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A stay in Vientiane, capital of Laos since 1563, will
give us an opportunity to adapt to the gentle pace of the country. We
plan to stay at a luxuriously-converted old colonial home, set in landscaped
gardens and there will be a full afternoon to rest and relax. The next
day we will be shown the monumental stupa and spire of That Luang; the
sanctuary of Wat Si Saket and Wat Phra Keo, built for the ‘Emerald
Buddha’ which was returned to Thailand in the 18th century. Another
attraction is a silk workshop and studio producing fine hand-woven hangings,
shawls and furnishing fabrics in a French colonial mansion.
High in the mountains of northern Laos, at the confluence of the Mekong
and Nam Khan rivers, is Luang Prabang, royal capital
of the first Lao kingdom, Lang Xang, ‘Land of a Million Elephants’.
We shall be staying at a small hotel, in the style of Lao architecture
with spectacular views, lovely gardens and a beautiful ‘infinity
pool’. On the first evening there will be a traditional welcome
dance ceremony. Still one of Asia’s most beautiful and unspoilt
towns, Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ornately carved
and frescoed Buddhist temples blend with the French colonial architecture,
water buffalo doze in the traffic-free streets and barefoot saffron-robed
monks circulate, collecting alms. We will explore on foot, visiting enchanting
Wat Xieng Thong, with its richly decorated low-sweeping roof, set in a
courtyard of frescoed chapels and gilded stupas, and the magnificent former
Royal Palace, now a museum.Visiting the evening Hmong Market
and taking a long-boat up the Mekong River to see the
sacred caves filled with Buddhas at Pat Ou add to the
experience.
A short flight to the northern town of Siem Reap brings
us to Angkor, the highlight of our tour, a great religious
complex glorifying a succession of Khmer kings. Angkor Wat,
the mystical Hindu funerary temple built for Suryavarman II, is just one
of many sacred monuments in an area of over 120 square miles, of which
the Roluos Temples, dating from the 8th century, are
the oldest. After our various visits, we will return to our delightful
hotel, set on the river in spacious tropical gardens: on several days,
members will be able to have an informal lunch here and rest before the
next excursion.
There will be opportunities to view Angkor Wat at both
sunrise and sunset, to admire the exquisite carvings depicting the great
Hindu epics, and to wonder at the brilliance of the Khmer architect-astronomers
who aligned it with the sun and the moon. We will also study the Bayon,
a vast 12th-century Buddhist temple with mysterious towers, which formed
the focal point of Jayavarman VII’s city of Angkor Thom.
A drive through the tropical forest brings us to the alluring pink sandstone
temple of Banteay Srei, ‘the citadel of women’.
It is the most beautifully carved of all, with scenes from the Ramayana.
There will be visits to other smaller temples such as Ta Prohm,
left as it was found, enveloped by jungle. Our final dinner will be at
the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, former home of the French Governor,
which retains some of the atmosphere of ‘Indochine’.
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