Kuang Si Falls and an introduction to Lao weaving

History tells us that Laos was once the land of a million elephants.Today, only around 700 remain, of which roughly 300 live in the wild.To protect them (and also to run a fairly lucrative business), numerous so-called “elephant protection” centres have sprung up in Laos, as in Thailand. Unfortunately, not all of them are reputable, and for most, “protection” is little more ...

A popular ceremony, the Baci, also known as Soukhouane, is performed at any time of year to bring good fortune to an individual, but is most often held around events that affect family life (birth, marriage, funerals, illness, travel…). The ceremony is intended to call back into the body one or more of the 32 spirits (or Khouanes) that, according to Lao belief, every human being ...

The cruise continues on to Ban Baw, a Khamu village known for its craftsmanship. There you discover the ancestral gestures of weaving, passed down from mother to daughter, in a simple and genuine atmosphere. After a peaceful lunch on the river, head to Ban Tone, where villagers introduce you to bamboo basket-making and rice pounding – an immersion in the daily life of these ...