Laos

We spent a total of 8 nights in Laos, cramming in as much as possible in our short time there. From bike rides to elephant training, spending time in monasteries to tubing, we covered a wide range of activities that were at polar ends of the scale, and left us wishing we had longer to spend in this beautiful country. Our trip was divided into three parts: Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang and the food differs greatly between these regions. 

Vientiane

We only spent 2 nights in Vientiane and therefore didn't have too much time to explore the cuisine there. It was Chinese New Year: not widely celebrated in Laos, however our hostel manager was Vietnamese and he put on a complementary buffet for all of his guests. It was very difficult to differentiate the food in Vientiane from Vietnamese cuisine, as it has also maintained its french influence, with baguettes being a staple street food much like Banh Mi. Noodle soup (see full image) and pork with sticky rice are also in abundance. Here we are enjoying some in Vientiane night market.

Vang Vieng

Our main reason for visiting Vang Vieng was to go tubing. Everyone who visits Vang Vieng is visiting to go tubing. Therefore, exploring the cuisine wasn't at the top of our priority list. We did however, try the fragrant, national dish, Larb. Served with sticky rice, this dry mix of spiced mince and fresh herbs is traditionally eaten with your hands. It would be easy to confuse with Northern Thai dishes, as bamboo sticky rice is served everywhere North of Bangkok. However, many of the inhabitants in these regions originate from migrating Laotians, explaining some of the similarities that are seen between the neighbouring countries.

Luang Prabang 

Our time in Luang Prabang started less than comfortably, as we arrived at 2am on a "sleeper bus" to a deadly quiet town with boarded up guest houses and nowhere to go. After passing multiple signs saying "no vacancies", we gave up on our search for accommodation, seeking solace at a monastery. I'm sure that the Monks would have shown us great hospitality, had we not been chased out of the grounds by guard dogs, which resulted in us sleeping rough on a park bench until dawn. Sleeping rough was actually a blessing in disguise as it meant that we were awake and in a prime spot as locals and tourists alike emerged to give Alms to the Monks. Sticky rice, chocolate bars, fruits, vegetables and biscuits were just some of the offerings that were piled into the Monks metal bowls. It's an amazing experience to encounter, and you can witness it if you head to the monastery at sunrise any day of the week.  Just don't be tempted to buy offerings from the opportunistic street vendors if you arrive unprepared. The Monks consider it dirty food and throw it away after receiving it.(see full image)

Much like Northern Thailand, in Luang Prabang BBQ's are everywhere, the best being those located near to the fresh food market. Live fish in buckets and chicken in baskets clutter the stalls and surrounding streets, creating noisy obstacles and an assault course type atmosphere. Some of the live stock are a little more exotic, including turtles and frogs which are butchered on site. It's not a pleasant thing to see and is a world away from the pre-packed meat that we are so used to buying from the supermarket. However, it guarantees fresh produce and every bit of the animal is always used!

The night market is an Aladdin's cave of hand crafted souvenirs, traditional dress and of course, street food. For less than £1 you can get an all you can eat vegetarian buffet, which you can easily add meat to by picking up a kebab, sausage or a pork chop from one of the many BBQ's.(see full image)

The baguette made yet another star appearance, with row upon row of neighbouring stalls with identical menus. A highlight for me was the tuna and avocado sandwich that I washed down with a fresh fruit shake. Delicious!