Here you will find destination guides. Each post has information on getting around, sightseeing and some surprises
Laos
Life in laid-back Laos is languid and leisurely: watching the morning sun light up the mighty Mekong River, wandering through aromatic markets and kicking back with a beer in hand. lt’s the simple pleasures that make a visit to this enigmatic country a delight, and what Laso lacks in in-your-face attractions is made for with lush surrounds, friendly folk and gastronomic treats. The casual grandeur of Unesco World Heritage-listed Luang Prabang and samall-town feel of the capital, Vientiane, make Laos one of the highlights of Southeast Asia.
November to February, as knows how to turn up he sweltering heat and torrential downpours are a speciality
Circumnavigating Vientiane’s revered Pha That Luang stupa Shopping nirvana at Luang Prabang’s night market Floating down Name Song in Vang Vieng till dusk Fine dining at one of Luang Prabang’s atmospheric eateries Cooling off under the Kuang si waterfall, near Luang Prabang
Read Bamboo Palace by Christopher Kremmer-part travelogue, part mystery, it chronicles the lost dynasty of Laos
Listen to expat Paris-based troupe, Molam Lao
Watch Bombies, a documentary probing the legacy US carpet bombing campaign inflicted on Laos
Eat foe, noodle soup in any variety; tam maak hung, deliciously laden spicy papaya salad
Drink Bolaven Plateau brew for coffee aficionados; light and tasty Beer Lao; lao-lao a clear yet fiery rice alcohol that’s more of an acquired taste
Pai talat (to the market)
Longtail boats; rice; Buddha-filled pagodas and wats; café culture; rural bandits; unexploded ordnance
Laos has one of the lowest population densities in Asia- around 18 people per sq km (about 11 per sq mi); by the end of the Vietnam War, Laos had the dubious distinction of being the most bombed country in the history of warfare
Laos is beset by economic hardship and instability. ln 2003, the US signed a Bilateral Trade Agreement with Laos, ending a trade embargo that had been in place since the communists took power in 1975, while the government set a goal to haul itself out of the Least Developed Country bracket by 2020.
Ireland
lt’s said that lreland, once visited, is never forgotten, and for once the blanrney rings true. The lrish landscape has a mythic resonance, the country’s history is almost tangible, and a sustained period of investment and economic growth has injected a heady dose of confidence and energy. Thankfully, lreland hasn’t paid the ultimate price for this recent transition as the character, wit and hospitality of the people, the most successful of all lrish exports (except maybe the lrish pub), remains wonderfully intact.
May to September, when the weather is warmer and the days are longer
Enjoying Dublin’s gorgeous old pubs and cutting-edge nightclubs Visiting the ancient ring fort Dun Aengus Feeling history come alive at beautifully restored Kilkenny Castle Exploring the country’s past at County Offaly’S Clonmacnoise monastery city Checking out the murals in West Belfast for an insight into the history of the Troubles Sampling the whiskey at Bushmills Distillery, County Antrim
Read McCarthy’s Bar, a terrifically funny account of the author’s quest to explore his cultural heritage
Listen to naything by U2 and Sinead O’Connor, or more recent offerings by Damien Rice such as O
Watch The Commitments for good fun and The Quiet Man for an all-time classic family favourite
Eat soda bread, a fry-up, smoked salmon and Kimberly biscuits
Drink Guinness, whiskey and red lemonade
What’s the craic? (what’s happening)
Potatoes; harps; shamrocks; Guinness; the good people (leprechauns); American tourists; shillelaghs; ceilidh; the Corrs; the Troubles; James Joyce
The lrish drink more tea per capita than any other nation in the world; until the 19 th century the national colour of the Emerald lsle, as the flag of St Patrick featured a gold harp on a blue background
lreland has not forsaken its stunning natural beauty and proud traditions. Slate-toned lakes, green pastures, tranquil mountain retreats, magnificent cliffs overlooking the wild Atlantic coast, remots sandy beaches, ancient offshore island villages and the friendliness of the prople remain untarnished. Many traces of traditional culture survive, especially in remote western areas, and there are still communities in which lrish is the first language. lreland remains one of the most beautiful and interesting countries in Europe.
France
With a capital that’s synonymous with romance, a culture that’s richer than foie gras, and a gene poll of philosophers, revolutionaries and designers, it’s no wonder France has status. Fantastic ski slopes, glamorous beach resorts and rural villages complete the picture, while the food and wine score a gastronomic A+. Passionately patriotic, the French believe they live in the best place on earth. And since they invented joie de vivre, they might just be right.
April and May (spring ) or September and October (autumn)
Taking a boat down the Seine and marveling at the Parisian architecture Checking out the glitz and glamour of the Le Mans 24-Hour Race Paying your respects at the evocative D-Day landing beaches in Normandy Enjoying on-piste action and après-ski at Val d’lsere Sipping a glass of Dom Perignon in Champagne Visiting the Loire
Read Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, a 19 th -century classic about rural life and deluded passions
Listen to Serge Gainsbourg’s ‘Je t’aime…moi non plus’-it is impossible not to turn Francophile when you hear this song
Watch A Bout de Souffle (Breathless). Jump cuts, long takes, Jean Seberg’s gamine look, Jean-Paul Belmondo’s smouldering gaze-this is nouvelle vague cinema at its best.
Eat bloody steak, croissants, baguettes, Camembert
Drink red Bordeaux from Medoc, dessert wine from Sauternes
Ooh la la!
Café society; stinky cheese; the Eiffel Tower; garlic; la guillotine; stripy T-shirts; berets; Cartier; Chanel; Gaultier; Louis XIV; the impressionists; boules; red meat; red wine; Gauloises
Attitudes can be conservative; bars close at 7pm in rural market towns
‘The French think mainly about two things-their two main meals’, a well-fed bon-vivant French friend once told s. ‘Everything else is in parentheses’. And it’s true. But don’t suppose for a moment that this obsession with things culinary means dining out in France has to be a ceremonious occasion or one full of pitfalls for the uninitiated. Approach food and wine here with even half the enthusiasm les francais themselves do, and you will be warmly received, encouraged and very well fed.
