Category: Festivals

Xayaboury Festival is the Elephant in the Room for Lao Tourism

Written by Amrita Paul   The Xayaboury Elephant Festival is immensely popular with locals but has caused concern among international tourists who worry about the treatment of elephants. A major event held in the northwestern province each year, the Xayaboury Elephant Festival attracts thousands of people who gather to see the spectacle of captive elephants

Laos in 5 top spots for slow travel in 2023

National Geographic has named Laos one of the top destinates to visit in 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic closed the borders of many tourism-dependent countries, such as Laos. But the Southeast Asian country known for its emerald-green vistas of the Upper Mekong River got a boost in domestic travel with the December 2021 inauguration of a Chinese-financed and -constructed

Devotional flower offerings of Luang Prabang

This article was published last year by Garland Magazine and we wished to share the art of floral offerings in Laos with you. Linda McIntosh and Tiao Nith describe the floral offerings that are traditionally offered in Lao temples, which are changing now that they depend more on items purchased from markets. The floral offerings

6 Things To Know Before Traveling To Laos

3 Nagas Luang Prabang

A trip to Laos is the perfect opportunity to get off the beaten track in Southeast Asia. With thousands of years of history and dozens of colorful cities to explore, Laos is sure to capture the heart of any traveller. If you are planning a trip to this country, currently you need to organize it

Boun Hor Khaopadapdin, The festival That Feeds The Spirits

Source: Vientiane Times Boun Hor Khaopadapdin is an annual festival during which the people of Laos “feed” spirits with home-made parcels of food, reflecting their love, respect and gratitude for their deceased ancestors and guardians. The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the ninth month in the Lao lunar calendar. It is a

Why the Luang Prabang Film Festival is like no other

The Luang Prabang film festival (LPFF) rocks to a different beat than others. Not only do they screen amazing talent from South East Asia but they are on a mission – a social mission. Started by one man about 6 years ago simply because there was no theatre in Luang Prabang, it has grown to one

Luang Prabang Half Marathon Weekend Oct 2017

The annual Half Marathon Weekend is coming soon with many activities from Oct 19-Oct 23rd in the beautiful and historic UNESCO heritage town of Luang Prabang, Laos. This is an opportunity for locals, expats and tourists to have a great time while supporting the Lao Friends Hospital for Children. The charity race takes place on Sunday,

“Mark Community” Greets Elephants to UNESCO World Heritage

The Luang Prabang “Mark Community”, Greets Elephants to UNESCO World Heritage festivities in Dec ember 2015 LUANG PRABANG, LAO PDR; “The Mark Community” led Luang Prabang’s public and private sector tourism stakeholders in sponsoring an Elephant Baci Ceremony during the city’s 20th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The event welcomed a 20-strong Elephant

Celebrating elephants in Laos

ELEPHANTS IN LAOS For centuries Laos was famed as the kingdom of a million elephants. Now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. While it is unknown whether a million elephants once roamed freely in Laos, elephants are a practical part of everyday Lao heritage, culture, agriculture and livelihood. Elephant are highly respected

Hmong New Year | A Celebration of Colors

laos-hmong-new-year-luang-prabang-phonsavan

Hmong women in Phonsavan | Photograph by Cyril Eberle This is a remarkable story about the third largest ethnic group in Laos — the Hmong people — celebrating their biggest festival of the year. This colorful event showcases the fascinating culture and history of this group of people expressing their unique identity. Phonsavan market and

Boun Bang Fai – Rocket Festivals in Laos

Boun Bang Fai Rocket Festival

Every year rocket festivals explode across Laos This month has brought rocket festivals to fields just outside of villages and towns all over Laos and eastern Thailand. The festival is called Boun Bang Fai and it takes place during the 6th lunar month of the year as a way to call the gods to send the rain.

Lao New Year – Pi Mai Lao in Luang Prabang

Phi Mai Lao - Laos New Year Parade in Luang Prabang

Experience the Lao New Year -the Pi Mai Lao in Luang Prabang – Lao water festival I spent my first week in Luang Prabang soaking wet from head to toe for the better part of every day. I have been blasted with water guns, had buckets of ice water poured down my back, had multi-colored