1. Trek in Vieng Poukha
It’s a difficult dilemma. Do you tell the world about a hidden gem or keep it to yourself?
Vieng Poukha is the real South-East Asia. It’s a sleepy little town that looks innocuous as you pull up in the bus. You only know it’s your destination because the bus driver heralds it as you look bewildered down the dusty streets. As the bus pulls away from the unidentifiable “bus stop” you wonder what the heck you are doing there. You soon find out that you are the entire falang population of the town (to the mirth of the local children) and that there is a population of English speakers that you can count on one hand. There are no restaurants, only a local market where you can buy local produce or eat some foe. Electricity only comes on for a couple of hours in the evening, apparently exclusively so that family and friends can gather round and watch Laos soap operas. So there is no refrigeration: i.e. don’t eat the meat (see Things not to do) and expect a “cold” Beerlao to be cool rapidly warming to tepid as it is removed from the recesses of wherever they store their beer to keep it cool.
But it is a diamond in the rough. Especially if Thailand has been your first destination, you really feel as if you’ve tapped into what Asia can really be about. Vieng Poukha isn’t a destination to visit for the town, but the trek I did there was one of the best things I have ever done. Walking into the little Information Office just outside the town centre armed with a little leaflet with a name scribbled by another friendly traveller I soon discovered that, like many shops in the town, it was unattended. After waiting around for a while the local “tourist information officer” rode up to the door on his bike and we talked business. We were fortunate that the guide that had been recommended to us walked in as we were discussing the trek and it was organised that he was to take us the next morning.
Mr Hong Thong is a mild mannered Laos rice farmer with a heart of gold, a beaming smile, and an insatiable hunger for learning English. He also has an insatiable thirst for Khmu and Akha rice whisky, but so do the village chiefs we met. He was very informative about the areas and cultures we passed through, even though most of his stories revolved around sexual content! He was an excellent guide and I recommend asking for him on a trek that he specialises in like the 3-day Akha trail.
The trail we did was actually done in reverse to the prescribed route. There are also options along the way. We didn’t go out of our way for the waterfalls because it was quite dry and there wouldn’t be much to see. There were plenty of mountain streams to bathe in along the way, as well as an opportunity to wallow with buffalo in the river at the Khmu village, which was our first homestay evening. Even the village chiefs treat you like you are king, and we were informed that they truly think that falang are like kings compared to them. When they cheers with the rice whisky they would always cheers the glass below ours. We soon set them right and told them how appreciative we were that we could have the experience we were having. This is the real difference between anything you would do in Thailand or even the bigger centres in Laos. The number of tourists travelling through Vieng Poukha is very small, so the villagers truly are keen to interact with you. Walking into a village there is the feeling that the locals are just as curious about you as you are abut the locals. Learn a few words in the local dialect and you instantly make friends – they are very proud of their individual cultures and keen to show them off to you.
But therein also lies the dilemma. By something as small as posting this note on this little site, by bringing just those few more tourists to the area, will this ruin exactly why the experience was so wonderful? Just as I am sure a decade or two ago Thailand probably had so many backwater places full of beauty and friendly locals, will little towns like Vieng Poukha go the same way? It is no lie that the Laos government has emplaced measures to protect these areas, and these measures are rigidly enforced (perhaps other governments can take a leaf out of their book?). Treks are limited, numbers on the treks are also limited, routes are controlled. Entire villages that are also caught poaching and practising slash and burn within the protected area are moved on as punishment and “re-educated’ in the lowlands, as evidenced by the ghost village we wandered through on our final day. But is this enough? The thought of a bunch of falang wandering down the main street in Vieng Poukha ruins the image in my memory. Also would come the drinking and bars, and services that falang would demand, and so on.
You want to share this gem with the world, but keep it a gem, and not scratch or even smash this precious jewel. So I ask you, if you want an experience like the one I just described, go for it and seek that little town Vieng Poukha and see if Mr Hong Thong can take you around the uplands of Laos. But make sure it is really what you want and that you do it mindfully. Be prepared for roughing it, and that services will not be readily available, and don’t demand too much that will force the locals to change their way of life. They are keen to hear feedback, so don’t be hesitant to suggest ways to keep the experience the way its is. And understand that you approach their cultures from a foreign viewpoint, and that you really have no right to change what you see, even if you don’t agree with it. Because without this cultural diversity we will never have the opportunity to try and understand other perspectives.
2. Go to Pai
I won’t say much about Pai itself, but if there is one destination in the north of Thailand, Pai should be it. Just a few days relaxing in this smaller tourist spot is refreshing after the bustle of the rest of Thailand. It still has a large falang population, but everyone there seems to be there for good reasons. It is a good combination of relaxation and drinking it deep of a night time. The locals are super friendly and you soon make friends with bar owners and guest-house operators alike. I also recommend staying at the Family House. If you are sharing a room it is good value. The operators are wonderful, the rooms are clean, the location is very central but you are just off the main stretch so it is very relaxing to sit on your bamboo deck in the shade of the overarching trees around the bungalows.
