Laos

Imagine a sleepy French village on a drowsy afternoon at the end of summer. That is how Laos feels. Only less vibrant.

The land of crawling broadband and dawdling monks shatters – or at least quietly snuffs – the myth that southeast Asia is all tiger economy hust...

Vientiane

Unlike other southeast Asian capital cities, Vientiane is not a 24/7 frenzy of commerce. Its relaxed atmosphere makes it feel like a small town, which makes a kind of sense, for that is exactly what it is.

If there were a ‘Mellowest Capital in the World’...

As sports go, in terms of sophistication ‘tubing’ is right up there with darts. Further similarities between tubing and darts are that, like darts, tubing is a sport which involves virtually no physical exercise and during which the ‘sportsman’ is encouraged ...

On Sisavangong Road lies the double-cruciform-shaped Royal Palace, which dates back to 1904 and displays religious objects and gifts from foreign envoys. In 1975, when the monarchy was overthrown and the Royal Family were taken to re-education camps, the palace was...

Luang Prabang has a habit of putting paid to planned itineraries, so be sure to allow at least five days to take in this wonderful town.

The town’s main attraction is its breath-taking cultural heritage. Increasingly popular as a base for exploring the surrou...

Off the Beaten Path – Rock Climbing in Laos

Article kindly donated by Volker Schöffl

It is February 2002 and I have come to Laos as a member of a German-American expedition to put up new rock-climbing routes. We are doing this mainly to encourage rock-climbers to come to th...

Take a break from the cold steel of modern times to be nurtured by a more symbiotic relationship with nature, in one of the most spiritually artistic places on the planet. World-famous Bali is celebrated for the artistry of its people as well as for its cultural intensity, spectacularly ...

Phnom Penh

Once called the Paris of Asia, Phnom Penh is starting to once again live up to that reputation.

The Cambodian capital set at the crossroads between the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers smells and is racked by poverty. Expect to be pestered by tuk-tuk drivers, tout...

Until recently Cambodia, like Vietnam, was a byword for horror.

Only the most grotesquely fake guidebook could pretend that Cambodia, or ‘Cambodge’ as the French call it, is just an Indochinese jewel characterised purely by art, dance and music. Thanks to the Kh...

Travel can be wearing when that much-vaunted heritage tour ‘treasure trove cave’ proves to house one shabby Buddha and a few burnt-out joss sticks. Likewise, even the Giza pyramids can seem hyped when seen in context, squashed up against Cairo’s filth. Disappointment ...