Our program differed from the others on the Shompoo Cruise. They were sailing on the two-day classic Mekong voyage from Luang Prabang to the Thai border. We were jumping ship at Pakbeng.
Submitted 1 year 2 weeks ago by Bernie Rosenbloom.
Sounds of suppressed laughter are audible in a small farm called Mulberries in Xiangkhoung, Laos, where a group of women, under the eye of a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, huddle over a boiling cauldron of natural dye.
Submitted 1 year 1 month ago by Bernie Rosenbloom.
There are hundreds of noodle soups in Vientiane, and Vientiane Times contributor, Souknilundon Southivongnorath, has pinpointed some winners to help noodle hunters find the best soup in town.
Submitted 1 year 2 months ago by Bernie Rosenbloom.
I was sitting in the Kinyei Café in Cambodia’s Battambang Town, indulging on some peanut butter and banana toast, feeling the nostalgia of a seven-year-old girl, when I saw the notice, “We Sell Feel Good Coffee.” The responsible traveller in me took an instant interest, as did my ability to recognise when a restaurant is serving anything fair trade, organic, or socially responsible.
Submitted 1 year 3 months ago by Bernie Rosenbloom.
“Coffee tourism and the original chalet began as a side dish, but it grew and grew. Now it’s a bowl,” said Sinouk Sisombat, founder of Sinouk Coffee, while speaking of his Bolaven Plateau plantation and Sinouk Coffee Resort.
Submitted 1 year 4 months ago by Bernie Rosenbloom.
Saffron has taken the coffee culture to the next level in Luang Prabang. Sure, you can still frolic in your frappe, while thumbing around on your device. Yes, you can still feel good knowing each swallow of cappuccino contributes to the income of poor locals, who grew and processed the beans. But, how would you like a latte brewed from cherries picked off a plant you bought?
Submitted 1 year 7 months ago by Bernie Rosenbloom.
When the Bolikhamxay Provincial Tourism Department (PTD) invited me to explore its new sites and facilities, I was ready to rock. We met in Lak Xao, in the northeast corner of “The Khammouane Loop” near the Vietnamese border. The PTD got the ball rolling by convincing a dinner restaurant to open for breakfast. Greeting us at the door stood eight giant glass jars brimming with lao khao rice alcohol saturating a choice of eggs, tubers, herbs, and starfish.
Submitted 1 year 8 months ago by Bernie Rosenbloom.
“We’ve changed the plan,” Somsavath said after greeting me at Luang Namtha’s airport.
I’ve known Somsavath, who runs Phou Iu Travel and works in the Provincial Tourism Office, for several years. His itinerary modifications always add more bang for your buck. “Where are you taking me?”
Submitted 1 year 9 months ago by Bernie Rosenbloom.
The six-wheeled Goddess appeared as I was sinking into despair. The sun was setting on Setthathilath Road at the Wattay Airport entrance, and my wait for a sawng taew dimmed with the sky. No money-grubbing tuk-tuk in sight. I was about to surrender, hike to a departure terminal, and eat a hefty cab fare.
