In September and October of 2014 I went on a trip to Southeast Asia. Of the three countries I visited (Thailand, Laos and Cambodia), I liked Laos the best, hands down. I fell in love with the country almost the second we crossed the border, and fell deeper and deeper in love the more time I spent in Laos. The scenery is so beautiful it’s almost unreal, the people are all gorgeous, and the vibe is laid back and slowed down, which was perfect for my mental wellbeing! I spent time in Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane, as well as several smaller towns. I still miss Laos on a daily basis! If you ever get the opportunity to go there, take it, no question.
view from the boat on the Mekong River (Mekong River, Laos — October 2014)
sunset upon the Mekong (Pakbeng, Laos — October 2014)
more boats like the one we were on (Pakbeng, Laos — October 2014)
view from the deck of the guesthouse (Pakbeng, Laos — October 2014)
morning mist (Pakbeng, Laos — October 2014)
elephants in the wild (Mekong River, Laos — October 2014)
a tiny village (Mekong River, Laos — October 2014)
Pakou Caves (near Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
the Pakou Caves have over 4000 images and figures of Buddha inside (near Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
Wat Xieng Thong (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
Wat Xieng Thong (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
first time trying snake whiskey! (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
close up of snake whiskey (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
more snake whiskey at the night market (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
elephant (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
view from on top of an elephant (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
condos at the elephant camp (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
drinking from the river (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
at bear at the Kuang Si rescue centre (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
Kuang Si Falls (Luang Prabang, Laos — October 2014)
on the bus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng (Laos — October 2014)
on the bus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng
a mother and her puppy inside Kangaroo Sunset bar (Vang Vieng, Laos — October 2014)
the view at breakfast (Vang Vieng, Laos — October 2014)
walking through the rice fields (Vang Vieng, Laos — October 2014)
going tubing and caving (Vang Vieng, Laos — October 2014)
the COPE centre, which educates visitors on bombings in Laos and helps amputees and people with missing limbs get prosthetics through sales and donations. (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
a bomb display inside the COPE centre (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
Patuxai, the Lao Arch of Triumph (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
climbing the stairs of Patuxai (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
view from the top of Patuxai (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
the park below Patuxai (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
spiral staircase and a shop inside Patuxai (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
inside Patuxai (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
the Golden Stupa (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)
Patuxai, the Lao version of the Arc de Triomphe, demonstrates Laos’ French background and heritage (Vientiane, Laos — October 2014)