The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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234 VIENTIANE 11 VIENTIANE ATTRACTIONS Wat Mixay, Wat Impaeng, and Wat Haysoke. Take the time to admire them; each one has its own distinctive features. Head south down Khum Bulom Road arriving, once again, at the Mekong. Pull up a plastic chair, order something cold and if it’s evening, wait for the sunset. Swimming There are a number of places to cool off and get wet in Vientiane, ranging from the luxurious to the municipal. The beautiful pool at the Settha Palace (p. 214) charges $9 a day. It is pleasantly surrounded by French colonial architecture and landscaped gardens. The Tai Pan (p. 216) swimming pool and fitness center is open to the public for a slightly cheaper $7.50 a day and the excellent Novotel (p. 214) charges $8 a day. The large municipal pool on Ky Houng Road (btw. the National Museum and the Lao Plaza Hotel) is open daily from 8am to 7pm. At $1, it is satisfyingly cheap for doing laps, but it’s less good for lounging. There is also the newly opened Nong Chan Water Park with huge slides for the kids. It is situated on Khouvieng Boulevard, near the central bus station. Massage/Sauna There are excellent massage places all over town ranging from small shop fronts to luxury hotels. The quality is very good indeed. There is traditional massage and herbal sauna at Wat Sok Pa Luang (Sok Pa Luang Rd.; open daily 1–7pm; sauna 10,000 kip; massage 20,000 kip). Meditation There are meditation classes every Saturday led by monks at Wat Sok Pa Luang. They take place between 4 and 5:30pm in the gardens of the wat. The instruction is free and there is a translator to answer your questions. Golf The 18-hole Youth Garden Golf Course (Km 14 on Rte. 13 heading south) was the first one in Vientiane. It is not far from the Friendship Bridge. Nonmembers pay $16 on weekdays and slightly more on weekends. This gets you a caddy but not clubs. You have to either bring your own set or arrange a rental. There is also the quiet 9-hole course (Km 6 on Rte. 13 heading south), which hosts expat tournaments although on the weekend it’s very quiet. Bowling Ten-pin bowling is now a very popular activity in Vientiane and there is a good choice of places to try and clatter the pins. Lao Bowling Centre On the corner of Ky Houng Road and Khou Boulom Road just past the swimming pool is the Lao Bowling Centre near the Novotel. One game costs 10,000 kip per person up until 7pm, and 12,000 kip after that. Shoes are supplied, and socks available for 8,000 kip. The bowling center is open from Monday to Saturday from 9am until midnight. Khun Bulom Rd. & 021/218-661. Vientiane Bowling Centre This is at the Lao-ITECC shopping center (about 4km/21 ⁄2 miles out of town on the northern ring road toward the Friendship Bridge). It’s a bit smarter than the one in town, and costs only 6,000 kip a game till 6pm and 10,000 kip after that. Daily 9am–11pm. Chanthaburi District. & 021/218-66.
Organized Tours Most hotels, guesthouses, and local travel agents will be able to organize a city tour or put you in touch with a company that can. Diethelm Travel This major tour company offers a 1-day “City and Temples” tour, and a 1-day excursion to nearby rural areas. Setthathirath. & 021/213-833. Fax 021/217-151. www.diethelmtravel.com. Exotissimo In addition to their huge range of tours all over Laos and the region, this major tour company also offers a range of shorter tours around the major sites. 4666-06/044 Pangkham St. & 021/241-861-2. Fax 021/252-382. www.exotissimo.com. Green Discovery Laos Although they specialize in activity tours around the country, Green Discovery also provides city tours of Vientiane. Hang Boun Rd. & 021/264-680. Fax 021/264-679. www.greendiscoverylaos.com. Remote Asia Although Remote Asia specializes in adventure tours far afield they also run a 1-day tour of areas of interest around Vientiane. They can tailor this to your needs in advance if you contact them by e-mail. Km 5, Thadeua Rd. & 020/202-2139. www.remoteasia.com. 5 SHOPPING There are many shops in the central district of Vientiane along Setthathirath and Samsenthai, selling a mixture of silks, handicrafts, jewelry, and clothing. They tend to get more upmarket the farther east you get closer to Wat Phu. It is a compact area so it is easy to browse your way along both streets without expending too much energy or shoe leather. We have listed some businesses here, but the best thing to do is just wander by and see what takes your fancy. Virtually all sell a similar mixture of Buddha images, silk, clothing, woodcarving, and jewelry. The other place to shop is the main morning market of Talat Sao. The days when Vientiane yielded bargains of any kind are long, long gone and if you find yourself bargaining be aware that your interlocutor will have a lifetime of daily experience at the sharp end. Keep smiling and don’t be worried about walking away if you suspect you’re getting ripped off. BOOKSHOPS Café Books Owned by a longtime resident expat, this shop sells secondhand books. Open daily 9am to 7pm. 053/2 Heng Boun Rd. & 020/689-3741. Carterie du Laos A small selection of books and maps, plus some artfully designed postcards, posters, and souvenirs. Open daily 9am to 7pm. 118/2 Setthathirath. & 021/241-401. Monument Books Monument Books sells a lot of glossy coffee-table books on Laos and Indochina in general. They also sell magazines and newspapers from abroad. It is quite expensive. Open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 6pm. Nokeo Khoummane Rd. & 021/243-708. Vientiane Book Center Conveniently situated near the Nam Phu Fountain. This shop carries a stock of secondhand books as well as cards and postcards. Open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm, Saturday 9am to 4:30pm. Pangkham Rd. & 021/212-031. 235 VIENTIANE 11 SHOPPING
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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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combo and sinks set in unique overs
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fan). The courtyard area is a pictu
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Mandalay Inn One of the first thing
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NIGHTLIFE Angkor What? 28 Dead Fish
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Shinta Mani INTERNATIONAL Shinta Ma
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Taj Mahal NORTHERN INDIAN It has be
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Some Guidelines When Visiting Angko
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0 1st Level Vishnu’s victory over
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To To To Banteay Banteay Banteay Sr
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The Magic Hours at Angkor Wat The s
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Enter the temple from the west, the
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Westerners until a French researche
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Body Tune Spa, in the very heart of
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Colors of Cambodia Here’s a fun o
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A Dance for the Divine The royal cl
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APSARA DANCE Having spent the day l
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Battambang & Northern Cambodia From
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0 0 0.25 km 2 DINING Bus Stop 10 Th
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either a car with a driver or a mot
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pleasant indeed with casual but sma
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its relaxed, open-air charm. The ty
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into a trip back on a small metal-a
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a mix of traditional Khmer ballads
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The Spiders of Skuon In the town of
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$10 but can be more during high sea
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all over by 10am. The Reclining Bud
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1 3 4 2 5 7 6 8 10 8 11 12 9 15 14
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Ochheuteal Beach to Victory Beach c
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Beach Road Hotel Covering both the
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Koh Rong Beach. & 016/214-211. www.
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Snakehouse INTERNATIONAL Here’s a
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Cooking Courses If you want to lear
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ACCOMMODATIONS Champa Koh Kong Gues
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can take a motorcycle or car into t
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New Bridge Kampot 1 2 Prek Kampong
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also a more straightforward house w
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and a turnoff to a small waterfall
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Information Post Office 3 2 Kep Bea
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WHERE TO DINE All the hotels and gu
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part in Lao culture; arguments are
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forces captured and sacked Xiang Do
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Page 199 and 200: visited places such as Savannakhet,
Page 201 and 202: There have been some tensions along
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Page 215 and 216: Although levels of HIV/AIDS are, at
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Page 221 and 222: Telephone Dialing at a Glance • T
Page 223 and 224: also plenty of other shops and bout
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Page 227 and 228: 1/4 mile 0 L A O S L A O S 0 0.25 k
Page 229 and 230: MODERATE Asian Pavilion Hotel Forme
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Page 235 and 236: 1/4 mile 0 26 0 0.25 km Khoua Khoua
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Page 239 and 240: Vientiane’s Street Fare The busy
Page 241 and 242: 35 1/4 mile 0 4 34 0 0.25 km Khoua
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Page 245: start start 11 Khoua Khoua Luang Lu
Page 249 and 250: Dokkhoun Handicrafts Mainly special
Page 251 and 252: has closed, going on until 2am in p
Page 253 and 254: ead in cafes and bakeries. You will
Page 255 and 256: GETTING THERE Vang Vieng is a smoot
Page 257 and 258: 18 17 16 1 Bus Station Hospital Pos
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Page 263 and 264: The Amazing Mountain Journey to Lua
Page 265 and 266: 20 L A O S L A O S Luang Prabang Vi
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Page 277 and 278: L A O S L A O S Luang Prabang Vient
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Page 281 and 282: 75/76 Ban Xieng Mouane. & 071/212-2
Page 283 and 284: 0 0 0.25 km 27 Old Stadium Phou Pho
Page 285 and 286: where a shrine of the royal spirit
Page 287 and 288: Make Merit Picture Sunday Mass at a
Page 289 and 290: during the reign of Sam Saen Thai.
Page 291 and 292: Its name translates as “golden ci
Page 293 and 294: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mount Phousi Wat Pua
Page 295 and 296: 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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