The slow boat was waiting for us just past the Friendship bridge between Thailand and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), its motor puttering in the muddy brown water. Within minutes, we had kicked off our shoes and were padding barefoot across the polished teak, ready for a two-day float down the mighty Mekong River.
The Mekong flows 2,700 miles through six countries–China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam–before emptying into the South China Sea. Small fishing and farming communities are tucked into lush green mountains that ripple from the river bank to the horizon. An occasional longboat cuts through the solitude before disappearing around a bend.
Our G Adventures group visited a Tai Lue village where residents share their traditional way of life through weaving, music and handicrafts.
Hikes through the quiet Laotian countryside were often rewarded with hidden waterfalls. In Nam Kat, we explored the jungle canopy thanks to more than a dozen hanging bridges.
Our final destination in Laos was Luang Prabang, located on a peninsula where the Nam Khan River joins the Mekong. The town was once the royal capital of Laos and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The markets in Laos overflow with fresh local produce, fish, water buffalo sausage and other delicacies. In the evening, the famous night market along Sisavangvong Road offers local handicrafts and other items.
Every morning, the people of Luang Prabang line up along the street by 5 a.m., ready to share homemade sticky rice with Buddhist monks from the nearby monasteries. The alms are a sacred tradition in Lao Buddhist culture and provide the monks with their daily sustenance. (Photo by Kim Corrigan)
Three-tiered Kuang Si Falls are a short drive from Luang Prabang. Visitors can experience the falls by swimming, ziplining, rafting or just walking the shaded trails.
Our adventure in Laos ended the way it began, with a Baci Sou Kwan ceremony traditionally used to mark important events such as births, marriages, departures and returns. The room was filled with the quiet hum of whispered blessings as our hosts knelt before us, tying white cotton strings around our wrists as they moved around the circle. The murmur was broken with a toast of rice spirits, a feast, and a final wish for good luck and a safe journey ahead.