The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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270 LUANG PRABANG LUANG PRABANG & NORTHERN LAOS 13 friendly Canadian owners are full of good advice and lend books from their downstairs collection. Have a pot of tea or a cocktail (don’t miss the lao-lao margarita) in their atmospheric upstairs teahouse and gallery; it’s also a good place on a steamy afternoon to relax on the floor against a cozy Lao cushion while perusing one of the old National Geographic magazines. Young travelers descend for the films, played each day at 4 and 7pm. A popular restaurant on “restaurant row,” the Luang Prabang Bakery, 11/7 Sisavangvong Rd. (& 071/212-617), serves some good pizza as well as a host of baked goods, plus has an extensive collection of books. Farther east, the Scandinavian Bakery, 52/6 Sisavangvong (& 071/252-223), and chic, air-conditioned Joma (& 071/252-292) both serve similar fine coffee and baked goods. The same team of expats who run L’Elephant (see above) own Le Café Ban Wat Sene (& 071/252-482), an atmospheric, open-air space. Their desserts and coffee are excellent, as are their light lunch specials of sandwiches and salads. They also offer wireless Internet access. Find them just across from the elementary school. The best place in town for authentic French crepes, savory or sweet, is Dao Fa, on Sisavangvong Road (& 071/252-656), also a good spot for people-watching. It has excellent Mediterranean entrees and homemade pastas cooked to order, too. Vegetarians should be on the lookout for the side-street buffets by the Night Market, along Photisarath Road. Only 5,000 kip gets you a bowl and all the nonmeaty goodness you can handle. ATTRACTIONS Mount Phousi Rising from the center of town and forming something of a defining feature, Mount Phousi has temples scattered on all sides of its slopes and a panoramic view of the entire town from its summit. That Chomsi Stupa, built in 1804, is its crowning glory. Taking the path to the northeast, you will pass Wat Tham Phousi, which has a large-bellied Buddha, Kaccayana. Wat Phra Bat Nua, farther down, has a yard-long footprint of the Buddha. Be prepared for the 355 steps to get there. Try to make the hike, which will take about 2 hours with sightseeing, in the early morning or late afternoon to escape the midday heat. It is also a great spot from which to watch the sunset. Sisavangvong Rd. Admission 20,000 kip. Daily 8am–6pm. Royal Palace Museum or “Haw Kham” This palace was originally built for King Sisavang Vong after the original building was destroyed by Chinese Haw invaders in 1887. Started in 1904, it was completed in 1909. It is also called Haw Kham which means golden hall. The site it occupies was chosen so that visitors could be received directly from the boats in which they arrived. It remained the royal residence until the Pathet Lao takeover in 1975. The last Lao king, Sisavang Vattana, and his family were forcibly relocated to a remote jungle in the northern part of the country where they perished in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The palace contains exhibits that are interesting if few in number. The architecture of the building is a combination of traditional Lao styles with French neoclassical. The layout is cruciform on a multitiered platform. Over the entrance is an image of the three-headed elephant sheltered by the sacred white parasol that was the original symbol of the Kingdom Lan Xang and the Lao monarchy. Italian marble steps lead up to the colonnaded doorway at the entrance. To the right of the entrance as you walk in is the king’s reception room. It contains busts of the Lao monarchy as well as two large gilded and lacquered Ramayana screens,
0 0 0.25 km 27 Old Stadium Phou Phou Vao Vao Rd. Rd. Boats Boats to Vientiane M e k o n g R i v e r Mekong River L A O S Luang Prabang Attractions, Shopping & Nightlife Bank Information Post Office L A O S 1/4 mi Phothisarath Phothisarath Rd. Rd. 25 Rd. Rd. Khong Khong Khem Khem Vientiane Vientiane Bunkhong Bunkhong Rd. Rd. 28 Luang Prabang NIGHTLIFE Dao Fah 29 The Hive 12 Muangsua Hotel 28 24 23 Rd. Rd. Noradeth Noradeth Boats Boats to to Pak Pak Ou Ou Sisavangvong Sisavangvong Rd. Rd. Setthathilath Setthathilath Rd. Rd. Khem Khem Khong Khong Rd. Rd. Dara Market 21 Chao Chao Sisouphan Sisouphan Rd. Rd. Samsenthai Samsenthai Rd. Rd. 26 16 22 1 15 10 14 7 13 Phamahapasan Phamahapasan Rd. Rd. 29 11 18 20 12 Visunniath Visunniath Rd. Rd. Naviengkhan Naviengkhan Rd. Rd. ATTRACTIONS Mount Phousi 13 Royal Palace Museum 10 The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre 21 Wat Aham 18 Wat Chom Khong 7 Wat Ho Xiang 24 Wat Long Khun 1 Wat Mahathat 23 Wat Mai 16 Wat Manorom 26 Wat Pa Huak 14 Wat That Luang 27 Wat Wisunarat 20 Wat Xieng Thong 2 9 8 3 4 17 6 Khem Khem Khong Khong Rd. Rd. Nam Nam Khan Khan River River Phommathat Phommathat Rd. Rd. 19 Kounxoa Kounxoa Rd. 5 Kingkitsarath Kingkitsarath Rd. Rd. Sakkarine Sakkarine Rd. Rd. Chao Chao Gningthongsi Gningthongsi Rd. Rd. Old Bridge Chao Chao Xomphou Xomphou Rd. Rd. Vieng Mai Market Sisattanak Sisattanak Rd. Rd. To Airport & Mekong Speedboat Landing New New Rd. Rd. SHOPPING L’Etranger Books and Tea 11 Monument Books 4 Dara Market 22 Night Market 15 Caruso Lao Handicraft 6 Fibre2fabric 3 Kopnoi 17 Lao Buddha Shop 5 Naga Creations 8 Pop Tok 9 Pathana Boupha Antique House 19 Tithpeng Maniphone 25 2 271 LUANG PRABANG & NORTHERN LAOS 13 LUANG PRABANG
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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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1950, an offshoot of pro-Vietminh I
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CCHINA H I N A MYANMAR Muang Sing (
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visited places such as Savannakhet,
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There have been some tensions along
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Water in restaurants is safe to dri
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LAOS CALENDAR OF EVENTS For an exha
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2 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS PASSPORTS A pa
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A simple river crossing connects Th
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will help your blood pressure to pl
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able to organize a car and driver f
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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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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
Page 267 and 268: The Fate of the King Savang or Sisa
Page 269 and 270: Lao Speedboat Risks Alternatively y
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Page 277 and 278: L A O S L A O S Luang Prabang Vient
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Page 285 and 286: where a shrine of the royal spirit
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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
Page 297 and 298: Banks & Currency Exchange The Bank
Page 299 and 300: If you go by road it takes about 3
Page 301 and 302: with Western-style toilets and hot
Page 303 and 304: 6 PAKBENG If you are taking the slo
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Page 313 and 314: Dinosaurs in Laos Quite strangely,
Page 315 and 316: ACCOMMODATIONS Hotel Riveria 1 Inth
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Page 321 and 322: DINING Delta Coffee Shop and Restau
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Page 331 and 332: 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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