The renovation of the 36km-long road leading to Konglor Cave in Hinboun district, Khammuan province, will allow the passage of all vehicles to the cave from May, said a senior official yesterday.

At present the road is still under construction, and larger vehicles have been unable to navigate the detour road for the past two months.

Visitors to the cave are recommended to take a small vehicle if they want to experience this amazing cave.

The Director of the road-building project, Mr Somchay Khanthasane, told Vientiane Times yesterday that workers are asphalting the road so it is closed to traffic. Road users must temporarily use a detour road instead.

Mr Somchay said that although the road will open in May, it might be necessary to close it in the rainy season this year if the construction of two new bridges is not complete.



“We are now putting down the first layer of asphalt. We will continue the work after the rainy season and the road will be in perfect condition by the end of this year,” he said.

At the moment it takes three hours to get to the cave after leaving main road No A8, as the path passes through rice fields and is very bumpy. In the wet season it's almost impossible to get there.



Once the renovated road is finished, it should take just under one hour, said Mr Somchay.

The new road is costing about US$4.5 million to build. The Asian Development Bank has lent the Lao government more than 80 percent of the required funds, according to the Head of the Khammuan provincial Tourism Administration, Mr Thayaphone Singthong .

He said the road upgrade is part of tourism development in the province.

“Tourism development is very important for people living near the cave and will help to contribute to poverty reduction,” he said.

The 7.5km-long cavern that has been earmarked as a tourist attraction was discovered in the 16th century under the leadership of the governor of Nalae district, now Nakai district.

In 1997, the government invited French experts to survey the area before declaring it an official tourist site in 2002.



Mr Thayaphone recalled that in 2002 only eight foreign visitors came to the cave, but this number had increased rapidly since then.

The cave is 30 metres wide and between 20 and 100 metres high and is located in the National Protected Forest Area of Hinboun Mountain.

More than 100 foreign visitors make the journey to the cave each month on average, he said.

Mr Thayaphone said that in the past the cave was not seen as a source of income for local people, but had now become an important money-earner for many in the area.

“Unspoiled natural destinations have the potential to attract more tourists to the province,” he said.

Community-based ecotourism services, including village home-stays and boat trips through the cave, are provided by local people who proudly keep local customs alive.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
Vientianetimes

By Terry Sweetman
THERE may be a more idyllic place in Asia than Luang Prabang, but I'm yet to find it.

It was described in 1861 by French explorer Henri Mouhot as "a delightful little town, set in its amphitheatre of mountains a paradise". The description still holds.
The now large town/little city on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and its tributaries in the central north of Laos is a routine stopover for kids in quest of the backpackers' far frontier, for unreconstructed hippies, for undemanding tourists, and for baby boomers in search of that elusive sea change as retirement looms.

It is home to a whole atlas of mostly interesting expats and to the most charming and gentle people you're likely to meet.

(Where else would immigration officials contain themselves to a quiet giggle when matrimonial passports and visas are mixed up?)

What locks Luang Prabang in a time warp of simple values is its UNESCO World Heritage listing since 1995 and, I guess, the conservatism that comes with a democratic people's republic.



Were it not for those factors, it would doubtlessly be under threat from the high-rise shysters who have destroyed the character of so many Asian cities.

And, for reasons I could never quite pin down, it seems to have largely escaped the American aerial assault of the 1960s-70s – when Laos is said to have become the most bombed country on the globe – although locals say the airport copped a regular beating.

What got UNESCO interested was the fact that the town "bears witness to major cultural exchanges between three communities – the Lao, the Vietnamese and French": "The rich architectural fabric of the city is expressed through its mixture of styles and materials, which must be preserved."

For the tourist, that major culture exchange has left a wealthy legacy of buildings ranging from solid French brick to the simple wood of Lao tradition.

And it has left a cuisine that ranges from the complex Laotian, based on gentle herbs and spices, to the fiery chilli-based dishes of Vietnamese persuasion and the solidly, sometimes nostalgic, French.

To me, markets are the waste spaces between bars and restaurants, but my wife could not believe the craftsmanship and value of the primitif embroidery and applique

With it comes wine of reasonable taste and value and the most excellent Beer Lao.

(Stay out of French restaurants and wine bars and you can eat and sup very well for no more than $5.)

Historically, the commercial heart of Luang Prabang lay in the substantial stores and warehouses strung along the Mekong, many of which have been transformed into guesthouses.



Across the street – Souvanbanlang – and high on the banks of the Mekong are myriad outdoor bars, restaurants, eateries and stalls.

Sit there at dusk, beer in hand, facing the Mekong, with dinner cooking across the road, and it still is M. Mouhot's little paradise.

This for me is the essence of Luang Prabang, although the younger set seems to like the parallel Sisavangvong with its similar collection of bars, eateries, souvenir joints and adventure travel agents.

In Luang Prabang terms, Souvanbanlang swings with the breeze; Sisavangvong rocks.

One of the practicalities of UNESCO's reign has been a frenzy of drainage and construction that makes Luang Prabang a pedestrian's delight (although beware of storm drains on dark nights).

That and an air of well-maintained cleanliness makes Luang Prabang a comfortable stay for even the most nervous traveller.

(And what's more comfortable in Asian terms than the need for a light pullover after dark over Christmas?)

Reinforcing the comfort is a laidback approach to affairs that can't quite muster the energy to join the shirt-tugging "you-buy" annoyance zone of most Asian tourist cities.

In fact, in the craft markets where hill people sell silks, silver and embroidery, they are sometimes so laidback it can be difficult to unload a dollar.

To me, markets are the waste spaces between bars and restaurants, but my wife could not believe the craftsmanship and value of the primitif embroidery and applique.

There is plenty of junk around, but smiths still beat out the rhythm of their craft in silver shops and exquisite silk can be found, although common sense tells you that village hand looms could not produce all the goods on offer.

The Luang Prabang riverfront is a hub for energetic young things organising elephant treks, Kuang Si waterfall daytrips or speedboat/slowboat excursions to Thailand or Vietnam. But an occasional foray to the villages on the other side and a boat trip upriver to a few craft (read tourist trap) villages and the remarkable Pak Ou cave temple were sufficient exertion for me.

If temples are your thing, Luang Prabang is your kind of town. Noblest of all is Wat Phousi in the centre of town, where a steep climb takes you nearer to heaven (and to the obligatory anti-aircraft gun site) and gives a marvellous view of the city and surrounds.

A less strenuous touch with the spiritual is to get up early and watch the monks collecting their daily rice from devout Buddhist citizens.

But for me, the abiding earthly memory was to be chased down the street by a waiter with the change I'd left as a tip. That's nice.



LUANG PRABANG

GO Bangkok and on with Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com).

STAY Accommodation varies from four-star (for example Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel) to backpacker digs. Guesthouses range from budget to moderately expensive. Visit www.luang-prabang-hotels.com, www.laopdr.com or www.asiahotels.com.

COSTS Expect to pay no more than $A1 a dish at restaurants.

VISA Required.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23257718-17102,00.html

Oudomxay province has announced the opening of Chom-aung cave as its newest tourist attraction.

The cave is part of the province's new long-term strategy to integrate its tourism industry with that of Luang Prabang province, to encourage visitors to the world heritage site to continue on to Oudomxay.

Officials said Chom-aung is one of the longest caves in northern Laos , and is located 40km from Xay, the largest town in the province, and is accessed by a gravel road.

The Head of the Oudomxay tourism office, Mr Sivan Bounsavath, said yesterday that only some parts of the cave were open to tourists. “The cave is very long, spread along a mountain range, and we are yet to find its limits,” he said.

He added that the cave, which officials had begun surveying in 2003-2004, is between 30 to 40 metres wide and has a permanent flow of water through it. Fish swim in the underground river.

Home stays are now available at Chom-aung Tai and Chom-aung Neua villages where tourists can take a two or three day trek.

A trip to the cave is part of the trekking programme to explore natural forests, waterfalls and farmlands and to see how local people make a living.

Officials said several caves are waiting to be developed for visitors, but the province has limited funding.

Xay, the provincial town of Oudomxay , is being developed with new buildings and roads and is rapidly becoming a gateway to the northern provinces .

Last year, tourist arrivals reached almost 70,000 people, an eight percent increase over the year before. Tourists enter the province from Bokeo or Luang Prabang province.

Mr Sivan said more than 100 tourists visit Pakbeng district on the Mekong River every day and some of them continue onto Xay.

O ne third of the tourists come from Western countries and the rest are from China and Thailand , he said.

Programme tours mostly feature trekking to observe the lifestyles of the 14 local ethnic groups and experience the natural environment.

According to the tourism office, Oudomxay province has eight hotels, 50 guesthouses, four resorts and 92 restaurants.

The main challenge is the undeveloped roads leading to the best tourism sites. In the rainy season, some sites are completely inaccessible, but the provincial authorities will be tackling this issue soon.

“We have seen the potential for growth in our tourism industry, but we also face a challenge to develop enough facilities and maintain the roads,” Mr Sivan said.

“Our strategy stipulates tourism development to generate income for local villagers as part of our poverty reduction plan,” he added.

By Somsack Pongkhao
Content: Vientianetimes
Photo: Ecotourismlao