The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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302 CENTRAL LAOS 14 THA KHEK or Lao noodle soup. We would also recommend the Mu Grob (crispy pork) washed down with iced lemon tea. 107/16 Thanon Si Meuang. & 041/213-112. Main courses 12,000 kip. Daily 7am–9:30pm. ATTRACTIONS The main joy of Savannakhet is simply walking the streets and enjoying the atmosphere. The French left their legacy here in the city’s now-decaying colonial structures. The central square of the old town, remains at the heart of the grid that made up the original town. Despite its appearance most of it is fairly modern, dating from the 1930s and 1940s. The pretty Church of St. Theresa, dating from 1930, is at the head of the square and is well maintained with a pale ocher facade and exterior. It is still very much a functioning church. The whole square would be impossibly pretty in a very Provençal way if it weren’t actually falling down. Wat Sainyaphum is the largest and oldest of all the wats in the area. It was first constructed in 1542, although most it is far more modern. Farther outside town is Tad Ing Hang Stupa (about 13km/8 miles heading northeast on Rte. 9; admission 5,000 kip). It dates from the 16th century and is second only in significance to Wat Phou among religious monuments south of Vientiane. There is a major festival here in February. Women will need to dress modestly and are also forbidden from entering the inner sanctum. At the northern end of town is Savanxay Market. This reflects Savannakhet’s status as a trade and transport hub for three nations. If you are sick of staring at the river, head east up Rte. 1 to Bungva Lake. It’s a good place to relax by a different stretch of water. A sign of Savannakhet’s changing status is the area growing up around the bridge from Thailand including the brash and luxurious Savan Vegas Hotel and Casino (www. tycoonresort.com/main.shtml). This bizarre luxury complex will leave you feeling suitably starry-eyed if you have just come in from a remote area. It is glitzy, trashy, and utterly inappropriate. I love it. It is hard to guess what they will come up with next in this very un-Lao piece of Laos. 2 THA KHEK The capital of Khammouane Province, the delightful riverside town of Tha Khek is undergoing something of a renaissance. Even only a short time ago, despite its obvious and compact charms, it definitely exuded an air of lost potential. It is a small French colonial town built around a central square right on the Mekong. Like so many of the major trading towns along the Mekong, the population is more Vietnamese than Lao, the French peopling their colonial administration with those considered more industrious from beyond the Annamite Mountains. Until recently Tha Khek was either muddy or dusty, the riverfront road nothing more than a rutted track. It has since undergone a face-lift with roads being paved, buildings being restored, and street lighting installed. The central square has been embellished with brand-new ornamental lampposts that local kids use as improvised basketball hoops. With the Mekong to its front and the maze of limestone karst mountains to its back, Tha Khek is in a dramatic setting. It is also a busy border crossing to Thailand, with small river ferries crossing the river constantly during daylight hours.
ACCOMMODATIONS Hotel Riveria 1 Inthira Hotel 6 Souksomboun Hotel 2 Thakhek Travel Lodge 7 1 2 Vientiane Vientiane Rd. Wat Nabo 3 5 4 Wat Nan Thakham 6 Kouvoravong Kouvoravong Chao Chao Anou Anou Ounkham Ounkham Wat Chomchang Stadium DINING Duc Restaurant 3 Sabaidee Tha Khek! 5 Smile Barge Restaurant 4 Hong Hong Buakham Buakham Champasak Champasak Nong Boua Governor’s Office Wat Chomthong Km 2 Market Tha Khek GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND Tha Khek is on Rte. 13, the main north-south road, and buses go both ways on a constant basis (buses to Tha Khek depart every hour from Vientiane, Paksan, Savannakhet, and Pakse). The bus station is 3km (2 miles) away from the Mekong near the area of Souksomboun Market. There are plenty of tuk-tuks on hand to take you to the town center. Although the town is quite sprawling the center is very compact. It is easy to walk anywhere you wish to go. If you do need to go farther afield tuk-tuks are everywhere. You can also hire motorcycles ($7 per day) and bicycles ($2.50 per day) from the Travel Lodge (p. 305). VISITOR INFORMATION & TOURS The Travel Lodge (p. 305) is affiliated with a local travel agent and they can organize tours locally. Green Discovery (p. 281; www.greendiscoverylao.com) is intending to open an office in Tha Khek soon and is the acknowledged expert in kayaking and trekking. Meanwhile, ask for information at the Inthira Hotel, which is owned by an affiliate company with the same management. You can also contact them at their offices in 0 7 Sooksomboon Market Local Bus Station 1/4 mi 0 0.25 km SS O A L Vientiane Vientiane Tha Khek N Inter Provincial Bus Station Bus Station Information Hospital Post Office 303 CENTRAL LAOS 14 THA KHEK
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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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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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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
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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
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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
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Page 311 and 312: L A O S Vientiane Savannakhet 4 3 S
Page 313: Dinosaurs in Laos Quite strangely,
Page 317 and 318: Souksomboun Hotel This hotel is sim
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Page 321 and 322: DINING Delta Coffee Shop and Restau
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Page 325 and 326: More Choice Eats in Pakse There are
Page 327 and 328: WHERE TO STAY & DINE In Champasak,
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Page 331 and 332: Getting There Boats leave Ban Nakas
Page 333 and 334: Fast Facts 1 FAST FACTS: CAMBODIA A
Page 335 and 336: There is no Canadian Embassy in Lao
Page 337 and 338: Khmer & Lao Glossary 1 THE KHMER LA
Page 339 and 340: HOTEL English Khmer Do you have any
Page 341 and 342: English Lao Call a doctor Toh-ha ta
Page 343 and 344: GENERAL INDEX AARP, 43, 204 Accommo
Page 345 and 346: Food stores and markets, Vientiane,
Page 347 and 348: Pak Ou Caves, 280 Pakse, 307-314 Pa
Page 349 and 350: Tham Chang (near Vang Vieng), 250 T
Page 351 and 352: Pavillon Indochine (Siem Reap), 102
Page 353 and 354: The Red Piano (Siem Reap), 108 Red
Page 355 and 356: MYANMAR MMYANMAR Y A N M A R (BURMA
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The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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