Phim Hay 360s

The capital, Phnom Penh, caters well to backpackers with its budget lodgings and lively bars while the likes of Siem Reap have more upscale offerings to cater to the increasingly sophisticated Angkor Wat crowds. The macabre Killing Fields are a sombre reminder of the nation's turbulent past but essential viewing for anyone who wants to get to grips with Cambodia's turbulent modern history.

Cambodia Things to Do

Angkor Wat

When Laos began to truly open to tourism in the early 1990’s, visitors focused on the cultural riches of Luang Prabang in the north, and the southern regions remained for a long time a destination for the more adventurous travelers. But this is changing fast. With the remarkable improvement of road networks around the whole of Indochina, Champasak has become the center of a new buoyant backpacking scene commuting overland in luxurious sleeper buses between Vientiane and Phnom Penh. And with a bridge crossing over the Mekong that links Thailand and Vietnam along the east-west axis, getting across borders is now much easier.


Sand Bar Islands


Mention visiting an island in Laos and one will most likely meet with a perplexed gaze. The very idea of islands in Southeast Asia is so indubitably linked to visions of white sandy beaches, that it simply cannot fit Laos, a largely mountainous country with no direct access to the sea. But rivers too can harbour islands, and in the case of Laos, one has to take into account that the Mekong isn’t just any ordinary river. It is one of the longest rivers in the world, and the possibility of it giving rise to islands shouldn’t be regarded as impossible. However, the Lao name Si Phan Don, or Four Thousand Islands, that was bestowed on the lush and scenic Champasak province in Southernmost Laos is a little superlative, if not far-fetched. To meet with such an incredible number of islands, one has to take into account every single sand bar that emerges out at the peak of the dry season. That said, there are indeed a good number of islands inhabited all year round, the largest of which, Don Khone, measures no less than four-by-eight kilometers. At the height of the rainy season, some parts of the Mekong in Si Phan Don can span over 12 kilometers. This is also where the river suddenly drops in altitude, resulting in the formation of a few majestic waterfalls that have prevented thorough commercial use of the Mekong. One of these waterfalls, Khon Pha Pheng, is purpotedly the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia and, indeed, the impressive tumultuous flow of water stands as a stark reminder that the Mekong is also the 12th largest river of the world by volume.


The Two Dons

The islands of Si Phan Don are best explored by bicycle, cycling on sandy shaded paths across the forests or along the luxuriant river banks. Most activity takes place on the twin islands of Don Det and Don Khone, which are linked by a concrete bridge. This bridge was part of a train track built by the French to link Don Khone’s southernmost point and Don Det’s northern bank in an attempt to bypass the waterfalls and allow the transportation of goods on the Mekong. A short distance away from the bridge lies a rusting tiny locomotive that for many years commuted along the only railway track ever built in Laos. Don Det has attracted the younger segment of the backpacking scene, bringing a distinct hippy flavor to the place. Typical accommodations here take the form of hammocks hanging in the bungalows veranda, with a view over the river of course. The more comfortable accommodations are found in Don Khone. An interesting option is Sala Phae (Ban Khone Tai, Khong District, Champassak Province, +856-30-525 6390, +856-21-217 526, www. salaphae.salalao.com), which has floating raft rooms, where you can sleep in a large breezy room directly over the flow of the mighty river, watch the sunset from the veranda, and dip your feet in the cool water of the Mekong.

Pakse Crossroads


Si Phan Don, however, is only one of the many attractions that Champasak has to offer. The once sleepy little town of Pakse is right in the middle of the Indochina backpacker trail, and seems bent on becoming an important crossroad. In fact, judging by the number of luxury hotels under construction around town, Pakse has already become an attractive destination for a number of investors. Pakse too has its fair share of quaint colonial buildings from the turn of the 20th century which are an interesting combination of Art Deco and 1950’s architecture. Particularly arresting is a block of shophouses where one can see a clear chronological evolution of urban Southeast Asian architecture over the entire 20th century, from French colonial to 1990’s Post-Modern and Neo-Classical styles. And, with a scenic location at the confluence of the Mekong and the Se Don River, Pakse is actually quite a pleasant place to visit.


The Bolaven Plateau


Just one hour north of Pakse, with an altitude of around 1,000 meters, the Bolaven plateau was put to good use by French planters to cultivate coffee and tea. Today, a large quantity of the production is exported, and is one of Laos’s most important sources of foreign trade. This is the place to find cool air and nature at its best. Ecotourism has become a catch word in Laos, heavily encouraged by local authorities, and the Bolaven plateau has a lot to offer. You can enjoy scenic rides across forests, coffee and tea plantations; hop from one pretty waterfall to the next, stop in hill tribe villages to buy intricate hand-woven textiles or take the obligatory elephant ride. More adventurous travelers can rent motorbikes to explore the plateau on their own. The Bolaven plateau also has a few atmospheric accommodation options to offer in the form of bungalows overlooking cool waterfalls.


The Ruins of Wat Phu


Champasak is home to one of the oldest Khmer sites in existence—the ruins of Wat Phu. The origin of this temple is found in the shape of the mountain at the foot of which the temple started taking shape in the fifth century CE. The summit, the Phu Kao, immediately commands ones attention because of its resemblance to a linga, Shiva’s phallic symbol. Phu Kao was believed to be a natural linga, a spontaneous manifestation of the Hindu god. At the foot of the mountain, fl owed a spring, around which the temple was built. Later in history, that spring was used to keep the linga of the sanctuary perpetually wet, a set-up apparently unique to the Khmer world. Wat Phu presents fine examples of Khmer sculpture and is best visited in the early morning when the frangipanis lining the staircase leading to the sanctuary pervade the air with their heavenly smell. In order to be there in time for sunrise, it is best to stay in the nearby little town of Champasak that gives its name to the province, which was previously the capital of a short-lived, 18th century kingdom that has lost most of its former glory. There are a few guesthouses of fairly good standard. The best and most romantic option is La Folie Lodge (Don Daeng, District Pathoumphone, BP 668, Champassak, Lao PDR., 856-534-7603, reservations@folie-laos.com), a resort complete with swimming pool overlooking the Mekong and finely decorated teak bungalows set in the lush greenery of the island of Don Daeng. As the whole of Indochine opens up ever more to tourism, there will be fewer and fewer places like Champasak left to explore. Go now.

Source: AziaCity.com

(KPL) A tourism information center was built recently in Parkbeng district with 287 million kip of government fund.

The center was considered as the main potential for attracting the tourist and helping them to save the time to looking for the tourist sites in the province.

In the first six months of 2007-2008 period, the Parkbang district has received 24,548 tourists, 1,140 of which was local tourists and 23,307 foreign tourists with able to create income about 6.137 billion kip.

To day, the Parkbeng district has one hotel, 2 resorts and 13 guesthouses with 216 rooms and 20 restaurants.

Welcome to Laos to watch the following story of Luang Prabang, the world heritage site.

Travelers wishing to get off the beaten track of this slow-moving country can head for the mysterious Plain of Jars, a protected landscape dotted with huge jars carved out of stone, the origin of which is debated. Adventurous travelers should think twice about straying too far off the tourist track however, as unexploded ordinance from the Vietnam War era still plagues the nation.

Laos Things to Do

Discover the Jewel of the Mekong river, Laos, by the Lao National Tourism Administration

Xieng Khuang provincial authorities are hoping to open the door to the province's tourist attractions with two important new keys.

The first is the promotion of the Plain of Jars as a World Heritage Site in 2010 and the second is the construction of an international airport.

Xieng Khuang provincial Tourism Department Director, Mr Khamphet Phommadouangkaison, said “Our province has two big keys to open the door of worldwide tourism promotion.”

“Our vision for the development of our tourist attractions is to make changes in a logical way and follow the slogan ‘a smoke-free tourist industry',” he added.

“The province ranks tourism as second in importance to livestock rearing in its development master plan.”



“At present we are working on documents relating to the Plain of Jars which we will send to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). We hope to have finished all the documents soon and they should be approved by UNESCO by 2010,” Mr Khamphet said.

“We plan to upgrade the provincial airport to an international airport in the near future. The project is now under discussion and we will send a project proposal to the government.”

Another of the province's plans is to develop the 750ha hill on Koud Mountain in Phoukoud district into a new tourist attraction, with a possible opening in 2009.

The Acting Governor of Xieng Khuang province, Mr Viengthanom Phommachanh, said last week the airport expansion would be financed by a loan from a neighbouring country worth about US$50 million.

He said this development would start in the near future because it was very important in bringing more tourists to the province.

“If we have better transport facilities we will get more tourists here. Most of them want to make short trips to local areas of interest so they have more time to spend at the site they visit,” Mr Viengthanom said.

According to a report from the Xieng Khuang provincial Tourism Department, there are actually 1,900 jars scattered over 52 sites, but only three sites are open to the public - two in Kham district and another in Khoun district.

The province has 14 hotels and more than 40 guesthouses.

Most visitors to the province come from Europe, with the rest coming mostly from Japan , China , Vietnam and Thailand .

By Sisay Vilaysack
Vientianetimes