Bellus Floriforem

I've never been one to take photos of flowers but when I traveled to Laos I couldn't resist. I was simply struck by the colors and variety of them that I'd see all over town in random places. Here's a collage of some of them.

2013 December Laos Trip - Flowers.

Memories of Tat Sae Waterfalls, Luangprabang

2013 December Laos Trip - Tat Sae Waterfalls, Luangprabang.

Memories of Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls, Luangprabang

2013 December Laos Trip - Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls, Luangprabang.

Final Day in Laos

December 19th 2013 was my final day in Laos.  I meant to write a final post from Laos.  But I resisted in part because I felt a bit sad in having to do so.

Final days in Laos were rather busy.  Last minute browsing and hanging out, taking in all I could. Hanging out with friends and family, lots of last minute invites.  The sukuan ceremony was wonderful and the food and drinking was filling.  I've had my fill of alcohol namely because of BeerLao.

Finally, family and friends brought me to the airport for final goodbyes.

Number of Bookstores in Vientiane

As a bookworm, when I travel I become a bit of a literary tourist seeking out any and all bookstores. Just for the record, I've visited 13 bookstores here in Vientiane. This is up from maybe 6 or so booksellers ten years ago.

Could be more out there I haven't discovered yet...

Too Cool for Shorts?

Been here since beginning of December. Last night was the first rainfall since being in Laos. Made for very windy and cool day. Unfortunately I brought mostly shorts with me.

Talat Sao vs. Talat Kuadin

Talat Sao is a fun place to browse. But to find even better deals consider Talat Kuadin which is at ground level and it surrounds Talat Sao. It's busy and hot but it can be worth it. As an example, I bought costume jewlery which at Talat Sao they were initially asking for 80-100,000 kip. Talat Kuadin initial asking price 28,000 kip.

Vientiane Nightlife

Even though most establishments close by 10ish-11, turns out Vientiane has quite a night life. In particular the restaurants that have live bands playing. I've been to 4 places already and they never disappoint (food and entertainment wise). The musicians/singers are so talented singing in Lao then in English.

Calendars Galore

Correction: Found more calendars made by not only BeerLao but BCEL, Lao Telecom and even Phouvong Jewelry Store. Morning market proved to a good place to find these.

Animal Noise Battle Royale

Bizarre Lao animal behavior. Last night at 1am I was awaken by one dog's barking which lead to other dogs joining in which lead to roosters to start cockadoddling. It was like a noise battle. Grrr...

Traffic Police Nowadays

In Vientiane: Traffic police aren't so much of an issue as I last remember. The only police checks I've seen are late at night to check for drunk driving.

About Shopping in Laos...

Learned something new about shopping in a typical market in Laos. Unless you're prepared to buy, don't touch or inquire about the product. If you do, the vendors assume you're prepared to not just negotiate but to buy.

Also don't be guilted into buying.

BeerLao Calendar

Scored a BeerLao calendar! They're not as widely available as one would think. In fact they're not really sold to the public. It's a rather large calendar. Has gorgeous pics!

I'll post pictures eventually but just thought I'd share the news.

The Market at the Mittaphap Lao-Thai Bridge

At the Mittaphap Lao-Thai Bridge, on the Lao side today, there's a large duty free shop. It's pretty but kind of pricey. Instead checkout the surrounding smaller vendors where they have much better deals.

Finding lots of cheap cigarrettes, cheap alcohol, not to mention namebrand imitation clothes, cologne/perfume, and bags. Gets quite busy in the afternoons with Thais and other foreigners here for deals.

When in Laos, Eat Lao Food

When in Laos take the time to enjoy classics of Lao food. It's well priced and delish.

Lap, naem, kow piak sin, bpeeng ba, jeun yaw, pun yaw kow, fer, seen joum, seen dat, mee ka tee, etc. along with some BeerLao. Love it all!

Pains me to see people who travel to Laos only to go to foreign food restaurants.

Random Sighting

Random sighting. While at a local bookstore in Vientiane, I saw Grant Evans having a conversation in Lao with the store owner. Grant, an Aussie residing in Vientiane, has written many books on Laos.

Surprisingly, running into a lot of foreigners who are fluent in Lao.  Awesome to see.

Hundreds of Buddhas

Yesterday I visited Vat Haw Pra Keo and Vat Sisaket.  Not much has changed in the 10 years since I was last here.  However at Vat Haw Pra Keo they had lots of examples of ancient stone slabs with different inscriptions in different scripts used throughout Lao history.  Amazing to see them in real life.

At Vat Sisaket where there are hundreds Buddha statues an old English tourist asks "why does there need to be so many? Isn't one or two enough?"

lol

Ah Padek...

Ah yes the smell and taste of padek... lol. What to say? Padek is like the Black Sheep of the Lao flavoring family. It's smelly and looks gross but it always gets the job done and it'll always be around. Best thing to do is to get used to it and love it for what it is. ;-)

Some General Prices

Just fyi for those who might be interested in some of the prices I'm encountering.

VTE
Pho soup 15,000kip, naem 15,000k, medium sized luggage 500,000kip, nice mid level hotel room $35/night, motorbike rental 70-80,000kip, drive from Wattay Airport to downtown Vientiane 40,000kip, vte hobomap 25,000kip, money exchange is slightly better priced than in LP, fried spring rolls 9,000kip, bbq corn 5,000kip...

LP
By the way FYI, LP airport is serviced by expensive taxis and no tuk tuk for when you want to get out of the airport (ie. 100,000kip).  And 20,000kip to get into tourist sites were the standard.

Driving in Laos: Exhiliration vs. Fear

Driving the scooter in Vientiane. Some people say it's scary. I thought it was exhilarating! Hate all the big cars though. Drive safely out there!

Factoid: Laos still has one of the highest vehicle accident rates on a per capita basis in Asia. Eeek...

Old School

Drove past the old school I used to teach. I wonder how my students have progressed in life. They were the cutest and brightest little grade 1 students! All 16 of them.

Aggressive Sellers = Good Deals!

Notably at Talat Sao I have to admit the sellers are a lot more aggressive than I last remember. They're quite pushy but they're eager to sell so you can find awesome deals.  I was there to buy luggage.

Also checked out the night market along khem kong with my cousins. Most plentiful were women's clothing.

Exploring Vientiane After 10 Years

Vientiane is busy though it definitely has more things to do than compared to before. Admittedly it's not LP.

Rented a motor bike for 80,000 kip (for an automatic). Have gone all around town including That Luang, Patuxai, Talat Sao, Talat Nongdeuane, and of course to family/relatives.

Final Day in LP

Final morning in LP.  Feel like I will miss this place.  Did a final walk around LP. Ended up going up a different side of Phu Chomsi on the side of where the Buddha's Foot is. Not overly busy as not many know to come on this side. What an incredible view! And I didn't have to pay to gain access to this side! Spoke with nice monks there too.

Slow Boat up the Mekong River

Did the slow boat ride up to Pak Ou Caves. To be honest I was almost going to skip it. But several people recommended it.

Beautiful scenery on the ride up. Quite a sight to see all those old Buddhas inside the caves. There was a stop in between where there was a break for 15 minutes in ban sang hai where lao lao and silk is made. The little town is one cute little market.

December Weather in LP

4th day in LP. High of 24 degrees (celsius), low of 16 generally speaking. Haven't had to use my air conditioning once yet in the guesthouse. Tip: December is really one of the best times weather-wise in Laos. But bring a jacket or pants for the morning. Might be chilly for some people. Though by 11am it is hot and sunny again.

Stake Out of a Viewing Spot

Phu Chomsi has the best view of all of LP.  Tip: Go early to stake out a good spot (before 5pm). Loads of people go for the evening sunset and there's not a lot of room at the top.  And be ready for that hike up...It's a good exercise!

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

In LP:  Had some serious random conversations with locals. While they appreciate the business that comes with tourists, they confided that they're disheartened by disrespectful tourists.  But that stuff goes both ways right?

LP - The Little Town of Guesthouses

LP should be called the city of guesthouses and hotels. For a small town there's seems to be an over abundance of these 2 things.  Just an observation.

Timeless Vat Xieng Tong

Visited arguably one of LP's most famous temples, Vat Xieng Tong. And yes it lives up to the hipe! It's gorgeous. One of the buildings on the temple grounds houses old Buddhas, the golden chariot and 2 large urn-like structures, and carved ancient looking wood panels and frames. On top of all that, its walls are filled with scenes from a story and all made of colored glass pieces formed together into a mosaic.

L'Etranger Books and Tea

In Luangprabang, one of the cutest and laid back places you can go for literature, food, and drinks is this place called L'Etranger Books and Tea on King Kitsarat road.

How Dare We Disturb Its Sleep

Laos is full of peculiar and funny sights. Was riding a taxi tuktuk and there was a dog sleeping on the road. It wasn't dead. But it refused to yield to any vehicles. Very unafraid. lol

Trees Grow Right Out of the Waterfalls!

Tat Sae Waterfalls. Imagine a forest just a wee bit up a mountain with trees. Now imagine blue clear multi-tiered water flowing threw it with trees still growing right out of the water. Gorgeous!

Also got to ride a playful elephant right into the shallow pools!

Kuang Si Falls Bright and Early

Tip: Good time to do Kuang Si Falls is before 10am. I was practically by myself when I got there at 9am. Got gorgeous shots unencumbered by any other tourists.

Explora Corridora

LP has lots of small roads and corridors off main streets. Don't dismiss them. Explore them! You'd be surprised at what you'll find. :-)  I've discovered different restaurants, little markets, temples, art galleries, to name but a few - that are all seemingly hidden from the main roads.

Lao Style Morning Alarms

Currently in Luangprabang. Woke up to roosters crowing and temple gongs...no need to set an alarm.

Visit to Laos December 2013

Sabaidee everyone. There will be a slight delay and change in what we're posting this month of December. Lots going on. One of the main reasons is that we're traveling in Laos as of yesterday.

As such, our next bit of posts will be mainly regarding our time here. We hope you'll continue to follow us. :-)

LLR (book): Laos: A Country Between Yesterday and Tomorrow

Title:  Laos: A Country Between Yesterday and Tomorrow
By:  A.H. Unger and W. Unger
Publisher/Year:  Hirmer, 1999 (Edition sponsored by Carol Cassidy)
ISBN:  3777484709

Yummy Bohn Pa

Lao food recipe video for bohn pa.  With all the ingredients and texture, it's a cross between a sauce and and mashed up salad.  Either way it's delicious and healthy.  A wonderful classic Lao fish dish eaten best with sticky rice. Nice video!

Video Credit: Youtube user Noi Souk

World Bank - Lao PDR Economic Monitor June 2013

Colliers International - Vientiane Property Report July 2013

KPMG - Laos Tax Profile May 2013

Lao Photographer Profile: Vilaysay Rathahao

Did you miss last month's issue of LaoPhotoMag.com (October 2013, issue #6)? Because that's where these striking photos come from. These sample pictures are from photographer Vilaysay Rathathao.  Check them out...

Lao People and the River (video)

A Lao made film documentary entitled ຄົນລາວ ແລະ ສາຍນໍ້າ / Lao People and the River (in Lao language with English subtitles) from 2008 by the Lao National Film Archive and Video Center with support from the Commemorative Organization for the Japan World Exposition.

   

Lao Language: Reading Conversation

AFP - Relatives of Laos Air Disaster Victims Mourn at Crash Site

Posted by AFP, October 18 2013.

BBC News - Search for Laos Plane Crash Survivors

Posted by BBC News, November 8 2013.

Lao Artist Profile: Anousa Phommeuang

Featuring a random selection of some of my faves from a very versatile Lao painter, Mr. Anousa Phommeuang, 39.  His incredible ability to switch paintings styles is a wonderful gift.  Have a look below as you'll see it varies from expressionism to cubism to surrealism.  Also his art is for sale.  Check out the links provided below.

Lao Language: Space Words

Laos: Celebrating the Land

Here's a short documentary style film specifically discussing rice cultivation in Laos.  It was created by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) with support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).  It's in English and Lao.  It gives you an appreciation into how much work goes into growing rice and also all the work that's being done to catalogue all the varieties by IRRI.  Both parts 1 and 2 videos are shown below.

Looking for Very Old Books on Laos for Free?

My penchant for finding free Lao literature online sometimes surprises even me :p.  And I always enjoy sharing what I find!

Here's another one:  There's a website called the Internet Archive where users (and many institutions) upload digital formats of books to make them widely available.  Because most of these are so old, their copyrights have expired.  For example many of the ones I've mentioned below are from the 1800s. 

Lao Word of the Day: To Care (About Someone)

Lao Artist Profile: Kongpat Luangrath

Today we're featuring some paintings from talented Lao painter, Mr. Kongpat Luangrath, 63. His work is a mix of beautiful whimsy, abstract, and modernism. He also sometimes mixes in a deep message or two. Have a look...

 

Lao Action Movie - At the Horizon

This film was released just 6 months ago by Lao New Wave Cinema Productions.  Very well made action flick!  It's garnering a lot of wonderful reviews from all over.  Check out the trailer below:

  At the Horizon-International Trailer from Lao New Wave Cinema Productions on Vimeo.

Lao Airlines Plane Crash in Pakse - Update

Crash black box located, Thai search team to stop work
Published: 21 Oct 2013 at 17.02, Bangkok Post

The flight recorder of the Lao Airlines plane that crashed into the Mekong River near Pakse airport in Champassak province on Oct 16 has been located, Sommat Phonsena, Lao Minister for Public Works and Transport, said on Monday.

Mr Sommat said divers were trying to retrieve the black box from the river, after it was located by the search team.
He thanked Thai police and military personnel for their help in the search and recovery operation.

Pol Maj Gen Wallop Raksanoh, chief of the Thai military search team, said the Thai soldiers would stop work on Monday. Lao authorities said they are capable of concluding the search for bodies and the aircraft's fuselage. The Thai team would leave Pakse on Tuesday and return home, he added.

Pol Gen Charumporn Suramanee, an adviser to the Royal Thai Police Office and chief of Thailand's Disaster Victims Identification (DIV) team, said 42 bodies and 17 body parts had been recovered.

Lao Airlines Plane Crash in Pakse, Laos

Laos air crash: 27 bodies found in Mekong River
By South East Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel, ABC (Australia)

Photo: Divers are searching the Mekong River for bodies after Wednesday's plane crash. 

(AFP: PORNCHAI KITTIWONGSAKUL)

Twenty-seven bodies have now been recovered from the Mekong River in the aftermath of Wednesday's plane crash that killed 49 people, including 6 Australians.

Echappées Belles - Laos, l'autre fils du Mékong

A French travel show called Echappées Belles (Beautiful Escapes) on France5 network visits Laos in the episode entitled Laos, l'autre fils du Mékong (original air date:  January 26 2013).  If you don't understand French, you'll still get a kick at what is shown in the 1.5hr programme.  My only suggestion is that I wished the host would have made more effort to speak Lao with the locals.  Other than that, it certainly is fun watching her go all over the country.

Video Credit:  Echappées belles

Lao Word of the Day: The Meaning of Something

Anthony Bourdain's Travel Show - No Reservations - Laos

In this episode from 2008 (season 4, episode 11), which aired on the Discovery Channel in North America, Anthony Bourdain visits Laos.  While he does visit some of the more common places, I love seeing that he goes off the beaten path; his honesty about wartime history; and the baci ceremony they do for him at the end, you can tell he appreciates and understands it meaning.

Creepy Lao Horror Movie - Chanthaly

This was shown at Lao-ITECC back around May 2013. It looks good and the quality is really up there.  Here's a look at the official trailer.

Lao Word of the Day: Happiness, Happy

Learn Lao on Your Android Device

There's a really good app for learning Lao language on Android.  It's a free download.  Program is simply called Lao Language.  According to the credits it was created by Santi Anousaya.

Lao Word of the Day: To Agree

Green Paradise - Laos - Along the Mekong

Wonderful documentary travel film on Laos!  It's from 2008.  The first part of the documentary takes you into Bokeo and the Gibbon Experience.  You get to see the treehouses, ziplining and the creator of that tour.  Breathtaking images from the jungle canopy.  (Both video parts shown below.)

Laos au Rythme du Mekong

Film documentaire en français sur le Laos s'appelle Laos au Rythme du Mekong.  Documentary film in French on Laos called Laos to the rhythm of the Mekong.  Well made and beautiful video that aired on t.v.  For those who don't understand French, I think you'll still enjoy watching it.

Lao Word of the Day: A Pioneer

Care More About Lao Culture Than Your Lao Partner?

In a previous post entitled Lao Dating 101, I wrote about how to woo your Lao partner and what you needed to understand in dating someone who's Lao.  It was more about educating a non-Lao person in our ways.  But what if you have a situation where your Lao partner doesn't care about their heritage and has very little knowledge of their cultural background?  What do you do when you're more into Lao culture, customs and food, than even your Lao partner?

The Rocket

Like its title, this movie is certainly soaring like a rocket by winning awards, garnering positive critical reviews, and more recently this past week as reported by many news outlets, Australia has submitted this film to the Oscars (for the 86th Academy Awards!) in the category of Best Foreign Film.

It's a Lao language movie by Australian director/writer Kim Mordaunt about a young boy born a twin from the ethnic minority group in Laos called the Akha.  The Akha have a belief that twins are a sign of bad luck.  Born into an unfortunate situation in a village unaccepting of him, the movie follows his life, his struggles, sorrow and more importantly his adventure, coming of age and redemption (not to mention, there's also a Lao James Brown! 555 :-).  Watch the official trailer.

Lao Word of the Day: Develop, Development

Lao Word of the Day: Origins, Originated From

Lao Fashion Designer: Nithaya Somsanith - Spring 2013

Clothing designed by Laos' homegrown fashion talent, designer Nithaya Somsanith.  Have a look at this Lao fashion show video from March 6 2013. 

 Credit:  Youtube user Thomas Wanhoff

Lao Word of the Day: A/The Host

New State Publishing and Book Distribution House Opens

As self-declared bookworms, we adore the bookstores in Laos.  And so we're thrilled to see the State Publishing and Book Distribution House (aka State Bookstore) open its new building at its new location this past spring (2013) in Ban Xieng Ngeun.  Here's the video as reported by LNTV.

 Credit:  Uploaded by Youtube user Souphaksone Silaphet

Random Awesome Image #11

Vientiane At Night

When the sun goes down, Vientiane still has plenty for you to see and browse.  Very nicely made video.  Have a look.

Lao Word of the Day: To Tie Something Up

Lao Word of the Day: A Tailor Shop

Miss Laos 2013 Open Call for Contestants

It's back!  The popular Miss Laos competition is set to have their open call for new contestants.  As reported by Lao newspaper KPL, the Miss Lao 2013 pageant is open for applicants.  However there are strict rules and requirements for entry.  For example, the Lao female applicant must be at least 5'5", between the ages of 18 and 26.  They also make it a point to say that she must also be confident with a great personality (what beauty pageant queen wouldn't have such things right?).

2nd Annual European Food Festival in Vientiane

Back in May 2013, Vientiane had its 2nd Annual European Food Festival.  Organized by the expat community living there and with a desire to share more of European food to Lao people, the festival continues to attract more and more people each year.  Take a look at the video below from Lao National TV.

How Lao are you?

The following is a culmination of my many discussions I've had with family, friends and relatives in varying degrees of seriousness.  In particular it's from the perspective of Lao people living not in Laos but abroad and the question of how one's own personal conviction on culture and situation of living abroad have affected how Lao they and their families are.  It's an interesting topic I thought I'd share with readers today, as part of the Laoconnection.com Stories to Share Series.

Vintage Lao Movie - Red Lotus (bua daeng)

Want to see one of the first movie films every made in Laos after the Lao People's Revolutionary Party took over?

Check out this old vintage movie called Red Lotus (bua daeng).  As expected there's a political slant in this old black and white movie, where it's essentially about woman who will only be able to love freely once her village is liberated by the the communists.  But it has more...

Lao Language Buddhism Books - Free

Found a great website to download Buddhism material from and more importantly they offer some of their stuff in Lao language - for FREE.

It's an incredible Buddhist organization based out of Taiwan called The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation (www.budaedu.org).

Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient (BEFEO)

I found an incredibly useful resource, Persee.fr, that has archived all the BEFEO issues from this publication from 1901-2003 and has made them available for FREE.  Details and link are below.

BEFEO is the the publication that was created by a cultural research organization called l'École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO).  An organization which had been created by colonialist France over a century ago which to this day still has offices throughout Asia.  (* Read side note below if you're curious to know why they did this.).  The organization and publication still exist today.

Luangprabang Tourism Commercials

As many of you know well, the city of Luangprabang gets lots of attention and tourists.  Arguably no other Lao city receives the same treatment in terms of getting their very own commercials.  Here's a few that we found on Youtube.  They'll surely get you in the mood to want to visit, if you haven't already done so.

Lao Word of the Day: Need, Require

Does This Entice You to Want to Visit Laos?

Lao tourism commercial, April 2013, created and posted online by iSpot Travel.

2 Largest Lao Embassies Abroad

Curious little me, wondering which are the largest Lao embassies?  Out of all of Laos' embassies around the world, arguably the 2 largest are the ones located in Bangkok, Thailand and Washington, DC.  Pictures shown below.  Let us know if you think there are bigger ones out there.  By comparison, they also have some smaller ones such as the one in Belgium.

Lao Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.  Image Source:  Google Maps

Lao Banks Grow - New Commercials Emerge

When I visited Laos 10 years ago I never saw a single bank commercial on television and would only sometimes see their billboards or signs.  Fast forward to today, 2013, and Lao banks both private and public have fully taken on the idea of advertising.  Competition among them is fierce. 

A burgeoning middle class, a large proportion of young workers with money, and banking rules that have become more open to competition that has allowed for incredible growth in the banking sector.  The days where people hid money in their homes are quickly vanishing.  The new norm is to open a bank account.

Lao Word of the Day: Especially, Particularly

Lao National TV Clip - Regarding Laos Being Chosen World's Best Tourist Destination 2013

Source: Lao National TV - https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10200490926749069

Lao PDR Awarded World's Best Tourist Destination 2013

Lao People’s Democratic Republic was recognized as the World's Best Tourist Destination for 2013 by the European Council on Tourism and Trade (ECTT). Tourist arrivals are surging—up 22% on a per annum basis—with last year's estimate at 3.3 million. At present, the tourism sector is the second largest income earner in Lao PDR.

Luangprabang Food Market Browsing

Here's a couple of fun videos from Youtube user Enniocol24 for all you foodies out there.  The first video is the morning food market and the second is the evening or night food market - both in Luangprabang.  Video was taken in April 2013 and we love the music selection playing in the background.

Majestic Buddha With an Entourage

Have you ever seen the Buddha in an image like this? I've never quite seen him depicted like this.  I'm calling it Majestic Buddha With an Entourage.

 Source Credit: Found on the front page BuddhistDoor.com website, artist unknown.

BBC's Roads Less Travelled: Laos

BBC's show Roads Less Travelled (season 1, episode 3) visits Laos starring the founder of the Lonely Planet travel series, Tony Wheeler.  Watch as he re-visits Laos and also some lesser known spots including a cascading waterfall not known to tourists yet.

Lao Food Festival 2013 - A Look at Provincial Foods

Sao Darly J visited the Lao Food Festival back in February 2013.  There were certain sections and stalls that were devoted to regional and provincial food.  Here's a few clips from her visit to the Xiengkhuang, Savannakhet, Champassak and Luangprabang food stalls on Youtube.  She's got a bigger obsession with Lao food than we do!  And that's saying a lot. :)

Lao Language: Cardinal Directions

Lao Artist Profile: Thep Thavansouk

Today we're featuring the following wonderful paintings from Lao artist, Calgary, Alberta, Canada based, Mr. Thep Thavansouk (below is our random selections of his works).

Lao Word of the Day: Ability to put up with something and not react

Food From Northern Laos - The Boat Landing Cookbook

Title:  Food From Northern Laos - The Boat Landing Cookbook / ​ອາ​ຫານ​ຈາກ​ພາກ​ເ​ໜືອ​ລາວ: ​ປື້​ມສູດ​ອາ​ຫານ​ຂອງ​ເຮືອນ​ພັກ​ທ່າ​ເຮືອ
By:  Dorothy Culloty
Photographed by: Kees Springer
Publisher/Year:  Galangal Press, 2010
ISBN:  9780473172367
Price:  $30USD

UNWFP PSAs on Food Nutrition and Family Health

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has funded several public service annoucement (PSA) ads in Lao that were showcased at the Luangprabang Film Festival in 2012.  All the ads are about family, maternity and baby health.  There were 10 in all.  Here's a couple of them shown here.

Saving Nutrients

New Lao Travel Magazine - Champa Holidays Magazine

Found another Lao travel magazine that has a full website to accompany the magazine.  It's in both English, Lao and some of the ads and texts are even in Chinese.  It's definitely for tourists and has plenty of ads.  Issues are printed and available aboard Lao Airlines and some bookstores in Laos.  They're also available online on their website and Issuu.com (links shown below).  It's beautifully made and some of the articles are quite interesting with gorgeous photos.  Have a look...