3 weeks in Laos, stress-free (page 4 of 5)

I really enjoyed your storytelling talent and your beautiful command of our language. Too bad the nature isn’t as lush this season—you’ll have to compare it to my Laos travel journal from back then. It’d be great to visit Asia in both January and July...I

Thanks! I’m off to read your journal now!

Thanks Bruno!

I really loved the South, maybe because it was where I met up with my friends for the rest of the trip...

Actually, our favorite moments and emotions depend on so many things—sometimes so subtle we can’t even explain them. That’s part of the magic of travel (whether far or near).

@kate @sinforosa

A promise made is a promise kept. Here are some drawings to go with the photos from Laos.

First, two snapshots of Tak Bat in Luang Prabang. The main street is overrun with tourists, especially Chinese visitors who arrive with whole boxes of offerings. But further on, you’ll find locals, like this family.

There are also children who pray to the monks, hoping they’ll share some of their alms. These kids will leave with bags full of food, likely meant for their whole family.



Finally, here are a few portraits of children. They’re cheerful and smiling. The rule my husband and I now follow is to never photograph children without the presence of adults whose permission we’ve asked, and, of course, to keep a respectful distance. We don’t give gifts directly to children to avoid encouraging them to beg and to protect them from ill-intentioned people. That doesn’t stop us from enjoying watching them, discreetly.







There you go—this travel journal is REALLY finished now! Thanks for "challenging" me; it pushed me to get out my pencils!

Wow wow wow, I love it, thank you! 🙂😊😎 You've got talent! Really.

Thanks for these drawings—those kids’ doodles are absolutely adorable! 🙂

Hi Kate, Thanks! Now I’ve got work to do with Oman. 😉

🙂 Thanks, Muriel.

You probably already know that every month we get together for little photo contests? They’re definitely welcome here ;) https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=11475323;a=11475323

These portraits are really nice... and you're right not to encourage begging or worse. During a trip to Myanmar (which had to be organized at the time), our French-speaking guide advised us not to buy anything from the adorable kids who swarmed around the bus like a flock of sparrows at every stop: they were selling really pretty handmade items, laughing and saying in French, "It's pretty, it's cheap, and I made it myself." The guide explained that if they earned money this way, their parents wouldn't send them to school. In Bali, kids would hang around near the soccer field in the heart of Ubud and leave with Europeans heading to their accommodations!

gorgeous The portraits are really beautiful Thanks

Nice, your travel journal ended beautifully! 🙂 I loved Laos, until I caught dengue fever, which knocked me out for a week. I’m planning to go back.

Thanks Gaura !

magnifique The portraits are really beautiful

Thanks Marie Jo

Great job, your travel journal ended beautifully! 🙂 I loved Laos, until I caught dengue fever, which knocked me out for a week. I’m planning to go back.

Thanks Patrice. And enjoy your next trip back to Laos!

I’m following your travels too :) ... it reminds me of my Thailand trip (just the mainland :) ) about ten years ago.... Laos caught my eye when I went to Nong Khai—it was right across from my guesthouse 🙂 .... Your photos capture that authentic Asian way of life and gentleness so well!

Hi Fabienne,

I just discovered your travel journal today. I agree with what’s been said—beautiful storytelling and wow, what talent for the drawings! They’re stunning! You could definitely get published.

I’m also chiming in because you talked a lot about the slow pace in this country, and like many others who’ve been there, I was really struck by that slowness, which I felt was a real life lesson. Stay zen, right? I shared my own trip from 2026, talking about the same thing (Memories of Laos - March 2016, here), praising that slow pace as a gentle way of life that eventually shaped my trip—I ended up staying 7 days in Champassak instead of the 2 I’d originally planned. "Two words come to mind when I think back to my trip to Laos in March 2016: nature and tranquility."

Thanks for sharing and bringing back those memories.

Really looking forward to your illustrated travel journal from Oman—it’s on my to-do list!

Wow, what a pleasure to read you all! I’m planning my trip for January 2027. Do you have any names of typical, budget-friendly accommodations to recommend? What I’m looking for is staying with locals in an authentic setting, even if it’s a bit spartan. Thanks in advance!

I'm planning my trip for January 2027. Do you have any names of typical, budget-friendly accommodations to recommend? What I'm looking for is staying with locals in an authentic setting, even if it's a bit basic. Thanks in advance

Usually, you pick accommodations based on your itinerary, right? You're doing the opposite?

Hi,

No, I’ve made a provisional itinerary:

Vientiane - Vang Vieng - Phonsavan - Sam Neua - Nong Khiaw + villages - Phongsali - Luang Namtha and area - Udomxai - Huay Xai - Luang Prabang and back to Vientiane Thanks

Hi, thanks for sharing your experiences, photos, and drawings from Laos. It reminds me of 1998 when the visa was only for 15 days... I’m planning to go back for a month in 2027 to explore the south and the north, which I haven’t visited yet.

How did you get in touch with your guide? For the last part of your trip, were you without a guide? And on a motorbike?

Thanks, happy travels