Feb 13, 2009 - Phongsali - Hill Tribe Trek

The problem with the hill tribe people in northern Laos is that they live in the hills. The first stage is a one hour bus trip from Phongsali to Boun Neua. ... bush hijacked for other usage) that was packed with produce bought in China and on its way to Phongsali. ... Hence you can see the attached picture of the guide and I sitting on all sorts of produce - I sat on sacks of sunflower seeds and lay back against packs of toilet rolls.The problem with the hill tribe people in northern Laos is that they live in the hills. The first stage is a one hour bus trip from Phongsali to Boun Neua. ... bush hijacked for other usage) that was packed with produce bought in China and on its way to Phongsali. ... Hence you can see the attached picture of the guide and I sitting on all sorts of produce - I sat on sacks of sunflower seeds and lay back against packs of toilet rolls....

Feb 11, 2009 - Phongsali

A lazy day relaxing after two days of travel. And climbing a serious number of steps to the top of Phou Far from where I got some pretty decent sunset shots over Phongsali. ... Day pack ready, excited to be getting out on a proper trek at last.A lazy day relaxing after two days of travel. And climbing a serious number of steps to the top of Phou Far from where I got some pretty decent sunset shots over Phongsali. ... Day pack ready, excited to be getting out on a proper trek at last....

Feb 10, 2009 - Udomxai to Phongsali

No pain no gain is the cliche, and it best describes the two day trip to get to Phongsali in the north of Laos. ... But to get there is a 12 hour plus bus journey from Udomxai to Phongsali. ... The first two hours on the road to Phongsali are quite beautiful. ... As we closed in on Phongsali we had serious amounts of unloading of all of the produce, such that we finally reached the bus station after 12 and a half hours on the road. ...

Feb 21, 2006 - Le nord Laos

Comme si nous n avions pas encore assez froid, et hop "l extreme nord", LUANG NAM THA.Comme si nous n avions pas encore assez froid, et hop "l extreme nord", LUANG NAM THA....

Nov 28, 2005 - Going remote above the clouds...

Phongsali - in my ears, this name sounded similar as 'Timbuktu' in the first explorers of Africa: It's very remote, the last Northern outpost before China, the only town in Laos ever reporting temperatures below freezing and you have to tackle "the hardest challenge, the road network of Laos has to offer to travellers" (my guidebook), which means an 11h-busride over bumpy dustroads. ... The problem with Phongsali now was, that it lies at an altitude of 1400m and as such is situated ABOVE the clouds! At first, I was annoyed by the amount of light awakening me around six - but when I stepped into the sunlight, it was brilliant: You actually could walk around in T-shirts early in the morning and moreover enjoy this island-in-the-sky-feeling: Until noon, the mountain of Phongsali was bathing in a sea of clouds, with the occasional other mountain poking out of the mist here and there. ... Apart of the unique Chinese atmossphere, my first glimpses of Vietnam and China, the enthralling old streets and houses and the nice little problem, how to find something to eat for lunch in a town comletely unused to tourists, this feeling of sunnily floating on a sea of clouds is my most impressive memory of Phongsali. ... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phongsali - dieser Name klang for dieser Reise in meinen Ohren wie 'Timbuktu' in denen der ersten Entdecker Afrikas geklungen haben muss: Es ist weit, weit entfernt von allem in Laos, die letzte noerdliche Station vor China, die einzige Stadt in Laos, die auch mal Minustemperaturen bekommt und fuer die man die "haerteste Herausvorderung, die das laotische Strassennetz zu bieten hat" (mein Reisefuehrer) annehmen und meistern muss. ... Naja, ich hatte ja schon einige unueberbietbare Busfahrten auf dieser Reise ueberlebt, so hatten die Adjektive "bergig, staubig und schlaglochreich" einen netten, familiaeren Klang - und letztich war es auch weit weniger schlimm als so manche Tour in Kambodscha! Natuerlich war es vor allem die Tatsache, dass kaum ein anderer Tourist diese Strecke auf sich nimmt, die mich nach Phongsali in den hohen Norden zog - und die Aussicht auf eine dreitaegige Bootstour auf dem wunderschoenen Nam Ou als Rueckweg! Also: Einen Tag lang in einem bereits x-mal wieder zusammengenieteten Bus, der bis unters Dach (Ha! Bloedsinn! Bis AUFS Dach!!!) mit Ziegen, Huehnern, Reissaecken, ach ja, und mit Laoten gefuellt war - letztere boten mir staendig scharfes Essen und LaoLao - scharfen Reiswhiskey - an, so wurde es auch nicht langweilig, obwohl ich mit niemandem sprechend gross kommunizieren konnte. ...

Nov 15, 2004 - Nong Khiew, Laos

Today arrived in this small village on the river which heads down to Luang Probang where we intend to go day after tomorrow by boat, 6-7 hours.Today arrived in this small village on the river which heads down to Luang Probang where we intend to go day after tomorrow by boat, 6-7 hours....