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Dangers And Annoyances In Don Khong Island, Luang Prabang, Luang Nam Tha, Muang Sing, Laos

August 15, 2008

Oh yes, my Laos experience! No, I am not complaining, just subjectively reporting.

Even if I asked the kids in the above photo to pray for a successful travel photography trip I do not think that would have helped.

But the wisdom gained from my time spent in Laos will enable me to better enjoy non-photography related personal travel time and be a more successful travel photographer if I ever decide to return.

First evidence of trouble: Laos is getting one post per country not one post per stop / town just like in the case of my ruined photography trip in Thailand.
But let’s look at things from the viewpoint of a travel guidebook, so here are my “Dangers and Annoyances” section:

Border Crossing From Cambodia

Coming from Strung Treng, Cambodia the border crossing tour package (which is the only way to cross without own wheels) sold at hotels will promise transportation all the way to your chosen destination in Laos.

Be prepared to start paying for the Laotian section of the trip after crossing the border because in my case even though my ticket said Don Khong Island, it was not honored.
It is a very clever and safe scam no one will buy another Cambodian visa just to return to Strung Treng to complain.

Most Unethical Tourist Behavior: Paying For Elephant Trekking Tours

Elephant trekking tours are sought after exotic activities of countless tourists flocking to tourist traps, a highlight of many trips not only to Laos but throughout Southeast Asia in Thailand and Cambodia as well.
Unfortunately people fail to do a few minutes of research or just do not care about the dark side of elephant trekking businesses.

One would think it is obvious to all tourists that these wild independent proud intelligent animals need to be domesticated (beaten into submission) yes, at a young age.
In simple terms: while tourists are paying a hefty price for their not so cheap thrills riding on the backs of elephants they are supporting elephant trekking business owners who routinely and systematically engage in the following activities:

• separating infant / baby elephants from their mothers
• prolonged torture, repeated beating of elephants to break their will
• dehydration
• starvation
• inadequate feeding of elephants even after training (while working)
• injury causing and demoralizing tight chains
• repeated beatings / severe punishment and injury to elephants’ skulls to continue reinforcing obedience

More details, links to videos about cruelty towards elephants working in the tourist business:
Tourists Who Support Elephant Abuse The Beating Torturing Of Animals

Laos, The Money Machine

There is no comparison to Vietnam, Cambodia even Thailand; Laos is out for your money!
The first shocker was the hefty $40 visa fee (30 days) which I paid at the Lao consulate in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. You will also need 2 visa forms filled out and three yes, 3 passport photos!
Budget extra funds and time for Laos because in my opinion the only way to get off the well well well beaten track is to get your own transportation, get a personal guide or get lost on your own in more remote regions which is time consuming due to poor road conditions and adventurous transportation options.

The Absurdity Of Luang Prabang

Besides the much advertised picturesque setting and laid back quality of Luang Prabang it is still a tourist trap with non stop souvenir markets, travel agencies and numerous despicable elephant trekking tours (businesses that torture elephants).

But the most absurd fact about Luang Prabang (as of August 2008) is that the rental of bicyles to tourist has been stopped / outlawed by the police.
My hotel’s manager said the official police explanation was that Luang Prabang is a very small town where bicycles are not practical so the density of tourist compared to the town’s size warranted this new law.

It was beyond absurd that I could not explore the surroundings of Luang Prabang as I did at many other places. FYI: the bicycle ban is not in affect in Vientiane, Laos.

Beware Of The Rainy Season

Especially in the mountainous Northwest region which I visited, rainy season presents dangers and annoyances which are good to be aware of beforehand.
Due to the condition of buses, the horrible roads and the frequent mudslides (my example is the 10 hour Luang Prabang – Luang Nam Tha trip) the traveler better gain Buddhist monk like wisdom and patience.
Rationing the consumption of liquids and mastering bladder control is a skill which will pay huge dividends.
If rained out and trapped in a hotel a good book or a passionate partner can make all the difference.

Authentic Cultural Experiences

Most tourist will pay for a trekking tour at one point during their Southeast Asia trip (I did not because I like to do my own thing); the quality of experience can vary depending on the size of the trekking group.
I was told by a couple that they were promised just one more person in their group but ended up with seven people total resulting a loud horde which made the three day trek somewhat of an annoying activity.

I was also told that the quality and scope of travel photography is rather limited when visiting the much advertised mountain hill tribes during these organized treks.
It is mostly a quick pose to take some snapshots in anticipation of the following main event of selling souvenirs and handicrafts.
This reassured me that skipping tours on this trip was a fine choice; the only exception being the excellent Mekong River boat tours I took in Vietnam through small canals and to floating markets which I could have not done on my own.

Trekking through the mountains of Northwest Laos is the prime example where dishing out more cash and hiring a private guide is a great investment.

Laotian Definition Of Sleepy, Relaxed, Laid Back, Quiet Travel Destinations

This is a minor annoyance perhaps more affecting result oriented travel photographers but in Laos a sleepy, relaxed, laid back or quiet place may have close to zero travel photography value and pulse.
While it can be photographically speaking frustrating at first the good news is that these places offer a chance to (learn to) appreciate traveling while not constantly looking through the viewfinder.

The Best Part Of Laos

Let’s end this section on a positive note, the best part of my Laos experience was leaving.
During my one hour flight to Hanoi, Vietnam we were served food on the airplane. Are you reading this American Airlines? One hour flight plus a warm meal; what an unbelievable generosity from Lao Airlines!

Don Khong Island is one of the more sleepy, relaxed, laid back, quiet ones in the Four Thousand Islands (Si Phan Don) region of Southern Laos.
The Mekong River moves fast here, a visually very interesting phenomenon, the fast currents are generated by all the intersecting islands making the river crossing a tricky maneuver.
I did not see, experience or photograph much while riding my “Barbie type” bicycle on the practically car free roads of the island but the Wat (pagoda) near my hotel fortunately held some surprises, i.e. being able to photographs Buddhist monks praying as seen on the first photo of this post.

Wat Phuang Kaew, the location for the evening prayer shot during daytime:

The very friendly and curious kids who live, study and pray at Wat Phuang Kaew were given this monkey as a gift.
I had the funniest experience with this monkey, after I took a few photos just like with people I showed the her the pictures on the camera’s display.
The monkey was very interested in reviewing the shots which I let her do for about a minute; this was followed by her grabbing my finger trying to pull me through the fence.
She was very attentive during the picture taking process as can be seen on the photo, studying every move I made:

The living quarters of the monks were photographically very interesting; I started to take pictures of the kids from bellow not only to gain an interesting perspective but to start approaching them from afar and come closer later to gain some trust instead of just walking up in an intimidating way:

I rode by these kids while exploring the limited sights of Don Khong Island.
Kites are very popular in Southeast Asia, the ingredients of kite making are readily available for free:

Boys and girls alike from a young age have the responsibility of taking buffalos out in the morning to graze and bringing them back in the evening.
This chore offers a chance to ride the animals to the fields, a great travel photography subject which I got to fully explore in Bac Ha, Vietnam.
Just when I arrived this kid was pounding a stick into the ground to secure his water buffalo:

Simple pleasures of the sleepy, relaxed, laid back, quiet Don Khong Island; kids playing a board game using bottle caps:

A kids at a soccer game is not the most picturesque photography subject but Wat Phuang Kaew being in the background adds a unique Buddhist flavor to the scene:

I found this Wat in the Northwest corner of Don Khong Island which offered some dramatic shots due to approaching dark storm clouds.
I witnessed both seasons in Southeast Asia so I can ensure that the rainy season has tremendous advantages for travel or landscape photographers, the skies are just stunning as opposed to the completely bland blue of the dry season:

I found these kids splashing around in the Mekong River on my way to Champasak. The midday light was horrible but the scene was so genuinely playful and carefree that I had to take a few pictures:

This roadside Buddha statue in Champasak was quite unexpectedly tucked under a tree; I say unexpectedly because it seemed like a random location to me although there could have been special significance why it was there. Nevertheless it was a very peaceful scene, wisdom in the shade:

The best part of Wat Phu is the scenery which leads to the entrance. Arriving early is a good idea for several reasons; to beat the heat and the bus loads of daytrippers:

Wat Phu in Champasak is a way way scaled down version of Angkor Wat but that can only mean a chance for an almost tourist free experience at a one of the most significant Buddhist religious sites of Laos.
I find it a lot of fun to photograph ruins, obviously for the atmosphere but also for the chance to experiment with composition; what to include and what to leave out:

A close up of a smaller statue positioned under the main Buddha figure at Wat Phu:

Being a bit restless due to a lackluster Lao experience so far I skipped the central region and actually flew from Pakse to Luang Prabang.
I only spent the night there and was excited to head up to the exotic Northwestern area.
Knowing beforehand the treacherous road conditions and the state of Laotian public transportation system enabled me to somewhat prepare myself for the 10 hour bus ride.
The distance between Luang Prabang and my destination of Luang Nam Tha is about 167 miles, 260kms. Yes, please do the math: 167 miles in 10 hours.
The best part of the trip was when we broke down and I was able to take some photos of the favorite local pass time, tubing down the river:

Calling the countryside just outside the small and relaxed Luang Nam Tha picturesque is an understatement, the cheap mountain bikes available in town came very handy (as opposed to the often rented Barbie type).
I did not take one of the ever popular organized trekking tours, just did my usual do-it-yourself exploration.
Cultural photography wise Laos continued to disappoint, in a nutshell I was still not clicking with the country:

Muang Sing is two hours bus ride from Luang Nam Tha, it is even more quiet and relaxed perhaps somewhat due to the opium sold on the street.
I had a little better luck taking book-worthy travel photos while exploring a nearby village. I decided not to do a trekking tour again, I gathered enough information about them to guess how unfavorable the photographic results would be. One of the very friendly hill tribe kids ready for work:

I walked around in this small village for about an hour trying not to be intrusive and only take photos which were offered to me without any discomfort or conflict:

When it comes to taking photos most kids fall into two distinct categories, very friendly or very shy.
I was unable to take the photo of the girl in the red hat until her friend gave me the OK; at that time strenght was in their numbers and all shyness disappeared:

An example of the not shy non-stop performer, the good thing is the non-stop action, the bad thing is the fast paced events take away every ounce of control of composition or choice of background.
It is time to keep shooting and hoping that some sixth sense makes fast enough decisions in my brain to end up with something useful:

After a nine hour bus ride I returned to Luang Prabang and soon after I left Laos a week before my visa expired.