Phim Hay 360s

The Gibbon Experience is an innovative forest conservation project in northwestern Laos, where visitors spend three days living in treehouses built 40 metres above the ground, reachable only by a network of ziplines and a few short hikes.

A few months ago, I decided to give it a try. It takes place in the Bokeo Nature Reserve, a 123,000-hectare area in the province of Bokeo, which shares a border with Myanmar and Thailand.



At present, Lao National Parks have no forest guards for day-to-day protection. Only the forest guards in the Bokeo Nature Reserve receive a salary; fully funded by The Gibbon Experience. They presently monitor one third of the 123,000-hectare reserve.

There were two trip options when I went: Classic Experience and Waterfall Experience. The Waterfall option takes you further into the forest and has more required trekking, two-three hours/day. I tried to book the Waterfall trip and even planned my travel dates around it since the trips leave on alternating dates, but due to a miscommunication with the office I ended up on the Classic. It turned out that all the Waterfall trips were fully booked for weeks by the time I tried to reserve a spot so there’s no way I could have done it anyway.

But it didn’t really matter which trip I was on, because with the Classic Experience I had lots of free time to do all the extra trekking I wanted, including a visit to Treehouse #5 where the Waterfall people stayed.

Small groups of people travel into the forest together on alternating days; in our group there were two families with a total of five kids aged four-10 or so, an American/Thai couple, two English girls and me. The families were in Treehouse #1, the couple in #2, and I was stuck in #3 with the cute English girls. Treehouse #3 was the best of the three in my opinion, though the others were better for playing on ziplines.

After watching a video on how to use the ziplines, we were shuttled three hours from the town of Huay Xai on the Thai border to Ban Toup, a small village on the border of the nature reserve. We were joined there by a small monkey and a black bear cub who were both quite cute, and constantly at each other’s throats. They seemed fairly evenly matched now but I wouldn’t give the monkey very good odds once the bear has grown a bit more.

From there we walked for about an hour to a building near Treehouse #1 where our meals were prepared, where we were each given a harness to use on the ziplines connecting the treehouses; these are like normal rock climbing harnesses except for an extra little roller/brake contraption and redundant safety rope and carabiner attached to them.

We walked to the first zipline leading to Treehouse #1. The kids were taken across by guides on the first few zips but the older ones were allowed to go on their own after a while.

We spent the next few days living in treehouses, hiking through the forest and playing around on the ziplines. There are a total of seven ziplines leading to Treehouse #3; I think the longest one is about one km long.

The treehouses were pretty impressive: each has running water from a nearby spring, there’s a shower and toilet, sinks in the kitchen and bathroom, and all the water is completely safe to drink. The toilet is just a normal squat toilet with nothing underneath it but a 40m drop to the forest floor. I heard there are pigs at Treehouse #1 that help clean up the mess; on Day 2 when we were eating pork sausages for dinner I remarked on this beautiful circle of life.

The beds were quite comfortable, with duvets and thick mosquito nets. The shower looked pretty fun because you could see right down into the forest through a bamboo grate, but I never used it because it and the toilet were constantly swarming with hornets.

The views from the treehouses were fantastic, especially at dawn and sunset.

The guides were amazingly well-tuned to the weather: they told us to put our harnesses on because they could hear strong winds coming, when all I could hear were crickets and birds. Sure enough a while later it got quite windy, and they correctly predicted other weather events as well.

However, although the guides were good weather forecaster, they weren’t exactly the way their brochures portrayed them as. The marketing info says the trips include “Local guides eager to show you the forest and its inhabitants”, but I would replace “eager” with “reluctantly willing”. I asked a couple times about going for a walk to see animals or going for a guided walk the next morning, but only got confusion and “no animals” as a response.

I think the more experienced guides were assigned to the tree house with the kids, so the ones we had were fairly new (a couple of them said they had had this job for three months), and the main issue was the language barrier between us. I expect the more experienced guides would have done much more in terms of teaching us about the forest, animals, treehouses and the conservation programme.



Later, we made our way out of the reserve, stopping to watch the monkey and bear scrap for a while. It was amazingly fun to watch; they’re both so cute and have such different fighting styles: the monkey is really quick and agile, and the bear is slow and clumsy but more powerful.

All in all it was a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone, in spite of disappointment with the guides. I expect the guides would be better on the average than the ones we had, and I think they would have done the guided walks if I had pushed them a bit more.

Source: http://news.brunei.fm/2010/03/21/hanging-around-in-laos-forest/

What used to be just a few streets and a bus stop has morphed into one crazy party town complete with late island booze and dancing, whacked out natural drugs and enormous rope swings into a raging river.

Oh . . .do I have your attention?

A huge attractionin this town is grabbing your mates and big plastic tubes and go floating down the river with amazing scenery and, perhaps more importantly, six bars chock full of hotties lining the river banks. Bar staff literally pull you in as you hold on to a stick of bamboo. I borrowed the impromptu “Pump Stick” and fished out a few females for my friends . . .and two for myself! “Ladies, grab the stick and pull . . . NO LADIES! THE STICK THE STICK!”

There is no shortage of free Laos whiskey floating around that river – Sheesh! Beerlao, the only beer available in the country, is a decent drop and a couple of huge bottles are essential when you get back in the tube for another float to the next drinking station – You heard of “Road Beers” -now we have RIVER BEERS!.

Rope swings and beach volleyball ensure all the kiddies are having half-naked fun, in the sun and when the sun goes down so do the girls . ..er I mean – the party just gets even heavier (like my dates when I drink).



An island of bars with lights, DJ’s and bonfires start up every night and draw the young crowd out from every hotel. If you want to sit back and chill try asking for the ‘happy menu’ at any of the local restaurants. Suffice to stay there is something very funny about the happy menu cocktails and snacks, and I assure you that you won’t find a better price for a “Mushroom Shake” or “Opium Tea” on the planet (well maybe Afghanistan but those burkas as so itchy during making out.

Be warned, with the fun you get at these prices, a lot of people fall in love with the party town and never want to leave.


Source: http://coedmagazine.com/2010/02/25/worlds-best-party-spots-vang-vieng-laos/

Let’s speak Lao

Greeting
Hello! Hi!- Chang dai (sa bai dee)
Good morning -Sa bai dee
Good afternoon -Sa bai dee
Good evening -Sa bai dee
Good night - La Tee Sa Wat
How are you? -Chao sa bai dee baw?
How do you do? -Chao sa bai dee baw?
I’m fine, thanks -Khoy sa bai dee, Khob chai
And you -Lae chao de:I’m fine, too -Khoy sa bai dee, keu kan
I’m pleased to meet you -Khoy dee chai lai thee dai phob chao
Good by-La kon
See you -Laew phob kan mai
Thank you - Khop Chai
Excuse me - Khor Thod
No problem - Bor Pen Yang

Name
What’s your name? -Chao seu gnang?
My name is…. -Khoy seu….
What’s his/her name? -Lao/nang seu gnang?
How old are you? -Chao a: gnu chak pee?
I’m twenty years old -Khoy a: gnu sao pee
Are you married? -Cha sang khob khua laew baw
Yes/no -Sang laew/ gnang baw sang

Taxi
Where is the taxi station -sathanee lod taxi yu sai
How far from here to…?-Kai pan dai chak nee pai ha…?
How much to…? -Thao dai/chak kip pai ha…?
Too expensive -Pheng lai/ pheng thae

Bus
Where is the bus station? -Sa tha nee lod me: yu sai?
What time will the bus leave?-Lod me: cha awk chak mong?
How much is the fare? -Pee lod thao dai?
Does this bus go to? -Lod nee cha pai thang dai?

Boat
Where can we get on the boat? -Phuak hao cha pai kheun heua yu sai?
What time does it leave? -Chak mong heua cha awk?

Air
Where can I buy a plane ticket? -khoy sa mad pai seu pee heua bin yu sai?

Hotels/guesthouse
Is there any hotels/guest house near by? -Yu nee mee hong haem/ban phak baw?
Can I/we stay here? -Khoy /phuak hao phak yu nee dai baw?
Do you have a room? -Chao mee hong phak baw?
How much per night? -Kheun neung thao dai?
Do you have any other room? -Chao mee hong eun eek baw?

Shopping
How much is it? - La Ka Thao Dai
Too expensive - Phaeng Tae
Any discount? - Lot La Ka Hai Dae Dai Bor?

Wanderlust Travel Awards 2010 Top City
By Wanderlust team
Discover which city scooped top prize in this year's awards

Top city: Luang Prabang, Laos

Ranking %

1 Luang Prabang, Laos 94.74

2 Siena, Italy 94.67

3 Berlin, Germany 94.15

4 Seville, Spain 94.00

5 Kyoto, Japan 93.33

6 Melbourne, Australia 92.22

7 Boston, USA 91.85

8 Krakow, Poland 90.91

9 San Francisco, USA 90.53

10 Tallinn, Estonia 90.40


Right at home:

“Luang Prabang is one of those rare traveller towns where as soon as you arrive you feel right at home,” wrote reader Lucy Palmer of your perennial favourite city.


“Maybe it’s the languid pace of life instilled by the monks, maybe it’s just being in the shadow of those majestic temples; maybe it’s the presence of the mighty Mekong – but the whole place makes you slow down, forget any stress and just appreciate the environment around you. Yes, there are things to see and do, but that’s not the point. Luang Prabang is simply a great place to be.”



Despite its growing popularity, you told us the town retains those things that make it special: its colourful markets, French cuisine, outbreaks of drumming by the resident monks. And you recalled great local excursions – learning to be a mahout at an elephant centre (www.laos-adventures.com), gold-panning at a jungle ecolodge (www.kamulodge.com) and taking a boat trip to the Kuang Si waterfalls.


Even the frequent power cuts and lack of ATMs, concluded reader Charlotte West, “just seem to add to the charm of this one-of-a-kind place.”


Get there fast – then slow right down.


>>See the rest of Wanderlust Travel Awards 2010 winners here

If you’ve got never traveled to a developing country, Laos would certainly provide you a unique expertise and most likely additional than simply one. With its previous colonial charm and vast rural areas, if you like the outside or just need to relax Laos has masses to offer. When visiting Laos you’ll have to purchase Laos currency that is known as Kip and here are some benefits and disadvantages of using Kip.

Volume: Laos Tour widely accepts US bucks but on arrival in the country you may probably exchange your Greenbacks to the native currency called Kip, attempt not to change all your money to Kip as you may be in for a surprise and in all probability additional cash than you’ll carry. A definite annoyance is that the sheer volume of money; you’ll notice this as a tourist changing $100 US at a time however when buying a bike or different large items, locals typically would like a carrier bag or even a suitcase filled with it. This brings in another drawback counting your money takes a while.

Millionaires: I assume this might be seen as a bonus as when you change your money in Laos you have got become a rapid millionaire. You’ve got reached celebrity standing in some countries but not in Laos as most people are millionaires here. When exchanging money the most effective approach to try to to this can be amendment a little at a time, this will give you sufficient native currency to acquire little items like food, drinks, entrance fees and tipping at hotels. It’s not advisable to vary massive sums as you may have to hold it around with you all day and it will probably not all work in your wallet.

Paper Currency: This is a fairly cool advantage they are no coins, which is nice, no coins to lose or hear jingling in your pocket as you run for the bus. On the opposite hand there’s plenty of paper with the most important note being equivalent to merely 5 US Bucks

Tiny amendment: Have you ever ever had the matter that you wish to buy something tiny however do not seem to have any change. This downside does not ever seem to happen in Tour of Laos with the most important note hardly price that a lot of, it’s made buying tiny things from markets extraordinarily easy.

Colors Co-Ordination: Individual notes are all totally different colours and straightforward to tell apart, which could be a definite advantage over the US currency and conjointly a lot of original with the US bills all being the identical color and size.

Closed Country: Laos Tours is officially a closed country which means any left over Kip you have got at the end of your trip ought to not very be taken out of the country all nobody will build a fuss, if you did take money out of Laos there would be no use for it as no one would accept a comprehensible difficulty. When changing cash in Laos; keep the exchange receipt that you just obtained from the bank, this makes it easy to change back your unused local currency to $US Bucks while not the receipt the bank will not comply with the exchange. If this fails attempt a native restaurant or search to see if they will exchange it for you, albeit at a reduced exchange rate.

The last option is to stay it for different uses like whereas camping you perhaps cold, it might come in handy when beginning a fire or if times are desperate it makes smart rest room paper.

Source: http://articlicious.com

A tourist hangs off a zip-line for a bird's eye view of the jungle. --Photo Laophoto

It may not be quite like Tarzan but swinging between the trees on a zip-line is now a new adventure for visitors to the Nam Lik Jungle Fly.

This activity has been set up in Senxoum village, Phonhong district, Vientiane province, and is about 70km north of Vientiane .

Open for the last few weeks before its official launch, the new adventure site has given visitors the thrilling experience of swinging through the treetops while securely attached to a long guide wire.

Owner of Nam Lik Jungle Fly and Chief Executive Officer of Green Discovery, Mr Inthy Deuansavanh, said yesterday “Our zip-line adventure stretches over a total length of 2km, with the zip-line section itself about 860 metres long and some enjoyable walks through lush green forest in between. We have 23 platforms on the trees at different levels, up to 37 metres high, and the lines are up to 180 metres long with stunning views over the forest.”

The zip-line is situated in 13 hectares of magnificent jungle and river scenery. At this stage most of the adventurers are brought in by companies and tour groups who also arrange kayaking, trekking and camping activities.

“We don't just run the business for profit - we also want to preserve the area's forest and biodiversity because this part of Senxoum village used to be exposed to illegal logging,” Mr Inthy said.

The adventure site currently has four main activities - kayaking, trekking, zip-line and camping – with elephant rides expected to be added in the near future. Resort accommodation is also planned and should be ready by the end of this year.

The zip-line took seven months to install, and is an important part of the project's ecotourism objectives.

Managing Director of Green Discovery, Mr Vianney Catteau, said 10 local guides have already been trained by an international specialist in outdoor sports. Local people are also being trained in hospitality skills such as cooking and other services for visitors. The project is helping to protect biodiversity in the area, where educators can also come to do research. The zip-line is not only fun but minimises the impact of visitors on the forest floor, prevents damage to vegetation, and provides access to the forest canopy which would otherwise be difficult for researchers to study.

“We are sure it will be a really exciting venture. And it's all close to Vientiane , on the way to Vangvieng district, just 15 km before Hinheup, so it's easy to reach. Everything has been designed to be environmentally friendly, taking care to minimise harm to the trees and other vegetation,” Mr Vianney said.

Visitors from Vangvieng district can travel south to the site by river, using kayaks that can be hired in Hinheup.

“We want to encourage both Lao and overseas visitors, and will offer reductions to domestic visitors to encourage them to get in touch with nature and help protect our forests,” he said.

T he site can be reached by driving from Vientiane for about 70km to Senxoum district on Road No. 13 north, followed by a right turn and a drive of about 7km to Nam Lik. Vehicles have to be left here before a 20-minute boat ride and a 30-minute trek to reach the camp site and zip-line. Along the zip-line, adventurers can enjoy views of the forest and the Nam Lik riverbank. The cost of a zip-line excursion is just under US$50, and is negotiable. Interested persons or companies who need more information can telephone 85620 6622001 or 85620 6622002.

The zip-line is the third to be constructed in Laos . The first is in Bokeo province and second is at the Tad Sae waterfall in Luang Prabang province.


By Panyasith Thammavongsa
Vientianetimes

(KPL) Laos would be hosting the 2009 World Ecotourism and Exhibition Conference, to be held at Donchan Palace Hotel in Vientiane Capital from 14 to 18 July.

Deputy President of National Tourism Organisation, Mr. Soukasene Phothisane said that during this conference it would also be exhibiting local handicraft products.
Speaking at a press conference on 11 May, Mr Soukasueam also said that this conference is being organised in cooperation with Associations of Hotels, Guesthouse and Restaurants of Laos and added that the conference sponsor is Discovery MICE of Malaysia.

The aims of this conference, he told the journalists, are to share views on ecotourism development and conservation of the environment by means of sustainable participation of local people.

The other topics on the discussion agenda are climate change, natural deterioration of the environment and the impact of tourism, said Mr Soukasueam.
He stressed that Laos can benefit as the host of the conference as it is well placed to advertise its tourist sites to the conference participants and another related implication is that it would enhance the reputation of Laos vis-a-vis the international community.

Local businesses and tourist companies would be setting up 100 booths in this hotel when the conference is in session.

For more information about the conference, visit:
http://www.discoverymice.com/WECO2009LAOS/sponsorship.htm

A World Ecotourism and Adventure Conference will be held in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR from 15 - 16 July, 2009.

Lao National Tourism Administration is collaborating with Malaysia's DISCOVERYMICE Sdn Bhd to organise the conference. DiSCOVERYMICE chief executive officer Lee Choon Loong said the conference was aimed at creating greater awareness among the public and private sectors on the current ecotourism developments.

Speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony, Lee said about 800 delegates were expected to discuss and formulate solutions and applications related with ecotourism at the conference. "People can exchange lessons learnt regarding global best practices in the ecotourism and community-based tourism sectors, and seek solutions to mitigate and reverse negative impacts of tourism such as climate change and environmental degradation," said Laos National Tourism Adminstration (LTNA) chairman Somphong Mongkhonvilay, who is also Minister to the Prime Minister's Office.



Said H.E. Mr. Somphong Mongkhonvilay, Minister, Chairman Lao National Tourism Administration: “This innovative conference aims to present modern approaches to sustainable tourism development and management at World Heritage Sites, exchange lessons-learned regarding global best-practice in the ecotourism and community-based tourism sectors.

Lao PDR, Asia's newest and fastest growing tourist destination is well suited to host this event based on its reputation for warm hospitality and wealth of cultural, natural and historic tourism assets including two UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites and a network of 20 National Protected Areas that cover more than 13% of the country.

Valere Tjolle

Not quite new video, but worth to see, check it out

(KPL) According to the planners who wrote the Vientiane socio-economic plan, 900,000 visitors would be visiting Vientiane capital in the next fiscal year, 2009-2010.

To cater to their basic needs, there are 169 guesthouses, 69 restaurants and 37 tourism sites in Vientiane capital.

It is said that these might not be enough to cater to such a big number of domestic and foreign tourists next year and Vientiane capital is planning to expand its accommodation and tourism facilities.

Its expansion plan is to have 100 hotels, 175 guesthouses, 76 restaurants, 39 tourism sites, four cruise sites and 80 tourism companies.

According to the figures on arrivals at the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge and other local checkpoints, Vientiane capital welcomed more than 400,000 visitors during the first six months of 2008-2009 fiscal year and their total expenditure was US$40 million.

Based on the estimated figures, Vientiane capital is expected to generate US$88 million in income by the end of this year. For the next fiscal year, Vientiane capital is planning to increase investments in tourism infrastructure and to make them more attractive to foreigners.

(KPL) Laos expects to welcome 1.8 million international arrivals by the end of 2008, earning about 250 million USD, said the national tourism body’s report.

According to the Laos National Tourism Administration, nearly 1.4 million travellers have visited Laos in the first 10 months of 2008, a 3 percent rise over the corresponding period last year.

Over the recent past, Laos has scaled up investments in infrastructure to make it more attractive in the eyes of foreigners, such as in upgrade of Louang Namtha airport, national road No. 3, construction of the second bridge over Mekong River linking Laos and Thailand, improvement of the nation’s telecommunications and tourism services as well as building new spots of tourist attrations.

The Lao government has decided to give nationals from all ASEAN nations, except Myanmar, the visa waiver and directly provide one-month visa application procedure for foreigners at 16 border gates.

In 2007, Laos welcomed over 1.62 million visitors, up 34 percent compared with 2006, fetching 233 million USD to the national budget.

A cave explorer stands before an imposing stalagmite made of mineral deposits near an entrance to the Xe Bang Fai River cave in central Laos.

An expedition in February 2008, co-led by veteran caver John Pollack, comprehensively mapped and photographed the 5.9-mile (9.5-kilometer) length of the little-known cavern for the first time.

The spelunking team encountered some of the largest rooms and most impressive structures of any river cave on Earth, Pollack said.

A river cave is any cave with an active water source flowing through it.

Everything about the cave is big from its towering entrances to its phobia-inducing spiders, which can be 10 inches (25 centimeters) across, Pollack added.

"It's also extremely well decorated with spectacular formations," Pollack said.

MORE PHOTOS:.

Scot Hoffman
—Photograph by Dave Bunnell

Planeta.com announces the winner of the 2008 Ecotourism Spotlight Award. For the second year in a row, Ecotourism Laos received the greatest number of votes.

"Thanks to all for supporting the Ecotourism Laos website and other great sites listed this year," said Steven Schipani, Senior Advisor of the Lao National Tourism Administration. "I would also like to thank Planeta for providing a platform to recognize the Lao Government's support for ecotourism and its efforts to conserve the country's rich cultural and natural heritage"

BACKGROUND
Government websites that educate visitors about ecotourism and responsible travel options are eligible to win Planeta.com's annual Ecotourism Spotlight Award. 2008 nominees included Laos, Quito and Bali and Utila.

The award was developed to create incentives for communication, opportunities for conversation and a reward for participation among government leaders working toward ecotourism and responsible travel.

"Many tourism officials are figuring out Web 1.0 principles as locals and visitors are seeking out the Web 2.0 experience," said Planeta.com founder Ron Mader. "The spotlight award helps nudge government leaders forward as we give credit to the websites that are leading the pack."

The winner is announced in celebration of World Tourism Day (September 27) as way of spotlighting best practice in responsible travel and ecotourism.

Voting took place from July 15-August 30. More than 100 people participated.

Source: http://www.planeta.com/planeta/08/0809spotlightaward.html

The Sydney Morning Herald describes Laos as the cheapest travel destination in Asia. It’s described as “living-like-a-king-on-the-cost-of-a-packet-of-chips-a-day" !

If you've already been to South-East Asia, you won't need me to tell you how great it is (although bear with me, I have to bang on about it for a second to everyone else).

The place has got pretty much anything you could want in a travel destination, save for maybe some snow.

For starters, it's extremely affordable, particularly now with the number of budget carriers flying there. And when you're there, things range from the cheap (Malaysia, Singapore), to the really cheap (Thailand), to the extremely cheap (Vietnam), to the ridiculously cheap (Cambodia) to the I'm-living-like-a-king-on-the-cost-of-a-packet-of-chips-a-day cheap (Laos).

To read more click HERE >>

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

(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.

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

Photo: Nang Sangkan (Miss Lao New Year 2008 in Luang Prabang, Laos)

Luang Prabang has estimated the number of both domestic and foreign visitors entering the province during Lao New Year celebration at 22,000.

“Foreign tourists will share over 70 per cent of the total visitors of the province during the celebration of Lao New Year,” said this week the Head of Luang Prabang Tourism Office, Mr. Khamtanh Somphanvilay.

The province also estimates that around 4 billion kip will be in circulation during the celebration.

“This year the province cerebrates Lao New Year from 9 to 19 April, and there will be so many activities than ever,” added Mr. Khamtanh.
A trade fair of domestic and foreign products and services also coincides the celebration of Lao New Year.

Source:kpl
photo: lpb2d