Rice Fields & Limestone Hills, Vang Vieng, Laos

This photo was taken in Vang Vieng, a tourism-oriented town in Laos, located in Vientiane Province about four hours bus ride north of the capital. The town lies on the the Nam Song river. The most notable feature of the area is the karst hill landscape surrounding the town.One of the main features of the town is a long, mostly unused, airfield runway parallel to the road. It was used during the

Standing Buddha, Wat Xieng Thong temple, Luang Prabang, Laos

This photo was taken in Wat Xieng Thong temple, in Luang Prabang, Laos. At the 'tip' of town, where the Khan flows into the Mekong, is one of the city's oldest and most important temples, Wat Xieng Thong ('Golden Tree'). It was built in 1560 by King Setthathirath and was under royal patronage during the Kingdom of Laos. Like the royal palace, the wat was placed near the mekong. In 1880, the

Nam-Pak River, Muang La, Oudom Xay Province, Laos

Portrait, Hmong Hill Tribe, Laos

Portrait, Akha Hill Tribe, Laos

This photo was taken in an Akha hill tribe village in Nothern Laos.The Akha are hill tribe of subsistence farmers known for their artistry. The ethnic group may have originated in Mongolia around 1500 years ago. Most of the remaining Akha people are now distributed in small villages among the mountains of China, Laos (where they are considered Lao Sung), Myanmar (Burma), and northern Thailand.The

Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), Laos (Lan Xang - Million Elephants - "The Kingdom of a Million Elephants")

This photo was taken in Laos.The Asian or Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus), sometimes known by the name of one of its subspecies, the Indian Elephant, is one of the three living species of elephant, and the only living species of the genus Elephas. It is the largest living land animal in Asia. The species is found primarily in India, Sri Lanka, Burma and parts of Nepal and Malaysia, Vietnam,

On The Mekong's Bank, Laos

Bananas, Lao Market, Laos

Buddha Statue, Pha That Luang, Vientiane, Laos.

This photo was taken at Pha That Luang, in Vientiane, Laos.Pha That Luang (Great Stupa in Lao) is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa on the eastern outskirts of Vientiane, Laos. See also a previous post on Pha That Luang.