2009/12/28

The Bus from Thailand to Lao



Cheap Lao Airlines Tickets.



The transport co, ltd., They have the bus service between Thailand to Lao PDR for Udon Thani - Vientiane and Nong Khai - Vientiane. Bus (ป.2) air condition for 45 seats.

Tel : 662-422-4400-1, 662-984-6122
Booking : 662-422-4444, 662-262-3456

Remark : บขส. – Thailand Transport Company
ลก.ลม. – Lao Transport Company

อุดรธานี = Udon Thani – Thailand
หนองคาย= Nong Khai – Thailand
เวียงจันทน์ = Vientiane – Lao PDR

http://61.19.247.102/~transport/timetable05_laos.php

Timetable หนองคาย เวียงจันทน์ / Nong Khai - Vientiane

No.

Dep time

From

To

Fare/THB

รถโดยสารฝ่าย

1

07.30

หนองคาย

เวียงจันทน์

30 บาท

บขส.

2

07.30

เวียงจันทน์

หนองคาย

30 บาท

ลก.ลม.

3

10.30

เวียงจันทน์

หนองคาย

30 บาท

บขส.

4

10.30

หนองคาย

เวียงจันทน์

30 บาท

ลก.ลม.

5

15.00

หนองคาย

เวียงจันทน์

30 บาท

บขส.

6

15.00

เวียงจันทน์

หนองคาย

30 บาท

ลก.ลม.

7

18.00

เวียงจันทน์

หนองคาย

30 บาท

บขส.

8

18.00

หนองคาย

เวียงจันทน์

30 บาท

ลก.ลม.

Timetable หนองคาย เวียงจันทน์ / Udon Thani - Vientiane

No.

Dep time

From

To

Fare/THB

รถโดยสารฝ่าย

1

07.30

อุดรธานี

เวียงจันทน์

80 บาท

บขส.

2

07.30

เวียงจันทน์

อุดรธานี

80 บาท

ลก.ลม.

3

09.30

เวียงจันทน์

อุดรธานี

80 บาท

บขส.

4

09.30

อุดรธานี

เวียงจันทน์

80 บาท

ลก.ลม.

5

15.00

อุดรธานี

เวียงจันทน์

80 บาท

บขส.

6

15.00

เวียงจันทน์

อุดรธานี

80 บาท

ลก.ลม.

7

17.00

เวียงจันทน์

อุดรธานี

80 บาท

บขส.

8

17.00

อุดรธานี

เวียงจันทน์

80 บาท

ลก.ลม.


2009/12/21

Why You Should Visit Laos

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 hustle and bustle. Every time a ripple of thunder breaks the stillness of the former French colony sandwiched between Thailand
and Vietnam, the electricity goes down. Forget that fruit shake you ordered, which requires a blender’s input. Better make it a Beer Lao.

Careful how you handle the currency, as Kip are next to worthless, meaning that it’s necessary to keep track of lots of zeros.

All these surplus circles mean it’s easy to get confused and tender an insultingly small amount or a fortune, then only realise the gaffe because of the look on the cashier’s face. It’s easy to feel rich with all those zeroes in your pocket, but beware, you may not notice that you accidentally blew a billion, until you don’t have the million or so necessary to buy a packet of chewing gum.

Relax. Spend a while in Laos and you may find that you start to adopt the dreamy expression worn by many of the inhabitants. Aside from the non-too-insistent pestering of hawkers and tuk-tuk drivers, pressure scarcely exists. Time elapses at the speed of a lolloping ox.

Thank or blame Communism. No reason for rush exists in a state where enterprise is vaguely frowned upon. Just like sex outside marriage. It is illegal for a man to sleep with a woman who is not his wife in this, the highly regulated People’s Democratic Republic, which even has a midnight curfew. Not that you would necessarily notice, because the curfew is enforced ever so softly and by the subtlest of soldieries.

Many travellers return repeatedly, hooked on a country that regularly wins prizes for being so laidback and enchanting, the epitome of oriental charm. Few observers have a bad word to say about Laos.

The so-called Jewel of the Mekong may, however, seem a bit constricted, given that it has a smaller population than urban Paris and few places to visit. Tourists flock to three main towns: Vientiane, the temple-infested cultural capital with the strange rhyming name, Luang Prabang, and Vang Vieng. First-class accommodation can be obtained in only the first two of these destinations – see the listings sections on page xxx for hotels, food, spas and nightlife.

While Vientiane and Luang Prabang ooze style and atmosphere, Vang Vieng is rather ramshackle. If you miss the TV show ‘Friends’ and like it broadcast louder than the thunder that regularly deafens the village, this is the place for you. Younger and/or boozier travellers will enjoy its wildly popular signature activity, ‘tubing’, which entails drifting drunkenly downriver, slotted inside a tractor tube. Tubing is worth trying once, even if you are t-total, just for the peacefully panoramic views of the mountain-lined Mekong tributary, the Nam Som. Also for the amusement of watching the antics of the young and foolish, who swing from ropes across the river and do all sorts of inadvisable and dangerously daft things with ropes and ladders.

Alternatively, board the plane to Luang Prabang and be spellbound by the radiant temples and their saffron-clad incumbents. Watch the Mekong go by between drowsy spells half-reading a book in a river-bank restaurant, or just wander the streets absorbing the unspoiled antiquity.

Laos ranks as one of the world’s poorest countries. What a pity it is not easier to throw money around, there being a limit to the number of silk scarves, stone Buddhas and bottles of snake wine you want to stuff in your luggage. Unlike most of southeast Asia, this place makes you want to spend your money.

The biggest draws are the charm of the people, the French colonial influence on the architecture and the mystique that enshrouds the old Indochinese outpost.

Laos’ landmarks, for example Buddha Park, Vientiane’s twisted sculpture theatre, are hard to fathom. Then there is the Plain of Jars. Laos’ answer to Stonehenge
, this Highlands plain is peppered with giant stone urns that defy conclusive explanation but serve as vehicles for informed speculation and fanciful guesswork. Be warned that this area contains a large amount of unexploded ordinance.

Laos has been conquered and occupied by pretty much every country on the planet except Monaco, in a history almost as blood-soaked as neighbouring Vietnam’s. After the communist Pathet Lao finally took complete control of the country in 1975 and sent the last King and Queen of Laos on a terminal visit to a re-education camp in a cave in the northeast of the country, they enforced a rigid closed-door policy that was to last more than a decade. The country has only recently opened up to tourism, so the inhabitants have yet to start to think of the visitor as no more than a mobile ATM. Laos is one of Asia’s last tourism frontiers, a country with a fascinating and largely intact cultural heritage, peopled by mostly friendly, funny and gentle folk. It can not be more highly recommended as a rewarding and relaxing destination for all travellers, regardless of the depth of their pockets.

2009/11/28

Angkor Wat - Siem Reap - Cambodia


Nearly all visitors to Cambodia come to see the ancient temples of Angkor, situated in Siem Reap. Built between the 9th and 14th centuries, they reflect a period of great creativity, and now fully deserve their position in the Seven Wonders of the World.


The Khmer empire at the time stretched far and wide, from southern Vietnam to southern China and west over to the Bay of Bengal. Angkor was the administrative center, built by the population, with the stone buildings which now remain the abodes only of the gods. The real instigator of the complex was Jayavarman II, who set himself up as the god-king; this concept was continued through the reigns of the other kings, with various kings producing one or other of the wonders that are available for your eyes today.


Angkor Wat is the highest achievement of Khmer temple architecture, and is today the "flagship" of the temples at Angkor. The temple is a huge pyramid structure. The compound at Angkor Wat covers an area of 1,500 by 1,300 m (4,920 by 4,265 ft) and is surrounded by a vast moat 180 m (590 ft) wide. Along the causeway leading to the enormous entrance gate are balustrades shaped as giant serpents, which are believed to represent emblems of cosmic fertility.


The temple consists of a towering complex of terraces and small buildings that are arranged in a series of three diminishing stories and surmounted by five towers. The roofed and unroofed structures are covered with bands of finely carved stone sculptures. The walls are covered with carved reliefs that illustrate Hindu mythology, principally scenes relating to the god Vishnu, to whom the temple was dedicated. The "mass of bas-relief carving is of the highest quality and the most beautifully executed in Angkor." All the temple mountains of Angkor were filled with three-dimensional images and every inch of the walls are covered by sculptures.


Miraculously, very little damage has been made on the Angkor region as a result of the bloody civil that has terrorized the Cambodia for over 30 years. The Khmer Rouge, an extreme-left organization has actively organized guerrilla activities against Prince Sihanouk's government.


In 1975, many Buddhist monks who lived in the Angkor temples were massacred along with the majority of the Buddhist population as a result of a "social reorganization". However, Angkor Wat suffered very little structural damage in that attack. Today, archeologists from all over the world are actively involved in the restoration process of the temples.


Angkor began to decline around 1220 after the death of Jayavarman VII, and then was sacked twice by the Thais, in 1351 and 1431. The Khmer court moved to Phnom Penh, and Angkor was left to the jungle, not rediscovered until the mid-19th century.


The Angkor temples miraculously suffered very little structural damage in the bloody civil wars in recent years, and today archeologists from all over the world are actively involved in the restoration process. However, in 1975, many Buddhist monks who lived in the Angkor temples were massacred by the Khmer Rouge, along with the majority of the Buddhist population, as a result of ‘social reorganization’. As society has recovered, the temples have become active places of worship once again: please remember this and dress appropriately on your trip.

Cheap Airfare From/To Laos Here!

2009/11/20

Top Attractions in Muang Khammouan - Laos

Muang Khammouan - Laos

1. Tham Lot Kong Lo
Tham Lot Kong Lo is a magnificent 4 km long cavernous tunnel of limestone, found in the spectacular scenery of Khammuan Province in Southern Laos.

2. Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area
Situated on the border of Vietnam, Nakai-Nam Theun actually features a number of different habitats, from evergreen forest to cloud forests, riverine forest to an everwet forest. Covering an area 3,710 square...

3. Phoun Hin Boun National Biodiversity Conservation Area
Situated in the province of Khammouane, the Phoun Hin Boun NBCA features a range of activities from trekking to rafting, or kayaking. Cave enthusiasts will also find many caves to explore. The terrain in Phoun Hin...

4. Hin Namno National Biodiversity Conservation Area
Situated on the border of Vietnam, Hin Namno NBCA is a region where the Central Indochina Limestone meets the beginning of the Annamite Chain. The area therefore features a number of caves and limestone...
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Top Attractions in Savannakhet - Laos

1. Phou Xang Hae National Biodiversity Conservation Area
Similar to the nearby Dong Phou Vieng park, the Phou Xang Hae NBCA is a great location for trekking, and features many of similar animals including the Douc and Francois's langur, and elephants, as well as big cats,...

2. Dong Phou Vieng National Biodiversity Conservation Area
Situated in the province of Savanakhet, Dong Phou Vieng NBCA features a mix of forest types. The area is great for trekking, and features a number of animals including the Douc and Francois' langur, elephants, and an...

3. Xe Bang Nouan National Biodiversity Conservation Area
Situated between the province of Salavan and Savanakhet, Xe Bang NBCA covers an area 1,260 square kilometres in site. The area is still little known, and the region is not that easily accessible.

4. Wat Si Mongkhon Tai

2009/11/18

Cheap Flights to Laos


Cheap Flights to Laos : Tickets

Unless you're in a country bordering Laos, your first mission is to find a flight to Bang­kok. Luckily there are plenty of flights to the Thai capital, but fares fluctuate sharply. Generally, you'll pay less but it will take longer if you fly to Bangkok with a stop on the way.


For example, if you're flying from the UK you'll probably get a better deal with airlines such as Gulf Air, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Garuda or, for those on the breadline, Biman Bangladesh - all of which involve a stop in the airline's home city - than you would on a direct flight with British Airways or Thai International Airways (THAI). Once you're in Bangkok, there are trains, planes and buses heading to Laos. The only flights directly into Laos come from the following four countries

Phnom Penh
Between Phnom Penh and Vientiane, there are two flights a week with Lao Airlines (stopping in Pakse) and a daily direct flight with Vietnam Airlines.

Siem Reap
Lao Airlines flies between Siem Reap and Vientiane five times a week, stopping at Pakse (50 min­utes). From November to March there are two more flights between Siem Reap and Pakse that continue to Luang Prabang (US$135). Bangkok Airways should also be flying between Pakse and Siem Reap by the time you read this.

Kunming - CHINA
Lao Airlines shares three services a week be­tween Kunming and Vientiane with China Eastern Airlines.

Bangkok - THAILAND
THAI has one flight daily between Bangkok and Vientiane (70 minutes), while Lao Airlines has two flights in each direction; discounts are available in THAI.

DEPARTURE TAX
The international departure tax is US$15, payable in kip, baht or US dollars.

Some people save money by flying from Bangkok to Udon Thani in Thailand and then carrying on by road to Nong Khai, over the Friendship Bridge to Vientiane .
Udoi Thani is 55 km south of Nong Khai and Bang-kok-Udon tickets on Thai Air Asia.

Bangkok Airways flies daily between Bang­kok and Luang Prabang, and Lao Airlines has three flights a week.

Bangkok Airways should be flying be tween Bangkok and Pakse by the time you read this.

Chiang Mai
Lao Airlines has five flights a week between Vientiane and Chiang Mai via Luang Prabang (one hour).
Hanoi - VIETNAM
There are 10 flights a week between Vientiane and Hanoi - three on Lao Airline (one hour) and the rest on Vietnam Airlines for slightly more. Lao Airline also flies between Hanoi and Luang Praban; (one hour).

Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam Airlines flies from Ho Chi Mini City to Vientiane, three hours daily, via Phnom Penh.

Cheap Fare From/To Laos Here !

2009/11/16

Bangkok to Vientiane by train



It's easy to travel from Bangkok to Vientiane (or vice versa) by train, using the daily overnight sleeper train direct from Bangkok to Nong Khai and a special connecting local train to the new international rail terminal at Thanaleng in Laos, some 13km outside Vientiane.

The train uses the new rail link over the Friendship Bridge across the Mekong river into Laos, opened on 5 March 2009. You can then take a local bus or tuk tuk to central Vientiane. It's safe, cheap and comfortable. Alternatively, you can still travel between Bangkok & Vientiane the old way, using any of the Bangkok-Nong Khai trains, then making your own way by bus or taxi between Nong Khai & Vientiane. This section explains both options.

* Change trains at Nong Khai. Originally, through 2nd class sleeper cars operated between Bangkok & Thanaleng, but it's now reported that the Nong Khai to Thanaleng train is run as a totally separate train with 3rd class seats. You've a couple of hours to change trains in Nong Khai and buy onward tickets.
** Use local transport (bus, taxi, tuk-tuk) between Nong Khai & Vientiane
*** Use local transport (taxi, tuk-tuk) between Thanaleng & central Vientiane.

Option 1, take the train all the way between Bangkok & Laos...
The easiest option is to take the overnight train (train 69 northbound, train 70 southbound) between Bangkok & Nong Khai, and the connecting local train across the Friendship Bridge between Nong Khai & Thanaleng in Laos, just outside Vientiane. An extension of the railway to the suburbs of Vientiane is planned. How to buy tickets. The new Thanaleng station is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so pre-arrange a taxi transfer into Vientiane if you can, perhaps by booking a hotel then asking them to arrange a taxi. If you can't, you'll no doubt find a taxi or bus into town, and Thai baht are normally readily accepted.

VISAS: 'Visas on arrival' for Laos are now issued at Thanaleng station, costing US$35 + 1- baht entry fee.

Option 2, use any train between Bangkok & Nong Khai, then bus or taxi to Vientiane...
The other way to travel from Bangkok to Vientiane (or vice versa) is to take any train from Bangkok to Nong Khai, overnight train 69 (train 70 southbound) being the best choice. Nong Khai is just a few kilometres from the Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River into Laos. You then use road transport across the Friendship Bridge into Laos like this: (1) Take a local tuk-tuk taxi from Nong Khai railway station to the Nong Khai bus station. (2) A shuttle bus runs from the bus station across the Friendship Bridge to Laos every 20 minutes throughout the day, fare about 30 baht. It stops at Thai immigration 5 mins after leaving the bus station then crosses the Friendship Bridge to arrive at Lao customs & immigration some 10 mins later (a 15-day visa on arrival available for Laos at this border point). (3) You now remove your luggage from the bus luggage hold and go through Lao customs. Take another tuk-tuk to your chosen hotel. Try this link for more information on the shuttle bus. When travelling southbound, leave central Vientiane at least 3 hours before your train leaves Nong Khai for Bangkok to allow time for border formalities and the various bus/taxi journeys.


How to buy tickets from Bangkok to Vientiane...
You can't buy through tickets from Bangkok to Thanaleng, at least not yet, you have to buy a ticket from Bangkok to Nong Khai, then buy the onward ticket from Nong Khai to Thanaleng at the station when you get to Nong Khai. You can buy your Bangkok-Nong Khai sleeper ticket at the reservations office in Bangkok or online using the new Thai Railways online booking service. The new online service can now book 2nd class air-con sleepers from Bangkok to Nong Khai on train 69, but it won't book 1st class ones or tickets for any of the other Bangkok-Nong Khai trains, at least not yet.

Or you can buy tickets through an agency such as Traveller2000. For details of all these methods see the How to Buy Tickets section on the Thailand page. You then buy your Nong Khai to Thanaleng ticket for 20 baht when you arrive at Nong Khai station. There's plenty of time to do this, as the train has a 2 hour layover in Nong Khai before the connecting train heads to Thanaleng.


Vientiane to Luang Prabang
The jewel in Laos' crown is Luang Prabang, a city of French and Buddhist colonial buildings next to a river and nestled in mountains. You can travel from Vientiane to Luang Prabang by river boat or bus, as follows:

* Vientiane - Luang Prabang by VIP bus, 10 hours, 2 morning departures, about 140,000-170,000 Kip one-way.
* Vientiane - Luang Prabang by air-con bus, 10 hours, 2 morning departures, about 120,000-130,000 Kip one-way.
* Vientiane - Luang Prabang by ordinary bus, 11 hours, 5 daily departures, about 70,000 Kip one-way.
* Vientiane - Luang Prabang by 6-seater river speedboat, 11 hours, morning departures, about $20 one-way. One seat61 correspondent has said he did not feel safe on the speedboat.
* Vientiane - Luang Prabang by cargo/passenger ferry, 4-7 days, daily morning departures, about $6 one-way.
Traveller's report:

Traveller Bob Fletcher reports: "The name of the bus has nothing to do with the actual comfort. The VIP bus is as high as a double decker with tough suspension. Try riding in the back seat for 11 hours! The Air Con bus doesn't look as nice but is definitely more comfortable. However, neither bus will have it's air con on once it clears Vientiane. All that said, travellers who take a flight to Luang Prabang really miss out on amazing breathtaking scenery.

Cheap Airfare From/To Laos Here !

2009/11/14

That Ing Hang Festival


28 November - 03 December 2009, Savannakhet Province
That Ing Hang Festival


The ritual ceremony is annually performed in the That Ing Hang, one of the most sacred stupa in Southern Laos. It said there are some Buddha born inside the stupa. In December, people organize a festival to show their respects to Buddhism and to the people who built this stupa.


Many people, including the old and young, come to the festival from South and North of Laos as well as from Thailand.
People make offerings of "Khanmarkbern", a small green tower-like offering goods made by banana leaves, and flowers to around the stupa.

People ask nuns who are around the stupa for blessing them. The nuns give blessing to people by tying cotton strings to their wrists. Local people bring forest products like honey and traditional foods for the offerings.

Cheap Airfare From/To Laos Here !

Laos Festivals & Activities


January

Bun Pha Wet is the temple festival people will exchange invitations to friends, neighbors and family to join their celebrations. This festival is a commemoration of the Jataka, the life story of Lord Buddha as Prince Vestsantara so temples considered auspicious time for ordination day. This is will be a favored time for Lao males to be ordained into the monks.

February
Marha Puha is an interest festival celebrated by buddhists in Laos / Thailand on the night of the full moon. This day is a public holiday in Thailand and Laos & go to the temple to perform merit-making activities. Celebrated most fervently in Vientiane and at the Khmer ruins of Wat Phu, near Champasak province. The festival is marked by grand parades of candle-bearing worshippers circling their local temples, merit-making, and much religious music and chanting.
Vietnamese Tet Festival & Chinese New Year Celebrated in Vientiane, Pakse and Savannakhet is the biggest event of the year. This time for friends, families and loved ones to come together, it is also a time to pay respects to deceased ancestors. Many people celebrate with a hung of meal and fireworks displays which take place in most major towns and cities. Most shops close their businesses at least one day over the holiday period.

Sikhotabong Festival is religious festival and held at Sikhottabong stupa from 5 - 8 February every year, located about 6 km south of Thakhek. it was built in the 8-10th centuries by King Nanthasene. The ruins of stupa was restored as its original design in the 1950's.
Wat Phu Festival is a interest festival of Laos, organized annually in Champasak from 5 - 8 February. Wat Phu is in Champasak. Festivities are buffaloes fighting, elephants racing, cocks fighting and performances of Lao traditional music and dance. The trade showcasing the cheap price of products from the southern province of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

March
Boun Khoun Khao or Khoun Lan (Rice Ceremony) This is a harvest festival held at Songkhon district in Savannakhet Province. Basi ceremony is performed to give thanks for the land .

April
Boun Pimai (Pimai Lao) is the most important annual festivals, especially in (Luang Prabang). It is lasting several days and starting from 13-15 April. That day water will be throwing among the people in a spirit of fun and goodwill is the main activity of this festival. In addition you will join in dancing, singing traditional song & beauty contest with the crowning of Miss Pimai.

May
Boun Bangfai (Rocket Festival) is held at the beginning of the rainy season. Bangfai is a rocket made from Large bamboo are built and decorated by monks. Different communities compete for the best decorated and the highest traveling rocket and who will design failed rockets are thrown in the mud, songs and dances. This dramatic festival lasts 2 days and also celebrated in north east Thailand.

June & July
Children's Day is 1st June is a Laos Public Holiday !
Khao Phansao beginning of the traditional 3 month during which Buddhist monks are expected to station themselves in a single monastery. Other time they are travel from the countryside, but during the rainy season they avoid to travel so as not to damage fields of rice or other crops. This months is a special time for ordination and for men to enter the monkhood for short periods before they marry.

August
Haw Khao Padap Din starting in the middle of the rainy season. Khao Padabdin festival is held in commemoration of dead ancestors. Over 2 days Buddhist devotees flock to the wats carrying silver trays of offerings for monks and deceased ancestors. Music is traditionally performed in the grounds of the wat while people make their donations.

Boat Racing Festival held in Luang Prabang from 17 - 18 Aug. This festival includes boat racing on the Nam Khane River and a trade fair in Luang Prabang. At the Khao Salak ceremony day, people visit local temples to make offering to the dead as well to share merits making.

September
Boun Ok Phansa is the end of buddhist lent and the faithful take offerings to the temple and it mean is end of the rainy season. Boat races take place on the Mekong river with crews of more men and women. Before the race small decorated rafts are set afloat on the river.

Boat Racing Festival is held in Sebangfai river on 2 Sept in every year. At the same occasion a trade fair of farming products, local handicrafts, traditional Lao music and dance performance at the same time, citizens donate the offering to the dead in to share merits.

October
Awk Phansao (Awk Watsa) similar to the Thai celebrates that call Loy Krathong, this celebrates on the day of the full moon. Monks are at last permitted to leave the temple and are presented with robes. One particularly beautiful & people gather at the nearest body of water to release dozens of small banana-leaf boats decorated with candles, incense and small flowers.

Bun Nam (Water Festival) The water festival held during kao Pansa in riverside towns such as Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet, the highly competitive Bun Nam boat races (suang heua) are held during the same time as Awk Phansaa.

Boat Racing Festival held in 2 - 3 Oct in Vientiane. The water festival held during k Pansa is spectacular on the first day donations and offerings to temples around the city. In the evening candlelight processions are held around the temples and hundred of colorful flosta decorated with flower. A popular and exciting boat racing competition is held on the Mekong.

November
Boun That Luang celebrated at many temples and stupas around the country, this festival is traditionally centered and most ardently and colorfully at That Luang in Vientiane. Fairs, beauty contests, music and fireworks take place throughout the week of the full moon, and end with a candlelight procession around the temple.

That Luang Festival (Full Moon) is held in That Luang, Vientiane. Hundreds of monks assemble to receive alms and floral votive early in the morning on the first day of the festival. There is a colorful procession between Wat Si Muang & Pha That Luang. The celebration lasts a week and includes fireworks and music, culminating in a candlelit curcumabulation.

December
Hmong New Year in Oudomxay, Xieng Khouang, Luang Prabang and Vientiane Province is held between middle December - January. The Hmong New Year celebration features colorful displays of traditional costumes made from green, red and white silk and ornate silver jewelry. Music from traditional Hmong instruments such as the Hmong-style khene pipe and teun-flute.

Cheap Airfare From/To Laos Here !

2009/11/13

Songkran Festival and Happy Lao New Year History


Songkran is the traditional Lao and Thai New Year; also called the Water Splashing Festival

Pii May Lao or Lao New Year

The Lao people celebrate their New Year, Pii May (pronounced Pii-My) or Kut Songkaan according to the ancient Hindu calendar, which falls around April 13, 14, or 15 in the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is considered to be the most important and biggest traditional festival in the country. The festival coincides with the end of the dry season and the start of the monsoon season. It is seen as a day of rebirth and purification.


According to a Lao legend, the Pii May celebration started after Thao Kabinlaphrom lost his life in a bet to a man named Thammaban Khuman Thao Kabinlaphrom was not able to solve a three-part riddle. Per his request, his seven daughters (representing each day of the week) took great care not to let his severed head touch the ground or there would be great destruction throughout the world. The head was kept at Mt. Sumeru until Pii May of each year when each daughter would take turns cleansing it. Today, this story is reenacted during the Lao New Year celebration. The community chooses one female to represent Nang Sangkhan one of the seven sisters, to lead a procession or parade while showcasing a replica of Thao Kabinlaphrom on a ceremonial tray called Khan.


Pii May Lao is a three-day event. The first day is called Sangkhan Luang or the last day of the old year. This is the time when people clean their houses in preparation for the New Year. It is also a time when people clean Buddha statues with scented water at the temple. On this day, people earn merit and blessings by building mounds of sand, usually on the river banks and temple grounds, which are then decorated with small triangular flags, flowers, money and candles. This day, in 2009, falls on Monday, April 13.


The second day is called Sangkhan Nao which is the day between the old and the New Year (This day is considered neither to be part of the old year or the New Year). In some years, the Sangkhan Nao may be two or three days long. Sangkhan Nao is also known as the day of rest, which means all work is forbidden. Only fun activities should take place such as visiting relatives and friends, taking a day trip or the customary throwing of water on friends and passersby. At night time, there is usually a Lamvong or circle dancing party and everyone dresses their best to partake in the celebration. Plenty of food and drinks are available well into the night.


The third day of the Lao New Year is called Sangkhan Kheun Pii May. It is the start of the New Year and is the most joyous day of the festival. People go to the temple and make offerings to gain merit. Young people prepare scented water with flowers and visit their grandparents, parents, and elders. They rinse the elders’ hands with the water and ask for their blessings and forgiveness for any wrong-doings in the past year. At home they engage in a special family ceremony called the Sukhwan or Baci to welcome the New Year. This ceremony is performed by a ceremonial leader known as the Mophon to call the Khwan or tutelary spirits back to the body. Participants then take turns tying the blessed white strings around each other’s wrists to wish them good luck and prosperity for the New Year.

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