Laos is more
By Zhuomin Lee |
May 4, 2013, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A trip to Siphan Don in Laos offers the chance to do, well, very little. Savor sipping a beer in a hammock, then once suitably chilled perhaps take a trip to see stunning waterfalls and - if you're very lucky - some endangered dolphins. Then it's back for a beer while watching the sun go down ...
The beauty of Siphan Don - literally the 4,000 islands - in the Mekong River in southern Laos lies in its simple pleasures. Village life, with just the occasional bicycle trundling down an island's only dirt path, makes Siphan Don the perfect getaway from city life.
Don Det
Some experiences in life don't deserve a second chance. Into this category falls our miserable overnight sleeper bus trip to get to Don Det, one of the islands of the meandering Mekong River archipelago that borders Cambodia.
Unfortunately, traveling on a shoestring, my companion and I were limited to the bumpy long-haul bus from Vientiane to Pakse, and then a three-hour transfer from Pakse to the ferry terminal, followed by a 20-minute longtail boat trip to get to Don Det (See the box for an easier route).
But the 22-hour ordeal was soon forgotten as Don Det is the epitome of tranquility. Laos is officially known as Lao People's Democratic Republic, and for seasoned travelers "PDR" doubles as Please Don't Rush.
Wedged between more popular neighbors Vietnam and Thailand, landlocked Laos is largely overlooked, but no less worthy of exploring.
Against an array of smaller islands, Don Det is one of the more popular islands travelers flock to - along with Don Khone and Don Khong. Others remain rarely visited.
Although fairly commercialized, with guesthouses, restaurants and bars, a good proportion of the island still remains underdeveloped. And if there is one thing you must do, it is this: do nothing.
Breathtaking canvas
Don Det is as comfortable as a well-worn pair of jeans. The island itself is a laidback village, a breathtaking canvas of paddy fields, golden in the dry season, lush and green during the rainy months. Livestock, mostly cows, graze lazily across the landscape and trudge toward the waters for regular afternoon dips.
There's nothing quite like waking up to this paradise and having an iced Lao coffee -an oh-so-good rich black brew in an excessively thick concoction of condensed milk and sugar.
This sinfully sweet beverage quickly becomes an everyday habit that is hard to kick - especially when accompanied by a cooked breakfast savored while overlooking the river.
A word of advice though. When entering one of these restaurants, it is always polite to remove your shoes before diving into a bunch of cosy cushions in a corner.
Another gastronomic indulgence - and this is also why I will be back again - is kicking back with a Beer Lao and a plate of freshly-made spring rolls as you lounge in a hammock.
What better way to idle the afternoon away than with good food and drink while chatting with the friendly locals, keen to practice their English with you?
And once in a while, a curious barefooted child will come along and address you with a loud "Sabaidee!" - the generic Laotian greeting - before running off giggling, with a pet puppy scampering alongside.
Little ... but fierce
Exploring Don Det from end to end takes no more than a day by foot or bicycle. Ask the way to Don Khone, and most people will point you to the connecting bridge, an excellent vantage point for sunset and pictures.
This is another picturesque island offering life's simple pleasures. Go round it and definitely do not miss Liphi Falls. The resounding roar hits you even before the impressive beauty wows you. As Shakespeare put it in A Midsummer Night's Dream: "Though she be but little, she is fierce."
Swimming or boating is not allowed and very unwise, but road signs point to a beach around the corner, where you are likely to find it populated with tourists cooling off in a lagoon.
We got ourselves into a kayak with a guide and sailed down toward the Cambodian border. The journey was spectacular; watching life go by on the mainland was a treat, as was the ride down the intermittent rapids, which threatened to capsize our kayak every time we lost control.
Past this crazy, exciting journey, the light at the end of the tunnel saw us splashing out into what seemed like another cosmos, a large body of water unbelievably still, except for the occasional sounds of Irawaddy dolphins coming up for air. We were told that eight to 10 of these highly endangered cetaceans live in these waters between Laos and Cambodia.
Our guide stopped us for lunch on the Cambodian side. The Cambodian flag and Angkor beer on sale instead of Beer Lao reminding us we were in another territory.
Before the end of the day, we stopped by yet another sight to behold, Khone Pha Pheng Falls, said to be southeast Asia's largest waterfall.
By evening, we were back on the island for our regular routine - a well-earned meal, a Beer Lao, and a view of fishermen casting their nets at sunset.
How to get there:
Daily flights are available on Lao Airlines from capital Vientiane to Pakse, Lao's third most populous city in southern province of Champasak. From Pakse, arrange for a minivan with your hotel to take you to the ferry terminal. Different terminals serve different islands, so inform your driver well in advance. The well-developed road makes for a fairly painless two-three hours ride. Longtail boats will take you across for a small fee of 15,000 kip (about US$2).
The beauty of Siphan Don - literally the 4,000 islands - in the Mekong River in southern Laos lies in its simple pleasures. Village life, with just the occasional bicycle trundling down an island's only dirt path, makes Siphan Don the perfect getaway from city life.
Don Det
Some experiences in life don't deserve a second chance. Into this category falls our miserable overnight sleeper bus trip to get to Don Det, one of the islands of the meandering Mekong River archipelago that borders Cambodia.
Unfortunately, traveling on a shoestring, my companion and I were limited to the bumpy long-haul bus from Vientiane to Pakse, and then a three-hour transfer from Pakse to the ferry terminal, followed by a 20-minute longtail boat trip to get to Don Det (See the box for an easier route).
But the 22-hour ordeal was soon forgotten as Don Det is the epitome of tranquility. Laos is officially known as Lao People's Democratic Republic, and for seasoned travelers "PDR" doubles as Please Don't Rush.
Wedged between more popular neighbors Vietnam and Thailand, landlocked Laos is largely overlooked, but no less worthy of exploring.
Against an array of smaller islands, Don Det is one of the more popular islands travelers flock to - along with Don Khone and Don Khong. Others remain rarely visited.
Although fairly commercialized, with guesthouses, restaurants and bars, a good proportion of the island still remains underdeveloped. And if there is one thing you must do, it is this: do nothing.
Breathtaking canvas
Don Det is as comfortable as a well-worn pair of jeans. The island itself is a laidback village, a breathtaking canvas of paddy fields, golden in the dry season, lush and green during the rainy months. Livestock, mostly cows, graze lazily across the landscape and trudge toward the waters for regular afternoon dips.
There's nothing quite like waking up to this paradise and having an iced Lao coffee -an oh-so-good rich black brew in an excessively thick concoction of condensed milk and sugar.
This sinfully sweet beverage quickly becomes an everyday habit that is hard to kick - especially when accompanied by a cooked breakfast savored while overlooking the river.
A word of advice though. When entering one of these restaurants, it is always polite to remove your shoes before diving into a bunch of cosy cushions in a corner.
Another gastronomic indulgence - and this is also why I will be back again - is kicking back with a Beer Lao and a plate of freshly-made spring rolls as you lounge in a hammock.
What better way to idle the afternoon away than with good food and drink while chatting with the friendly locals, keen to practice their English with you?
And once in a while, a curious barefooted child will come along and address you with a loud "Sabaidee!" - the generic Laotian greeting - before running off giggling, with a pet puppy scampering alongside.
Little ... but fierce
Exploring Don Det from end to end takes no more than a day by foot or bicycle. Ask the way to Don Khone, and most people will point you to the connecting bridge, an excellent vantage point for sunset and pictures.
This is another picturesque island offering life's simple pleasures. Go round it and definitely do not miss Liphi Falls. The resounding roar hits you even before the impressive beauty wows you. As Shakespeare put it in A Midsummer Night's Dream: "Though she be but little, she is fierce."
Swimming or boating is not allowed and very unwise, but road signs point to a beach around the corner, where you are likely to find it populated with tourists cooling off in a lagoon.
We got ourselves into a kayak with a guide and sailed down toward the Cambodian border. The journey was spectacular; watching life go by on the mainland was a treat, as was the ride down the intermittent rapids, which threatened to capsize our kayak every time we lost control.
Past this crazy, exciting journey, the light at the end of the tunnel saw us splashing out into what seemed like another cosmos, a large body of water unbelievably still, except for the occasional sounds of Irawaddy dolphins coming up for air. We were told that eight to 10 of these highly endangered cetaceans live in these waters between Laos and Cambodia.
Our guide stopped us for lunch on the Cambodian side. The Cambodian flag and Angkor beer on sale instead of Beer Lao reminding us we were in another territory.
Before the end of the day, we stopped by yet another sight to behold, Khone Pha Pheng Falls, said to be southeast Asia's largest waterfall.
By evening, we were back on the island for our regular routine - a well-earned meal, a Beer Lao, and a view of fishermen casting their nets at sunset.
How to get there:
Daily flights are available on Lao Airlines from capital Vientiane to Pakse, Lao's third most populous city in southern province of Champasak. From Pakse, arrange for a minivan with your hotel to take you to the ferry terminal. Different terminals serve different islands, so inform your driver well in advance. The well-developed road makes for a fairly painless two-three hours ride. Longtail boats will take you across for a small fee of 15,000 kip (about US$2).
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
