The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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8 Southern Cambodia When you think of Cambodia, visions of tranquil beaches probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind, which is a shame. It isn’t much when compared with the quality and quantity of beach living in nearby Thailand, or even along the coast of Vietnam, but the southern coast of Cambodia boasts some fine sandy stretches worthy of putting your feet up for a few days, especially after some heavyduty temple touring or bouncing around the roads of rural Cambodia. Rte. 4, which connects Phnom Penh with Cambodia’s only port at Kompong Som, or Sihanoukville after the former king, was built by the United States to facilitate Cambodian trade and the influx of aid starting from the mid-1960s. Just adjacent to the busy Sihanoukville port, 1 SIHANOUKVILLE you can find some lovely little beach areas, most of which are speckled with budget bungalows and groovy bars owned by Western expatriates. The town of Kampot is a lazy little river town, just a grid of mostly colonial-style houses along a quiet, lazy river, but another good place to kick back. You might also visit nearby Kep, which was a French colonial vacation spot whose 1950s/1960s-era villas lay in ruin. It’s also a seafood mecca, and worth visiting just for its Kep crab in Kampot pepper. Connections by bus with Sihanoukville are convenient, and many choose to do this region in a rented vehicle or even by affordable local taxicab. So, if you’re stuck in Phnom Penh for a few days waiting out a Vietnam visa, hit the beaches. You’ll be surprised. Also called Kompong Som, Sihanoukville was first founded in the ’50s as a deep-sea port. The town itself is a mess of dusty concrete and grubby shop fronts. The main beach areas are where the action is, particularly around Ochheuteal Beach. This beach and the district behind it are now replete with any number of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and nightlife venues. It is a pleasant place, though the beach at the north end can get pretty crowded. The other side of town around Victory Beach is developing in an entirely incongruous fashion. The beach itself has seen an influx of Russian money which has led to some bizarre venues, including a disco with a real airplane in it and a restaurant you share with snakes and crocodiles. Behind the beach around Victory Hill is a small district that has a couple of fine restaurants. The area is blighted by an increasing amount of sleaze, so you may want to keep your distance. ESSENTIALS Orientation Sihanoukville is set on a wide peninsular area jutting south and east into the Gulf of Thailand. The peninsula is shielded by islands—Koh Rong, Koh Rong Sam Leuem, Koh T Kiev, and Ko Ses are among the many. Starting on the north end of the peninsula, you’ll find the busy and dusty port area, just south of which, tracing the coast, you’ll find Victory Beach, Independence Beach, Sokha Beach, and Ochheuteal Beach to the far
1 3 4 2 5 7 6 8 10 8 11 12 9 15 14 13 23 21 Sokha Beach 22 28 29 15 16 17 18 19 Serendipity Beach 26 25 24 Victory Beach Wat Leu Hawaii Victory Monument Independence Square Beach Wat Krom 20 30 Golden Lions Circle 0 1/2 mi 27 0 0.5 km 2 Thnou St. Independence Beach PORT 19 19 Mithona Mithona St. St. N ACCOMMODATIONS Beach Club Resort 18 Beach Road 16 Cloud 9 Bungalows 29 Independence Hotel 11 Markara Guest House 25 Malibu Bungalows 22 Orchidee Guest House 19 Reef Resort 14 Sokha Beach Resort 23 Sunshine Beach Hotel 1 Tranquility Guesthouse 28 Mittapheap Mittapheap Kampuchea Kampuchea 4 Catholic Church Kamakor Kamakor Boray Boray Eckareach Eckareach St. St. Kampuchea Kampuchea Mittapheap Mittapheap Tola Tola St. St. Mithona Mithona St. St. Kanda Kanda St. St. DINING Bamboo Light Café 12 Cantina Del Mar 31 Happa Restaurant and Wine Bar 13 Holy Cow 9 Les Feuilles 24 Maharajah 3 Mick and Craig’s 15 Paco’s 4 Pim’s 27 Snakehouse 5 Starfish Café 8 4 Oc heuteal Beach Sihanoukville SHOPPING Boom Boom Records 30 Casablanca Books 15 Khmer Artisans 10 M’lop Topang Gift Shop 21 Psar Leu 7 Rajana 8 NIGHTLIFE The Airport 2 Chiva’s Shack 26 The Fisherman’s Den and Sports Bar 6 Golden Lions Plaza 17 Utopia 20 C A M B O D I A Sihanoukville Phnom Penh Otres Beach Bus Station Church Post Office south. Ekareach Street turns inland at the terminus of Rte. 4, just past the busy port, and cuts a path across the peninsula to the downtown market area before ending at the Golden Lion Monument near Ochheuteal Beach. Signs point the way from Ekareach to the beaches along its length. The most popular beach area comprises Ochheuteal to the south of town and a short 5- to 10-minute ride away. It comprises 4km (2 1 ⁄2 miles) of white sand and gently lapping waves. The northern end of the beach is called Serendipity and is largely the haunt of the budget-minded, though there is a pleasant range of resorts and guesthouses for all. Behind Ochheuteal are three parallel roads where you will find hotels, restaurants, and the odd rather ropey Internet cafe. To the south of Ochheuteal is Otres Beach, in many 31 153 SOUTHERN CAMBODIA 8 SIHANOUKVILLE
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Cambodia & Laos
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Cambodia & Laos by Daniel White 1st
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CONTENTS LIST OF MAPS vii 1 THE BES
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8 SOUTHERN CAMBODIA 152 1 Sihanoukv
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LIST OF MAPS The Best Small Towns,
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HOW TO CONTACT US In researching th
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The Best of Cambodia & Laos The cou
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the world’s most rewarding journe
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MYANMAR Muang Sing (BURMA) Luang Na
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7 BEST TEMPLES & WATS • Angkor Wa
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Cambodia in Depth If ever a country
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Phnom Penh (see p. 83 for more on t
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was Mahayana, not part of the Thera
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keep Cambodia neutral in the confli
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Rouge leaders will be prompted to s
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As Hun Sen darkly quipped years lat
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place largely without violence, Cam
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high-rise residential developments
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5 CAMBODIA IN POPULAR CULTURE RECOM
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Wherever you are, stick only to bot
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Planning Your Trip to Cambodia With
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Bonn Pchum Ben. During this period,
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3 GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND GE
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spend the night in Poipet, but this
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can be cold due to excessive air-co
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Come Armed with Singles We recommen
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the malarial mosquitoes are at thei
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are riding on a motorcycle, keep yo
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cater to travelers with disabilitie
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General Resources for Green Travel
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INTERNET In Cambodia, where you fin
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0 0 50 km 50 mi N Phumi Samraong Pr
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2 THE BEST OF LAOS IN 1 WEEK Althou
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Pak Lai Gulf of Thailand Mekong Mek
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Sao Market to shop for special Lao
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Founded in the mid-14th century by
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The Tonle Sap: The Heart of a Natio
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2 WHERE TO STAY There is a huge cho
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Mao Zedong Blvd. onireth Blvd. (217
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No. 227 St. 19. & 023/222-280. www.
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Hotel Scandinavia This relaxed offe
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Inexpensive Capitol Guesthouse The
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Mao Zedong Blvd. onireth Blvd. (217
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Phnom Penh’s Much-Loved Pachyderm
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completely punitive. They also have
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Le Jardin Café WESTERN As its name
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ao Zedong Blvd. onireth Blvd. (217)
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The Khmer Rouge on Trial As this bo
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SWIMMING & FITNESS Many top hotels
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5 DAY TRIPS OUTSIDE PHNOM PENH OUDO
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(& 023/211-534) and carries a simil
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The excellent Sovanna Phum Art Asso
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The ruins of the ancient city of An
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1 Airport (8 km) Siem Reap Phnom Pe
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10% VAT. Budget travelers are also
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Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Khum Svay
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Page 115 and 116: fan). The courtyard area is a pictu
Page 117 and 118: Mandalay Inn One of the first thing
Page 119 and 120: NIGHTLIFE Angkor What? 28 Dead Fish
Page 121 and 122: Shinta Mani INTERNATIONAL Shinta Ma
Page 123 and 124: Taj Mahal NORTHERN INDIAN It has be
Page 125 and 126: Some Guidelines When Visiting Angko
Page 127 and 128: 0 1st Level Vishnu’s victory over
Page 129 and 130: To To To Banteay Banteay Banteay Sr
Page 131 and 132: The Magic Hours at Angkor Wat The s
Page 133 and 134: Enter the temple from the west, the
Page 135 and 136: Westerners until a French researche
Page 137 and 138: Body Tune Spa, in the very heart of
Page 139 and 140: Colors of Cambodia Here’s a fun o
Page 141 and 142: A Dance for the Divine The royal cl
Page 143 and 144: APSARA DANCE Having spent the day l
Page 145 and 146: Battambang & Northern Cambodia From
Page 147 and 148: 0 0 0.25 km 2 DINING Bus Stop 10 Th
Page 149 and 150: either a car with a driver or a mot
Page 151 and 152: pleasant indeed with casual but sma
Page 153 and 154: its relaxed, open-air charm. The ty
Page 155 and 156: into a trip back on a small metal-a
Page 157 and 158: a mix of traditional Khmer ballads
Page 159 and 160: The Spiders of Skuon In the town of
Page 161 and 162: $10 but can be more during high sea
Page 163: all over by 10am. The Reclining Bud
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Page 169 and 170: Beach Road Hotel Covering both the
Page 171 and 172: Koh Rong Beach. & 016/214-211. www.
Page 173 and 174: Snakehouse INTERNATIONAL Here’s a
Page 175 and 176: Cooking Courses If you want to lear
Page 177 and 178: ACCOMMODATIONS Champa Koh Kong Gues
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Page 181 and 182: New Bridge Kampot 1 2 Prek Kampong
Page 183 and 184: also a more straightforward house w
Page 185 and 186: and a turnoff to a small waterfall
Page 187 and 188: Information Post Office 3 2 Kep Bea
Page 189 and 190: WHERE TO DINE All the hotels and gu
Page 191 and 192: part in Lao culture; arguments are
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Page 197 and 198: CCHINA H I N A MYANMAR Muang Sing (
Page 199 and 200: visited places such as Savannakhet,
Page 201 and 202: There have been some tensions along
Page 203 and 204: Water in restaurants is safe to dri
Page 205 and 206: LAOS CALENDAR OF EVENTS For an exha
Page 207 and 208: 2 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS PASSPORTS A pa
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Although levels of HIV/AIDS are, at
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Prabang and Vientiane are geared mo
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monsoon forest, diverse wildlife po
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Telephone Dialing at a Glance • T
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also plenty of other shops and bout
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expensive. You will see them lined
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1/4 mile 0 L A O S L A O S 0 0.25 k
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MODERATE Asian Pavilion Hotel Forme
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Riverine Hotel This old colonial vi
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37-01 Nokeo Khoummane Rd. & 021/262
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1/4 mile 0 26 0 0.25 km Khoua Khoua
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favorites from home. They have subm
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Vientiane’s Street Fare The busy
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35 1/4 mile 0 4 34 0 0.25 km Khoua
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Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan Wat Ong Teu i
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start start 11 Khoua Khoua Luang Lu
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Organized Tours Most hotels, guesth
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Dokkhoun Handicrafts Mainly special
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has closed, going on until 2am in p
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ead in cafes and bakeries. You will
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GETTING THERE Vang Vieng is a smoot
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18 17 16 1 Bus Station Hospital Pos
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Vang Vieng Orchid This is an excell
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20m (66 ft.) from the main junction
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The Amazing Mountain Journey to Lua
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20 L A O S L A O S Luang Prabang Vi
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The Fate of the King Savang or Sisa
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Lao Speedboat Risks Alternatively y
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wood floors, and fashionable room d
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lush rice paddies and picturesque h
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great riverside location, although
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L A O S L A O S Luang Prabang Vient
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Lao-style crème brûlée, a custar
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75/76 Ban Xieng Mouane. & 071/212-2
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0 0 0.25 km 27 Old Stadium Phou Pho
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where a shrine of the royal spirit
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Make Merit Picture Sunday Mass at a
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during the reign of Sam Saen Thai.
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Its name translates as “golden ci
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mount Phousi Wat Pua
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SHOPPING The central area of Luang
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Banks & Currency Exchange The Bank
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If you go by road it takes about 3
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with Western-style toilets and hot
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6 PAKBENG If you are taking the slo
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next to the post office. The airpor
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containing an oxygen generator in c
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Central Laos is rarely at the top o
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L A O S Vientiane Savannakhet 4 3 S
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Dinosaurs in Laos Quite strangely,
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ACCOMMODATIONS Hotel Riveria 1 Inth
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Souksomboun Hotel This hotel is sim
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Southern Laos Southern Laos is ofte
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DINING Delta Coffee Shop and Restau
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Champasak Palace Hotel This hotel w
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More Choice Eats in Pakse There are
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WHERE TO STAY & DINE In Champasak,
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(snake) Kaliya, the god Indra ridin
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Getting There Boats leave Ban Nakas
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Fast Facts 1 FAST FACTS: CAMBODIA A
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There is no Canadian Embassy in Lao
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Khmer & Lao Glossary 1 THE KHMER LA
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HOTEL English Khmer Do you have any
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English Lao Call a doctor Toh-ha ta
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GENERAL INDEX AARP, 43, 204 Accommo
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Food stores and markets, Vientiane,
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Pak Ou Caves, 280 Pakse, 307-314 Pa
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Tham Chang (near Vang Vieng), 250 T
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Pavillon Indochine (Siem Reap), 102
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The Red Piano (Siem Reap), 108 Red
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MYANMAR MMYANMAR Y A N M A R (BURMA
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The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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