).

18h: Walking around the streets, flea markets along the shores of the Mekong River.

All kinds of goods are sold in this market, such as clothing, shoes, scarves, jewelry. With LAK 15,000 you can buy a pair of earrings or a short pants.

19h: dinner at a roadside stall

Most of restaurant in Laos serve fried rice and noodles. It’s hard to find a restaurant serving white rice dishes but very easy to meet a Laotian speaking Vietnamese. We can say that the fried rice in Laos is extremely delicious. In particular, the Han Sam Euay Non on Chao Anou road (parallel to the Frangcois Nghin, Chanthabouly district) has special exotic fried rice processing. Slightly fried gold layer of rice mixed with young coconut, fried egg, chopped pork skin, some sour, spicy and salty vermicelli, served with lettuce, basil and yardlong bean. Vegetable salad is also delicious and unique thanks to a cup of spicy, sweet and sour sauce with peanuts. A big dinner just costs LAK 15,000.

20h: At the end of the day, take a walk around the street at night, enjoy the fresh air and you can visit some stalls to enjoy the taste of beer Lao.

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Top 8 Not-to-be-missed Natural Destinations in Laos

Top 8 Not-to-be-missed Natural Destinations in Laos

By sdvthuongmai   1:51 AM   No comments:

 Travelling to Indochina, visitors can soak up the natural destinations in Laos such as Khong Lor Caves, Kuang Si waterfalls, Khone Phanpheng or Khoun Kong Leng lake.

Khong Lor Cave: about 8 km long, Khong Lor is famous for its underground riverwhich is up to 20 m wide. The caves’ roof is over 50 m from the river. Guests can enjoy cruising to visit the beautiful corners inside the cave. Besides vast size, Khong Lor also makes travellers overwhelmed because of massivestalactites, stone bell, stalagmites.

Natural Destinations in Laos

Kuang Si Falls: Visit the ancient capital of Luang Prabang without a Kuang Si waterfall tour is a flaw. Big waterfall flows down creating many lakes. Guests can swim in the turquoisewaters. Kuang Si waterfall flows year round, but it’s less water during March to May.

Mekong River: The Mekong, 4,350 km long, is the longest river in Southeast Asia. From China, the river flows through Myanmar (Burma), the Land of a Million Elephants – Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. In Laos, many luxury cruises offer exploration along the river and that’s a good choice for visitors to enjoy a leisure trip.

Khone Phanpheng: Moving on the southern of Don Khong, the right of the Mekong River, visitors can admire the scenery of KhonePhapheng. In the rainy season, high water level causes the falls to expand more than 10 km. Travelers should visit it in the dry season because they can admire the beauty of the water gradually withdrawing.

Nam Ou Canyon: Dubbed the Grand Canyon of Lao, Nam Ou gives tourists a different trip on the river from Phongsaly province to Luang Prabang through the 448-km trip. Two riversidesare the scene of the imposing cliffs interspersed with fertile villages. Nam Ou is also the place where over 84 species of fish living. Among them, 29 unique species in the world can only live here. In addition, visitors also have the opportunity to visit Pak Ou Caves, famous for the Buddha statue.

Tat Somphamit Waterfall: also known as Li Phi. It is believed that this is where the evil souls of people and animal are trapped. Besides the spiritual sense, this 1.5 km of the river is very dramatic and beautiful. The waterfall is about 800m from the bridge connecting the two islands Don Det and Don Khon. Best time to admire the waterfall is after the rainy season.

Khoun Kong Leng Lake: the lake is about 30 km north of Thakhek town, Khammouane Province, with blue and crystal clearwatercolor. The water originates from an underground river which is filtered through the limestone layers around the mountain. Near the viaduct, visitors are allowed to bath and swim. In addition, you can take relaxing walk on the forest trail.

Nam Et Phou Louey National Biological Reserve: Located in the northeast of Laos, this is conservation area of a wide variety of rare animals in danger, such as Sambar deer, tiger, bison, white-cheeked gibbon,… Nam Et Phou Louey is about 4229 km2 covering three provinces. Nam Nern Night Safari in the reserve offers interesting activities such as bird watching, wild animal tracking at night, medicinal plants exploring or hiking.

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12 Great Things Making You Love Laos Tourism

12 Great Things Making You Love Laos Tourism

By sdvthuongmai   1:53 AM   No comments:

 Laos tourism has never been in a high rank in the Southeast Asian map of many visitors’ trip, but if having a chance to visit this place, the beautiful peaceful country will bring you many surprises.

1. Sitting on a boat on the Mekong River at sunset

As a landlocked country, it makes sense when the river is regarded as the soul of the country of Laos. If you have the opportunity to cruise on a boat down the Mekong River, especially at dusk, you can see the small villages where the daily livelihoods of people drifting on water line. 

2. The wild beauty of Phongsaly

Phongsaly Province is located at the northernmost of Laos. Because not affected by commercial activities, tourists can delight in exploring the pristine beauty of the people and the mountains here.

 3. Mystic Plain of Jars

The famous Xieng Khouang Plain of Jars in Laos is a place of mystery, a tourist attraction in Laos. No one can surely explain why these jars were placed here. However, an assumption was made that this is the burial of old people (from the Stone Age).

4. Enjoy the waterfalls in Bolaven Plateau

Bolaven Plateau, known as “coffee heaven”, is in southern Laos, famous for many beautiful waterfalls located deep in the jungle. The waterfalls are spectacular, wide and extend to several levels with strong alluvial flows in rainy season.

5. Luang Prabang – the city with lots of ancient imprint

Though not owning many magnificent temple complexs like Cambodia, the temples in Laos were designed in an unique and very creative way. Most Laotians are Buddhists, so you will easily encounter an impressive temple on the road during your discovery. Best place for you to visit the temple system in Laos is Luang Prabang – the beautiful ancient heritage city.

 6. Enjoy the unique cuisine of Laos

Remarkabale feature of Lao cuisine is fresh, simple processing but the taste is still very tasty and different. You can sample dishes such as: papaya salad, Laap, Lao noodle, greaves rolled with vegetables … Under the influence of the French during the war before, the Lao dishes are often eaten in combination with bread. Also, beer Lao is also worth a try.

7. Explore the caves in Vang Vieng

We can say, Vang Vieng is a “discovery paradise” to attract millions of backpacker from all over the world. With the scenery which is considered one of the most beautiful in Laos, Vang Vieng riverside town is where young people converged in the spectacular cave and rapid conquests.

8. The ideal place for Trekking

Laos, covered by dense forests, is an ideal place for those who like trekking through the jungle to challenge themseves. This also is an opportunity for tourists to explore remote villages with unique practices.

9. Shopping in Savannakhet

Places like Savannakhet are famous for series of stores built in ancient French style, would be interesting stopover for the shopaholic.

10. The beauty of Pha That Luang

Pha That Luang is the name of a massive gilded stupa in beautiful Vientiane. This is an important monument and also a great pride for the people in “Land of a Million Elephants”

Built on an old Khmer temple in the 16th century, this great tower temple always keeps its diversified architectural beauty as well as always glares despite of so much ups and downs of history.

11. Beautiful landscape of Si Phan Don

Si Phan Don is a vast archipelago located in the southernmost of Laos, where the gentle Mekong flows through Khone waterfalls before joining the major rivers in Cambodia. Si Phan Don gives travelers a ravishing water-colour painting with its islands.

12. The beauty of the sacred temple Wat Phou

Wat Phou, the oldest temple in Laos, is recognized as a World Heritage in 2001 by UNESCO. The ancient temple was built in 5th century, used to be the heart of Hinduism, worshipping Shiva.

Also known as the “Temple Mount” by the locals, it is situated under the foot of Mount Phou Kao (Elephant Mountain), Champasak Province, 670 km south of Vientiane capital.

13. Laos Massage

Laos traditional massage and sauna is the best therapy to soothe the body after a long journey on foot through the jungle. The mixture of herbs (or tea) in the sauna is the secret to the success of this therapy.

14. The ancient appearance of Wat Xieng Thong

This is the most beautiful and important temple of Luang Prabang with Lao typical architecture, curved roof falling close to the ground. Wat Xieng Thong is the main temple, surrounded by smaller temples with same architectural style, forming a beautiful landscape.

15. The textile products of traditional crafts

Tourists to Laos are so excited to watch the embroidery, hand-woven products by artisans. Each ethnic has their own characteristics shown in each handmade products and make them more unique souvenirs.

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The Cuisines of Laos which Make Visitors Remember Forever

The Cuisines of Laos which Make Visitors Remember Forever

By sdvthuongmai   1:47 AM   No comments:

Cuisines of Laos attracts visitors with typical dishes, different from other Southeast Asian nations. If having chance to come here, you should try the Larb Moo, Lao-style sausages, bread, grilled chicken …

Sien Savanh (dried beef): Dried Beef of Laos is very suitable to eat on the road or served with beer. Beef is marinated with soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, chilli and palm sugar, sprinkled with sesame seeds and dried in the sun. The sidewalk eateries usually grillthe beef to have smoky-flavored, chewy chewy and delicious taste.

Cuisines of Laos

Sai OUA (sausage): Laotian sausage is quite similar to the famous one in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Pork is finely minced, added with lemon grass, lime leaves, chilies and galangal, before stuffing into the skin. Visitors can see the strings of sausages are dried in the road or sold in the market. This dish is dotted with Nam Cheo chili sauce and eaten with sticky rice. 

Khao Jee (bread): Lao Bread is influented by French style. This is a typical street food sold in every city. Cake with crispy outer, delicious fillings like pork liver pate, pork bologna, carrot and radish, cucumber, mayonnaise and chutney.

 Khao Piak Sen (pho Laos): This typical dish is very popular in Laos, with many similarities with Vietnam’s Pho. Khao Piak Sen is usually breakfast, but you can also enjoy it at any time of the day. Noodle is added with chicken or beef broth, herbs, little satay, fresh lime, bean sprouts, beans, basil and cilantro.

Larb Moo (minced meat salad): This is the indigenous cuisine of Laos, in which there has minced pork sauteed with shallots, coriander, chilli and mint leaves, add fish sauce and lime juice for most tasty. Another version uses raw pork. Larb Moo is very delicious when served with sticky rice.

Tam Mak Houng (green papaya salad): green papaya is scraped into fibres, mixed with chili, lemon juice, salt, fish sauce and sugar. You should not ignore this dish, especially when in Luang Prabang.

Or Lam (stew vegetable): This unique dish originating from the north of Luang Prabang, is made from vegetables, eggplant, peas, black mushrooms and stewed pumpkin, finally added with peppers and cilantro.

Ping Kai (grilled chicken): A whole chicken is marinated with black pepper, garlic, coriander roots, fish sauce and salt before being grilled on charcoal. Well-cooked tender chicken pieces, which are tasty and fragrant, mingled with sweet rice taste, creating a great dining experience for guests.

Pun Pa (rolled fish): Fish is grilled crispyly, rolled with vegetables, rice noodles, peanuts, cucumber, green onions …, a perfect lunch for travelers to Luang Prabang.

Pa Mok (steamed fish): Fillets of fresh fish are packed with onion, garlic, basil and peppers in banana leaves and steamed. This dish is sold everywhere in Laos, from the roadside food stalls to luxury restaurants.

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Luang Prabang – The Fascination of the Buddist Land

Luang Prabang – The Fascination of the Buddist Land

By sdvthuongmai   1:46 AM   No comments:

 As one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Laos, with peaceful beauty of Buddhism, the ancient capital of Luang Prabang is famous by the tranquility, magnificent and natural and beauty…

Luang Prabang is a provincial city and the ancient capital of Laos, recognized as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO, located 425km north of Vientiane, along the Mekong River.

There’s no second ancient city like Luang Prabang – Francis Engelmann – the UNESCO expert said.

Ancient mossy beauty of the timeless streets which are sparkling with lanterns at night makes Luang Prabang similar to Hoi An – Vietnam, also remind us about Sapa with winding mountain pass roads, babecue smoke spiraling up from small shops… This is where you can admire the undulating red tile roof curled along the Mekong and monks dressed in orange, walk in a long line through the ancient streets in the early mornings. In addition, the roads and street corners seem to be endless.

Many people choose Luang Prabang, Laos to travel thanks to the image of monks in alms giving ceremony with its own simple aristocratic look. In addition, the inhabitants of Luang Prabang are very attentive and friendly (you can stop anyone to ask for permission to take a picture together without rejection or discomfort), that can make you in love with Luang Prabang right from the first moment.

 Luang Prabang’s charm lies in the spirit of Buddhism with slow, honest, decent lifestyle, tidy streets, brilliant orange color of the monks’ robe and the gilded splendor of architecture. Lots of novices in Laos are teenager boys who are vivacious, smiling and very friendly, going on the streets along with flows of people with orange robes shining in the sun … Very nice!

One of the reasons visitors come to Luang Prabang is also to visit the ancient ruins of this ancient capital, especially pagodaswhich have been preserved for 400-500 years and temples with beautiful architecture which are well conserved. The typical is Vat Xieng Thong temple which owns a central chamber with peculiar architecture of Luang Prabang.

Besides, there are a wide range of temples: Wat Sene Souk Haram, Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham, Wat Nong Sikhounmuang… with sharp interface between traditional and modern architecture. Among them, Royal Palace – which is now National Museum is typical, built in 1904, a harmony between the two schools of Lao and French architecture.

Here, you can rent a bike and wander through the ancient streets to feel the peaceful beauty of this city.

Sunset in Luang Prabang

You can also climb Mount Phou Si to enjoy sunset at the ancient town of Luang Prabang – where you can extend your view to watch the sun slowly sink into the Mekong and record the peaceful sunset moments here. Finally, night market is a not-to-be- missed destination while you are in Luang Prabang.

Luang Prabang Night Market including food court (located next to an ancient temple in an alley on Sisavangvong) with food stalls full of dishes furnished attractively and nice souvenir shops with colorful brocade scarfs, sparkling small rings, gaudy umbrellas and small pretty paper lanterns…

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