Minh Phuong feels lucky to be able to celebrate Vietnamese New Year in Laos and visit the majestic destinations of the land of a million elephants.
With her mother's hometown in Laos, Pham Thi Minh Phuong (Phuong Possible), 33 years old, a "backpacker" in Ho Chi Minh City, decided to make a trip to the land of a million elephants to celebrate Tet and enjoy spring. Unable to buy a plane ticket to Laos, she chose to take a bus to Savannakhet and experience the place by motorbike.
Ms. Phuong visited That Luang Pagoda in Vientiane, Laos. Photo: NVCC
Phuong departed on February 3 (December 24), from Ho Chi Minh City by bus through four border gates in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. From Pakse City, Champasak Province, she continued to take a bus to Savannakhet to reunite with her family. On the way, Phuong felt the bustling Tet atmosphere, close to the shops decorated with red lanterns and parallel sentences. At the central park of Savannakhet Province, there is a space decorated with the theme of Vietnamese Tet with the words "Happy New Year" prominently displayed, for tourists to stop and take photos. "It feels close and emotional" to come to a foreign country and still be able to feel the atmosphere of Vietnamese Tet, she said.
Some cities in Laos such as Pakse, Savannakhet, and Vientiane have many Vietnamese people living there, so the Tet atmosphere and activities are not much different from those in Vietnam. Phuong's maternal family has lived in Laos since 1945 and still preserves typical traditions during Tet such as the five-fruit tray, peach blossom branches, New Year's Eve offerings, lucky money, visiting relatives and wishing them a happy new year. "Many Vietnamese families living in Laos still preserve these typical cultural features," Phuong shared.
After experiencing Vietnamese Tet with her relatives, the female "backpacker" gathered with a group of friends in Vientiane, starting her journey of spring travel and discovery . In Laos, Tet is quite similar to Vietnam, many people go to pagodas, so she chose the first schedule to visit famous pagodas in the capital Vientiane such as Si Muang Pagoda, That Luang Pagoda, Buddha statue garden and Patuxay triumphal arch.
Leaving Vientiane for Vang Vieng, Ms. Phuong's group chose to rent a motorbike for a 130 km road trip. The route has many famous attractions with many caves and blue lagoons typical of the limestone mountain area. The group of tourists stopped to admire the scenery at high altitudes, with a wide view, taking in all the beautiful natural scenery in Laos.
Passing through winding, dangerous mountain roads with sinkholes scattered everywhere, landslides causing dust to reach the ancient capital of Luang Prabang, the group enjoyed the "green gem" of Laos - Kuang Si waterfall. Kuang Si is a complex of 3 waterfalls, the main one is 60 m high. The waterfall flows down creating poetic layers of water. Visitors can not only admire but also swim and soak in the cool, clear water. In the morning, Ms. Phuong encountered one of the beautiful images of the ancient capital, which is the monks begging for alms, respectfully welcomed by the people.
Arriving at Phou Khoun peak, Luang Prabang on the afternoon of December 30th of the lunar calendar, the whole group was excited to welcome the New Year in the cold air and light rain similar to the weather on Tet holiday in Northern Vietnam. Staying at the farmstay with Ms. Phuong's group was a group of European tourists . They were also very excited to know that night was New Year's Eve in Vietnam and happily clinked glasses and set off fireworks to celebrate the new year. "This was the most memorable moment of the trip," Ms. Phuong said.
Leaving Phou Khoun, the group moved through Vientiane to Pakse. On the way back, Phuong and the group visited Wat Phou, the oldest temple in Laos, built in the 5th century. Initially, Wat Phou was the center of Hinduism, worshiping the god Shiva. By the 13th century, Wat Phou became the center of Theravada Buddhism and exists to this day. The temple still retains clear traces of the Champa empire with ancient architecture, a blend of Khmer and Hindu culture. In 2001, the temple was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.
Ms. Phuong's nearly 10-day trip cost less than 10 million VND. Food and accommodation costs in Laos are quite cheap and there are no additional charges because this is not their holiday. The traditional Lao New Year, Bunpimay Water Festival, takes place in April every year according to the Buddhist calendar.
Despite having a lot of experience traveling on dangerous roads in Vietnam such as the Northeast and Northwest, Ms. Phuong still had an accident when she fell off her bike on the way to Vang Vieng. She said that in Laos, there are many broken or under-repair roads, and potholes right at the bends are difficult to avoid, so the wheels often fall into the holes. Tourists should consider their means of transportation. If you are a weak driver, you can choose a speedboat or bus to optimize your experience time.
Although there are still many places that I have not been able to visit, the spring trip to Laos during Tet brings Phuong a feeling of "luck" and "a complete Tet". "This is also the motivation for me to return to Laos in the future to complete the unfinished experiences", she said.
Quynh Mai
Photo: Phuong Possible
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