Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
i think i like pasiontop...even though the fact its not spelt passion irks me
Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
It's over 10 years since I've been to Luang Prabang, but assessing it as a tourist destination very much depends on your priorities.
I think I spent 6 days there and certainly wished it was longer, as I found it was a lovely laid back & attractive place to wander around. Very scenic. Plenty to see in the town and some nice trips to places like the spectacular nearby waterfalls. They also had a very pleasant & affordable traditional herbal sauna.
The downside was a lack of available boys. If that's all you want, stay in Bangkok and Pattaya, or Vientiane.
The whole Laos tourist experience is about to be transformed by the arrival of the railway, from Vientiane to China. Currently, your main options for getting to Luang Prabang are to take a minibus over the VERY twisty and scenic mountain roads from the south, to take a 2 day boat on the Mekong from the Thai border or to fly. I arrived over the mountain roads and left on the boat.
It should soon be possible to travel there by train from Vientiane or China. This should be a much quicker form of land transport. I am assuming the Chinese recognise that few Laos transport operators have any concept of speedy travel, running to time etc & will install some people to run a professional service.
Obviously that makes travel from Vientiane much easier, but also should vastly increase the number of Chinese tourists arriving.
Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
Quote:
Originally Posted by
goji
Currently, your main options for getting to Luang Prabang are to take a minibus over the VERY twisty and scenic mountain roads from the south, to take a 2 day boat on the Mekong from the Thai border or to fly. I arrived over the mountain roads and left on the boat.
You seem to be missing the main option, flying! Must be almost a dozen airlines flying there now. Even twenty years ago I drove there from Vientiane, and flew on to Chiang Mai.
I found that there was a higher proportion of guys claiming to be gay in conversation in Luang Prabang than anywhere I've been! I thought it must be something in the water. There was even a small gay bar there then. Despite all that I don't remember much trade!
Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Brad the Impala
You seem to be missing the main option, flying!
You seem to have missed the words "or to fly", which appeared as one of the 3 options in my post.
I simply chose the land & water options, in order to see something of the country.
The alternative of flying from city to city means you only get to see cities (or towns).
Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
Apologies, I must be getting dyslexic.
Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
Can't wait to get there myself. After two years of hard work, finally get a new business off the ground, making good money again, almost ready to go, and... once in a century global pandemic. Great.
I'm guessing my 1 year business VISA I had lined up is out the window now due to Kovid-19, so will have to cozy up to some NGOs and offer them my technical expertise with hopes they sponsor me.
O
Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
Quote:
Originally Posted by
latintopxxx
i think i like pasiontop...even though the fact its not spelt passion irks me
Lol because my username is not in English :p
Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
My visit to Vientiane was similar to Luang Prabang. In average I met 3 guys per day. I stayed there for 4 nights/5 days. In my last day I was thinking that I had already met most good-looking guys there. One big difference with guys between the two cities is that Vientiane boys love to get bred.
On my last few days I thought that I could have shorten my trip by 2 days (and if I had done so I would have been able to get to Vietnam before they shut their borders).
Re: Laos Trip Report 2020
Interesting trip report! I went to LP about 20 years ago (!) and my memories of it are idyllic: amazing waterfalls a short drive from town, where you could actually get in the water to some degree. Pretty riverside cliffs; temples on mountaintops; nice little hotels; low cost massages and treatments; great food.
However, I was there with a straight friend, pre- Grindr, and so didn't sample any of the local guys. That said, I'd go back in a minute! Just so laid back. Maybe put a short LP visit between a few days in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, BKK, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Hanoi, etc? I think there are direct flights from all of those cities and more, once air travel reappears.
Thanks for reminding me about Luang Prabang!