Refuge of the Last Dreamers
Luang Prabang, a city in Laos, is a refuge for those seeking peace and tranquility. It is a place where time seems to stand still, and the worries of the modern world fade away. The city is steeped in history and culture, with numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries dotting the landscape. The Mekong River winds […]
Timeless Art of Saa Paper in Ban Xieng Lek
Ban Xieng Lek, a serene village nestled close to the historic city of Luang Prabang, boasts a rich tradition of Saa paper making that spans generations. This artisanal craft relies on the bark of the mulberry tree, which locals meticulously gather and prepare. The process begins with stripping the bark from the tree, followed by […]
Why People Travel to Laos
One issue Laos struggles with for tourisn, is that most people have never heard of Laos. So why would people go to Laos? Laos, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, it is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbors like Thailand and Vietnam. However, those who venture into this serene and culturally rich nation […]
Boun Pha Vet / Mahachat – Temple festival
The annual festival, known as Vessantara in other nations, is typically held in the preaching hall or sala of the local temple or wat. It commences in the early morning and continues until midnight. Occurring once a year, the festival spans three complete days, taking place between February and April, during the fourth lunar month. […]
The Roofs on Temples in Luang Prabang: A Symbol of Beauty and Belief
The temples of Luang Prabang are renowned for their elegant and ornate architecture. One of the most striking features of these temples is their roofs, which are often multi-tiered and decorated with intricate carvings and symbolism. The roofs on temples in Luang Prabang are not just decorative. They also play an important symbolic role. The […]
Unwind on a Mekong River cruise
He’s aiming for luxury travel with a dose of education, history and first-hand insights into how some of the most traditional (and poorest) people in this region live.
The result is a fascinating and, at times, hilarious experience that is not only, yes, relaxing and tranquil, but also a sobering reality check.
Wat Pa Phon Phao: A hidden gem in Luang Prabang
Wat Pa Phon Phao is perched atop a small hill, offering stunning views of the surrounding town
Blessing at Wat Naxang
I visited this monk at Wat Naxang this week. It had been a while since going to temple and it was time for a Buddhist blessing of good luck and protection evidently. I have followed this monk over the years from Wat That Luang to Wat Taohai and now Ban Naxang. He seems to move […]
Magic Laos
‘The Vietnamese plant the rice, the Cambodians tend the rice and the Lao listen to it grow’ – said the French colonialists. Needless to say, they didn’t mean it as a compliment. And maybe they should have. Hundred years later, looking at Laos we might find out that there is much to learn from its […]
Boun Hor Khaopadapdin, The festival That Feeds The Spirits
Boun Hor Khaopadapdin is an annual festival during which the people of Laos “feed” spirits with home-made parcels of food, reflecting their love, respect and gratitude for their deceased ancestors and guardians.
Food, Laos, Luang Prabang, Monks, Temple
Ordaining a Buddhist Monk
Reposted from the diaries of Laos magazine n Laos, as in other Buddhist countries, men can be ordained as novice monks to live the monastic life for a certain period. It is also popular for children and teenagers to live as monks for a couple of months, during the summer holidays, as a means of […]
Hardship in Laos: Can you help someone?
It’s the time of year when Novice Monks finish school and many leave the temple to become laymen. School exams have finished and many novices decide to leave the temple around this time. They are often ill-prepared with little to no education about living life as a layman and no financial support. Many of these […]
Culture, Donation, Food, Laos, Luang Prabang, Monks, Volunteering
Blessings from a scholarship student
Monk Sivone was a LEOT students and was successful in getting a scholarship to continue his study. He is one of the most motivated students I have met. He is completing his studies this year and had this to say: My name is Phra Sivone Keovilaipunya who was born and raised in the countryside at […]
Is there enough parking in Luang Prabang?
Luang Prabang is located in northern Laos at the heart of a mountainous region built on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and the Nam Khan Rivers. They say Buddha would have smiled when he rested there during his travels, prophesying that it would one day be the site of a rich and powerful city. […]
Business, China, Community Development, Laos, Luang Prabang, Monks, Nam Khan, Travel
The Dammed Nam Khan River
I took this photo of Novices washing in the Nam Khan river on the way home today. It’s one of my favourite landscapes and I don’t stop to appreciate it enough. The bamboo bridge is up at the moment as it is dry season. It will come down when the monsoon season arrives in May. […]
Bamboo bridge, Business, China, Culture, Dam, Laos, Luang Prabang, Monks, Nam Khan, News, School
Novice Monks paint Wat Mano
As I passed, Wat Mano, this morning on the way to work, I noticed a swarm of Novices up bamboo scaffolding busy painting the temple. Wat Manorom, known as Wat Mano, was built to inter the ashes of King Samsenthai (1373-1416) so it is one of the oldest sites in town and quite a large […]
Education, French, Laos, Monks, Painting, School, Temple, Travel
Wat Wisunarat (Wat Visoun) has a new watermelon
Wat Wisunarat is Luang Prabang’s oldest temple and was once home to the Prabang Buddhas. It also contains what is known as the “Watermelon stupa”, build in 1530, it’s shaped like a watermelon. It is one of my first memories when I arrived in 2011. It took me a few years to remember this temple […]
Phousi Mountain – Luangs Prabangs sunset vantage point
Phousi Mountain or Mount Phousi as some say is a hill located in the centre of town in the heritage area, located on the peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. The “sacred hill” is about 100 meters high. Many tourists climb the hill about 5.30pm to view the sunset so it gets rather […]
Making Change in the Mekong
Film for Change Aotearoa New Zealand produced this short film about my volunteer work in Laos establishing computer education programs to raise awareness of opportunities to support sustainable, grass-roots education efforts in Laos to help improve people’s lives a little. I volunteer with Lao teachers to provide free education, scholarships and hardship support for impoverished […]
Community Development, Development, Education, Featured, Follow-your-dream, Laos, Luang Prabang, Monks, Poverty, School, Video, Volunteering
Novice Bountay and his village school
Novice Bountay is an inspiring person. He has been a student at LEOT (a free charity school) for 2 years now and excels in our computer class. Like other Novices, he goes to Buddhist high school each day and somehow manages to find time to study English, photography and a number of other interests. Read […]
Donation, Education, Festival, Laos, Luang Prabang, Monks, Poverty, School
The Giving ການໃຫ້ – a short film by novice monk students
Another short film made by students in the summer 2017 film class @ My Library in Luang Prabang. MyLibrary has been around since 2003 started as an English support centre free for anyone to drop in and learn. As they say, it is an example of “what happens when you give motivated users the materials […]
Boun Lai Heua Fai (Festival of Light Boats) 2017
ພາບບັນຍາກາດບຸນໄຫຼເຮືອໄຟ ທີ່ຫຼວງພະບາງ 2017 Boun Lai Heua Fai (Festival of Light Boats) 2017, the most beautiful time of year in Luang Prabang with the temple all lit up to celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent.
Wat Pa Houak, Phousi Mountain, Luang Prabang
I have often seen this little temple at the base of the hill to the famous Phousi mountain. Phousi mountain is right in the middle of town and a popular place for tourists. There is a 150m walk to the top, a favourite spot for watching the sunset over a beautiful Luang Prabang. From the […]
Lao teenagers beating poverty as novice monks
Many of the students at the school I work at in Luang Prabang are novice monks. It is certainly a sight to behold – a classroom bathed in bright saffron robes beneath a sea of shaved heads (and eyebrows). People outside Laos find it interesting as to why so many novice monks come to school without […]
Student visit to Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden
The Pha Tad Ke Botanical Gardens had an open day and we took some students across the Mekong River and downstream a little to these wonderful gardens that were opened about 2 years ago. You can see a diverse range of Lao flora and how people use plants in everyday life. They have a wonder […]
A short film: New Day ຈົວຕົ້ນຄົນໃໝ່
This short film made by students in the summer 2016 film class @ My Library in Luang Prabang shows the talent of young film makers as well as a glimpse into temple life as a Novice Monk.
Laos through my eyes – Peter
A piece by Peter – LEOT trustee It was almost by chance that I first visited Laos in 2008. My plan to visit Myanmar with my wife Catriona had been cancelled at the last moment due to changed advice from the Foreign Office. With time off booked and nowhere to go I took out a […]
Business, China, Development, Laos, Luang Prabang, Monks, School, Vang Vieng, Vientiane