In March, 2006, I did the 2 day boat trip down the Mekong River, from Chiang Khong, in Thailand, to Luang Prabang in Laos.
If you are one of the many people who travel between Thailand and Laos these days, this trip is well worth considering. I went up to Chiang Khong, about a 2 hour drive north of Chiang Rai, got a Laos visa sorted out, which was easy, then caught a boat across the Mekong to Huay Xai. I arranged a boat ticket at the guest house I stayed in, and the boat left at about 10.00 am the next morning. Be warned, the seats on the boats are not padded, so it pays to take something soft to sit on. Also, take enough water and snacks for a day, the boat I went on had a big esky up the front with ice, beer and soft drinks, but thats all. We arrived in Pak Beng late afternoon, found a guesthouse to stay the night, then went out for a walk to stretch the legs. There is not a lot to do in Pak Beng, but we got some interesting photos. We stayed at the "Bouney" Guesthouse, which had fairly basic rooms, but a good dining area, a big open landing with great views of the river, and very good food. The next day was more of the first, with a few stops along the way, picking up and dropping off passengers at the many villages along the way, and we arrived in beautiul Luang Prabang at about 5.30 pm. We went to the "Sayo" Guesthouse, and I highly recommend this place. The rooms and the staff are great, and it is very handy to the river and the main street of town. I have a soft spot for Luang Prabang, it is my favorite getaway in Asia. The town is very pretty, with a mixture of Laos style and French architecture, lots of trees and flowers, river views and a nice laid back atmosphere. We used to come here just to buy handwoven silk and cotton scarves for our "Lanna Charm" website, but we now realize Luang Prabang has much more to offer than just beautiful fabrics. If you like peaceful, relaxing travel, with wonderful scenery thrown in, then this trip is made for you. Here are some photos from the trip.
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We have just released a new addition to our ever growing range of handcrafted fashion accessories, from northern Thailand.
This pretty little "mini-handbag" comes from Chiang Mai, is handmade from split bamboo, and is both unusual and attractive. It has a triangular shape which allows it to stand alone, and can be folded flat (collapsed) when not in use. The Chiang Mai "Bamboo" Mini-Handbag is lined with cotton fabric with inside pocket, has a handy loop and button closer, and comes in a wide range of patterns and colors. There are 2 sizes, the larger one is 12.5 " long, 4.5" wide, and is 6" tall, not including the wooden handles. The smaller size is 9" long, 4.5" wide, and is 5" tall, not including the wooden handles. The smaller size bag is also available with longer, woven straw handles. Both bags are available on both a retail, and a wholesale basis, and can be seen in the Bags section of our Lanna Charm website.
