Almost everyone who has traveled to Southeast Asia has visited Vietnam and Cambodia.  Recently, we had the opportunity to visit a lesser known country in that part of the world: Laos.  Its official name is the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.

Our guide, Cox and Kings (the tour operator who has been in the travel business since 1758: that's right, 250 years of experience!), took our small group to Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site; it is one of the loveliest cities of that part of the world, nestled as it is in the nothern mountains of Laos.  Our hotel,  the Résidence Phou Vao is located amidst seven acres of lush gardens with bougainvillea, palm trees and frangipani; the terrace, by the pool, overlooks the entire area as far as the eye can see, yet within walking distance from downtown.

We explored the area taking a traditional boat trip on the Mekong River to the Pak Ou caves with its thousand images of Buddha, we saw the Khuangzi Waterfalls, we climbed the 325 steps to the Buddhist temple in the center of town... Luang Prabang itself engaged us with its French architecture, its red-roofed temples, its saffron-robed monks, and its fine cuisine.  We were invited to participate in a Baci ceremony, a buddhist celebration of special occasions: at the end of a brief service and a traditional Lao dance performance, our hosts tied cotton strings around our wrists wishing us health and happiness.

Then, we flew to Vientiane, the political capital of Laos: we visited the National Museum, in the former king's palace.  We also went to Vat Sisaket, the oldest temple in the city with its remarkable hand-painted walls telling the history of Buddha.  We were able to enjoy Carol Cassidy's factory: she is an American weaver who created a business where she employs and trains marvelous silk weavers.  Our downtown hotel, the Settha Palace, was handsome and comfortable.

Finally, we flew to Pakse, the capital of the Champassak Province in southern Laos, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.  We visited the Wat Phu temple, built by the same people who built Angkor Wat, only earlier.  We went to the Khone Phapheng Waterfall and took a long-tail boat to see the Irrawaddy dolphins, the small freshwater dolphins believed to steer fish into the nets of the local fishermen.  We rode elephants to Phu Asa temple on a mountain top: it offers stunning views of the valley below.  The Pakse Museum displays the arts and crafts of the different ethnic groups of the area.  Our modest hotel, in the center of town, was warm, welcoming, and very nicely run.

Throughout our trip, we shopped unabashedly: local artisans are wonderful workers and they achieve wonders with their weaving, their woodworking and their paper-making.

We left regretfully to return to Bangkok.  Our week in Laos does not do justice to this lovely country with its warm and friendly people, its deeply spiritual culture, its breathtaking unspoiled mountainous landscapes, and its delicious food.

Merely writing about Laos is not enough. The beauty of the country, yet unsung, comes from the constant visual surprises it offers its visitors; when my husband and I visited there in the spring of 2005, we captured hundreds such treasures with our cameras, looking forward to sharing them with friends and travelers; they also serve to remind us of our wonderful trip.  Please click below and have a look: let us know what you think, and most of all, enjoy!

Good addresses:

Information about Laos: www.visit-laos.com

Carol Cassidy's factory: www.laotextiles.com

Our hotels: www.residencephouvao.com in Luang Prabang; www.setthapalace.com in Vientiane; www.hotelpakse.com in Pakse.

Laos Photo Gallery 

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I am a native of Paris: I return frequently, at least twice a year, as my family lives there.  Everytime I go back, I feel both like a tourist and a native.  Books have been written about the beauty of the City of Lights, there are poems and songs about it... Every time I walk across the Pont-Neuf, the skyline and the light take my breath away, that is Paris.

 When a movie takes place in Paris, the first image is usually that of the Eiffel Tower: as a monument, it is striking, both for its architecture and its history.  But to me that is definitely not Paris.  Today, I want to explore and describe what Paris is all about to the tourist and the native that I am.

When I arrive in Paris, I unfailingly have two tasks to complete after dropping off my luggage at my brother's apartment near the Buttes-Chaumont Gardens: I go to a bistro for a baguette sandwich with ham and Cantal cheese, and then head on to Berthillon's tearoom for the world's best ice-cream, bar none.  Then I feel Parisian again!

The freshly made baguette is crusty and fragrant, Parisian ham lean and moist, and Cantal, the cheese of central France has more taste, more bite than Gruyère.  As for Berthillon, located on the Ile Saint-Louis, the small island behind Notre-Dame's Ile de la Cité, it must be paradise on earth: whatever your preferred flavor, a spoonful hits your tongue with such smoothness, such richness and such fragrance (the word for ice-cream flavor in French, is "parfum", the same word used to refer to perfume!).  My favorite "parfum" is hazelnut, or "noisette", I combine it with a cherry or an apricot sorbet (to be honest, I usually don't limit my serving to just two scoops!)

Ile Saint-Louis is not well-known to tourists, because it is largely residential.  It is often ignored, yet it is lovely with all its art galleries, its restaurants and cafés, as well as its beautiful 17^th- and 19^th-century architecture: most residential buildings are within a block or two from the banks of the Seine.  It has only two main streets: Rue Saint-Louis en l'Ile and Rue des Deux-Ponts, and it is eminently walkable.  Just get off the Pont-Marie metro station, cross the Pont-Marie bridge, and there you are.

 Good addresses:

Berthillon Glacier  31 Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile  Paris 4^ème (open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 8 pm, except during school vacations).  If the lines seem unsurmountable, go around the corner to Pom'Canelle on rue du Pont Marie, excellent lunch place, but they serve Berthillon ice-cream.

Le Petit Mâchon 158, rue St Honoré Paris 1^er (open every day except Monday, for lunch and dinner - 01-42-60-08-06): very close to the Louvre and Palais-Royal, it is a bistrot serving Lyon specialties; it is very popular a lunch time, try and arrive between 12:30 and 1:00 pm to get a table.

L'Arganier 19 rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie Paris 4^ème (open every single day, it is best for a buffet brunch on Sundays, though a bit crowded): it's in the Marais area of the Right Bank, delicious and inexpensive.