Christmas week I believe

21st December 2025

At last - some sunshine today. It's been so cold and grey for the past couple of weeks. I know it's relative and that 15 degrees at night and 25 by mid-afternoon doesn't sound cold, but with limited clothing and no heating and a north-facing house that doesn't get any sun at this time of year I for one just can't wait for it to be over. We remember when we first came to SE Asia we chose to go to Kep in Cambodia for December because of the weather. Perhaps next year we'll consider going south. 

This month has also been somewhat taken up by keeping in touch with Trevann's brother Chris while he fights pneumonia and lymphoma in hospital in Hull. Time will tell on that situation.

Over here Lao PDR celebrated its 50th anniversary in style with amazing parades and fireworks and drone shows in Vientiane. We had flag-lined streets and National Day holiday here in LPb but no fireworks.

Now this week we have not only the solstice and Christmas but also Hmong New Year, an important and colourful date in the annual calendar.

Thong made us a gate to keep the dogs and chickens out. The dogs had started to be a real pain, three of them running around the garden barking at 5:30am. No more!

We harvested our banana crop

Office assistant

Green garden

Curiously, we have never met our new neighbour Jonathan who moved into the house above ours in September! His front gate is the other side of the hill.

Anita's birthday at the Fat Cat was fun and we left before the bottle of Tequila was opened and everything got a bit messy!

A Japanese NGO funded pedestrianisation of the main street with pot plants, green electric buses and barriers - but only for one week!

My birthday treat was a visit to the Elephant Village about 10km away.We had never been to see the elephants before. There are 3 or 4 different sanctuaries around Luang Prabang. No riding these days and plenty of emphasis on welfare, which is good.

 

This place has three adult elephants rescued from the logging industry and two babies.

They are quite extraordinary creatures - and always eating

It was a privilege to be able to get so close.

Part of the Elephant Village visit package was a trip on this boat along the river to a waterfall.

The banks are all planted up with bananas, corn, green beans and peanuts.

This little boy amused himself by jumping in the river with a big splash while his dad was busy fishing. Dad was not amused!

Sadly the waterfall site (Tad Sae), which used to be a beautiful natural and wild spot, has recently been bought by a Chinese company who are developing it with accommodation, cafe, access bridge for buses etc. We had to trudge through a muddy construction site to reach the waterfall 

Tad Sae - it is beautiful with water cascading over the rocks into turquoise pools. A bit too cold for swimming this day

Our tour guide Joy shows us edible flowers picked from beside the path.

A big lunch was included in the deal.

And in the evening I got my traditional annual birthday Mai Tai.

We bought a large wok to act as a firepit in the garden. It works well and can keep us warm in chilly evenings! There's a woman in the local market who cuts and sells some kind of resinous wood that burns really easily. Natural firelighter

Trevann's had several chances to play with other travelling musicians recently. We were in our friend Simon's restaurant when three Chinese guys picked up the guitars and started playing the most wonderful bluegrass/Americana tunes. What a surprise! Trevann and German Marco joined in. 

When we picked up our annual visas we obviously didn't check our work permits carefully. Only noticed yesterday that Trevann's photo is not Trevann! All falang look alike to Laotians!

Another night, another gig. Americans Brett and Steve and others at La Cantina

Hmong youngsters with their costumes on their way to their New Year Festival on the edge of town. It's a joyous and colourful traditional occasion where they will matchmaking by throwing tennis balls at each other

Poor old Nam Khan looking a shadow of its previous self. This "development" seems to have been going on forever

Tai Lue dreamcatchers - and blue sky! Hooray

Today we walked through the brand new park that has been created around the tip of the peninsula, replacing natural riverbanks with concrete paths and bollards. Oh well, I suppose the alternative would've been to allow the riverbanks to erode until the town fell into the water.

Hmong maiden in the wrong place to find a suitor

National Day decorations

 

4000 Islands and a Typhoon

 Who'd a thought it? The Cherries (momentarily) at the top of the league!

And in other news, we took a short trip down to southern Laos, to revisit a place we really like (Champasak) and spend a few days in a place we haven't been to before (4000 Islands).

Si Phan Don (4000 Islands) is as far south as you can get in Laos, right on the border with Cambodia

 It was a journey by plane, car, ferry and bus. First a flight to Pakse, where we were picked up by Wan from Nakorn Guesthouse and driven 45 minutes to Champasak. It was lovely to realise that we had met before. She is the same owner from last time we stayed at Nakorn 7 years ago. Since then she's ditched the slightly grumpy Belgian husband we remembered and now manages the guest house with a super-efficient and friendly German man called Herbert. So it goes.

After two days at Nakorn, we crossed the Mekong in a little local ferry and were picked up by a mini-van for the 2 hour journey to Nakasang. Then another ferry to Don Det and we were at our guesthouse on 4000 Islands. After 4 days there we did the reverse journey: back to Champasak, Pakse and flight home to Luang Prabang.

So that was our little holiday, pictures below.

But first, there was the "Fun Run"! Now I don't run. The last time I did so was probably on the hockey pitch at school. But the Children's Hospital is a good cause and the Luang Prabang Half Marathon is a big event in the year so I was persuaded to sign up for the 7km version. To be honest, the worst part was having to get up at 4:30am in order to reach the start by 6. There was no compulsion to actually run and in the end I walked most of the way and did a little jog when I felt inspired to do so. Trevann, a committed runner, powered on ahead of course.

Do I look the part!?

It was a good course.

Not bad - though I say it myself, considering I stopped to take photos and for a little chat with a friend.

The whole event was incredibly well organised, with 3000 runners, road closures, marshalls, free food, T-shirts and even medals! 

The next week we set off for our holiday to southern Laos.

Nakorn Guesthouse is right on the banks of the Mekong, with views across to Don Daeng island.

It's very comfortable!

It's in the heart of Champasak which is a small, one-road, 10-wat town.

The food at Nakorn is delicious.

The main attraction near Champasak is the ruined ancient Khmer-Hindu temple called Wat Phu, which sits on the hill overlooking the Mekong valley. Wat Phu is said to pre-date Angkor Wat and is thought to be one of the oldest sites of worship in SE Asia. It's also one of my favourite places in the world!

Visitors approach the temple along an impressive lingam avenue. 

The steps up the mountain are giant! With silver dok champa (frangipani) trees on either side.

The sanctuary is still a well-used place of Buddhist workship.

Relief carving shows the Hindu Trimurti - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

View from the top across the Mekong valley.

I absolutely love Wat Phu. It is a special place for me.

The next morning we set off for the journey south.

Crossing the Mekong

With life jackets!

On the other side we were joined by a gaggle of other travellers as we waited (an hour) for the mini-bus.

Nakasang ferry port, where the boats leave for Don Det (4000 Islands).

Don Det has no cars! Transport is bicycle, a few motos, walking or boat.

And iron buffalos for the farmers.

The view from our guesthouse room.

Trevann was delighted to find a cafe serving tea with milk in a mug!

Lots of buffalos

Rice harvest was in full swing

This is the reason why the Mekong is not navigable from sea to source. At Li Phi (meaning Spirit Trap - because it is where the spirits of deceased people and animals are trapped) waterfall the river flows over a series of thunderous cascades and rapids. Awe-inspiring!

We sat a watched for a while.

There is evidence of unsuccessful attempts to commercialise. For example, this abandoned restaurant building next to the river.

A shame. It must've been lovely when new. I suspect Covid would be to blame.

The islands are truly peaceful and beautiful.

In the late 19th century, in an attempt to circumvent the waterfalls, the French built a 7km railway from Don Khon island over this bridge to Don Det so that they could transport gunboats up the Mekong.

This is the remains of the French Port, where the railway cargo was loaded onto boats destined for the north. 

Trevann with his mug of tea.

I was a little perturbed to see the forecast track of this typhoon. In the event, our last night on Don Det was fairly alarming with torrential rain and howling winds at 4 in the morning. We were glad to be in a concrete guesthouse rather than a bamboo shack! I was also relieved to find that it had blown itself out by the time we set off back to Champasak.

Back at Nakorn

And then the flight (Lao Airlines) back from Pakse to Luang Prabang. Where we found that the dok champa (frangipani) cutting we had planted in our garden last year has finally burst into flower. How beautiful is that!?