Sabaidee - Lao lifestyle & travel magazine issue 28

L A O LI FE ST Y LE & T R A V E L MAG AZI N E | V O L. 4 N O . 28 | J UNE 2 0 1 5

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DIRECTOR’S

NOTE                                      

                            www.sabaidee-magazine.com

        ຜູອຳນວຍການ

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We are also glad to hear that the population of the thamin has increased in Savannakhet. In ASEAN Connect, become abaidee readers! fascinated by the trekking Welcome to this in Kalaw, Myanmar, month’s Sabaidee where you can discover Magazine. For dramatic scenes of rice the past few fields and experience the weeks, you ethnic people’s colourful may have noticed that way of living. Don’t miss the weather has changed Sabaidee’s Guide To that and black clouds now also recommends some frequently occupy the sky of most delicious Sin Dard with the wind and rain. The you can find in town! wet season has just begun.

As ever, all comments During the rainy or compliments are more season, some outdoor than welcome. We really events and activities may appreciate your time to be postponed or cancelled, let us know how we can and tourism suffers a improve our magazine to slow down. Yet, Sabaidee meet your expectations Magazine still believes and reading pleasure. that traveling at this time Please give us a phone can be joyful and fulfilling. call, email us, or leave us Once you hit the road, some comments over our no matter the season, Facebook fan page and you will be content in website at www.sabaideethe knowledge of seeing magazine.com. something new and unique.

No matter how the However, travelling in seasons change, the the rain means caution most important thing is to is advised, and our Cover take care of yourself and Story this month focuses maintain your health. On on this languid pace of that note, why not take a adventure. We feature a look inside and see all your meandering route through travel and lifestyle Salavan Province, a slow options at this time of year! and winding trip into one of Laos’ most remarkable Phanhlakhone regions.

Syboonheung The Director

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Sabaidee Cover

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volume 4 issue 28 june 2015

 :      

ASEAN Connect

Wildlife Feature 30

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Cover : A group of boys swim and play in the Selanong River, Ta Oy, Salavan Province Photo by Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism

SBD Guide To

Also Regulars 6

10 What's On 48 Listing

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Delightful Lao

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contributors Suwida Boonyatistarn

A native of Thailand, who calls Bangkok home, former travel magazine editor SuwidaBoonyatistarn now splits her time between writing, TV presenting, and stage acting. She loves traveling and exploring the far-flung corners of Asia, and trekking to remotes villages. When in Bangkok, she can be found getting a massage, taking yoga and dance classes, sipping a cup of tea in a hole-in-thewall café, or just watching some independent movies at home.

Kate Bavister

After travelling to Laos in 2013 and living in South Laos for a while, Kate now lives in Vientiane. She loves to walk often taking her camera for company.

When at home she spends time painting, writing and illustrating her children’s book. She also loves plants.

j                     8

Ian Lacey

Ian has lived and worked in Laos for almost three years.

He began at Vientiane Times newspaper, where he was a sub-editor, before moving on to edit Sabaidee Magazine for which he is still a contributor. Before moving to Laos, Ian cycled 27,000 km from Alaska to Argentina for charity, writing and filming documentaries as he travelled. Inspired by the open spaces and wilderness of the Americas, he eventually found his way to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), where he loves to write about the species, conservation and people of this wonderful country.

Consultants Pattarapong Kongvijit Manachai Inkaew Director

Phanhlakhone Syboonheung Editorial Director Gaid Phitthayakornsilapa Lao Editor Khamsouan Chanthalat English Editor Roger Gazel Sales & Marketing Director Chayada Ariyaphoncharoen Marketing Executive Soudthidaphone Phetpada Reporter Thepphavongsone Bouapha Layout Design Khamphanh Vongsa

Saynam Menorath

Saynam has lived and work in Japan for over 10 years.

After returning to Laos he has worked in creative, marketing and hospitality.

He's an avid fan of Asian cuisine and all things Mark Burnett.



     

HM

LAO

Sabaidee Magazine Sales Office

THM Lao Co., Ltd 265 Nongbone Village, Saysettha, Vientiane, Lao P.D.R

/ Tel : + 856 21 454782, +856 20 5516 2440  / Mob: +856 20 5884 8376, +66 83 018 4076 ( Thai ) / Editor Email: editor@sabaidee-magazine.com / Sales Email: chayada@sabaidee-magazine.com

   

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WHAT’S ON

Bangkok Airways announces operating results for 1st quarter of 2015



                                  

                             www.chevrolet-lao.com

 

            CAMCE                10

Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited announces its operating results for the first quarter of 2015 which has amounted to a net profit of 1,086.7 million baht; up by 106.5 percent from the same period of the previous year (526.1 million baht) Mr. Puttipong PrasarttongOsoth, President of Bangkok Airways PLC commented that, “The Company earnings in the first quarter of 2015 = 6,733.86 million baht compared to the previous year (2014) which was 6,089.9 million baht, demonstrating a rise of 10 percent. Furthermore, the number of passengers in the first quarter of 2015 = 1.43 million passengers,

          Shopping            

up by 10.9 percent (1.29 million passengers) compared with the same period in the previous year. Supporting factors for such growth include the recovery of the economy and tourism, political stability and oil price stability.

Moreover, Bangkok Airways continuously adheres to its business strategy. In the first quarter of 2015, we took delivery of 2 aircraft, an AIRBUS 319 and an ATR 72-600, bringing the fleet to 29 aircraft in total.

The additional aircraft resulted in a 10.1 percent increase in Average Seat Kilometer (ASK), 14.3 percent increase in Revenue Passenger Kilometer (RPK) and 71.9 percent increase in load factor compared to the same period in the previous year (69.3 percent).

“In addition to that, earlier this year, the Department of Civil Aviation of Thailand granted permission to Samui airport to increase its flight operating allowance to 50 flights a day. This has allowed Bangkok Airways to increase capacity and to operate more flights in and out of Samui Airport. In March, the company increased flight frequency on the Samui-Singapore route from 7 flights per week to 10 flights per week and on the Samui-Kuala Lumpur route from 7 flights per week to 11 flights per week.”

Bangkok Airways Tel. +662 265-5671 www.bangkokair.com

WHAT’S ON

          

3rd Anniversary and Grand Opening 2nd store - Ministry of Silk On May 28th 2015, Ministry of Silk celebrates the 3rd Anniversary of its first flag ship store in Vientiane at Nam Phou Square and the Grand Opening of its 2nd store at Vientiane Centre – the Laos first ultimate lifestyle shopping centre.

Characteristic of the Ministry of Silk’s products are their successful blending of simplicity with elegant styling using the

distinctive high quality textiles from both Lao and SE Asia. Ministry of Silk is positioned to promote the local fashion industry through design and tailoring projects in collaboration with talented Lao designers and textiles producers.

Ministry of Silk approach to textile and product sourcing also enables Ministry of Silk to support local communities.

Ministry of Silk directly support and showcase the Lao fashion industry, Ministry of Silk is the founding partner of Lao Fashion Week and of the Lao Young Designers Development Project since 2014.

Ministry of Silk Tel: +856 21 213776.

Fax: +856 21 254809. www.ministryofsilk.com

                            

The NEW-DISCOVERY SPORT from Lao Land Rover

                           12

               

Lao Land Rover launched The NEW-DISCOVERY SPORT, the most versatile and capable premium compact SUV on the market.

Design leadership and engineering integrity have created the ultimate use of interior space with classleading versatility and optional 5+2 seating with exceptional levels of

quality, refinement and engineering excellence.

The Discovery name has long been associated with Land Rover’s spirit of adventure and ultimate versatility. As a principal element in the substance of our product story for almost 25 years, it plays a definitive role in the DNA of Land Rover’s brand.

Discovery Sport offer a blend of refined, responsive and agile experience on road combined with best-insegment off-road ability.

“Every inch a Land Rover and every inch a Discovery”.

LAO LAND ROVER Unit 01, Hai Sok Village, Souphanouvong Road Chanthabouly District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR Tel: (856-21) 265 130-1 Hotline: 020 2223 9762, 020 2222 9710 www.landroverlaos.com

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         





Authentic Lao Cuisine at Bamboo Tree

                               14

                                  

                                         bambootreelpb@live.com https://goo.gl/6zQ1RY

L

ao food is praised as healthy food because of the mixture of its herbal ingredients and vegetable such as ginger, lemongrass, galangal, coriander, and many other spices. So Lao food has become more and more popular among the people who have experienced it. In the World Heritage Town of Luang Prabang, there are a few restaurants that serve you authentic Lao food and Bamboo Tree restaurant is

one among them that has just been opened for less than a year.

However, you can really enjoy Lao cuisine cooked by professional chef of more than 15 years experience.

Besides serving delicious Lao food, Bamboo Tree also provides opportunity for customers who would like to learn Lao culinary as well, so every day the cooking class is usually filled with foreign students.

Linda Moukdavanh Rattana, the restaurant owner who is also the chef and the instructor for the cooking class tells that she loves cooking since she was young and found out that she has a gift for it since she had never attended cooking school but learned to cook with her mother.

She spent years helping her uncle at a restaurant in Luang Prabang where she gained more experiences from assisting her uncle in cooking class for 12 years before she opened her own restaurant and name it “Bamboo Tree” after the fact that the first

dish she learned with her mother was the bamboo shoot soup.

For anyone who would like to join the cooking class, Linda asks to prepare nothing but a heart, as cooking needed to perform by heart to get its utmost deliciousness. Participants will choose 6 dishes to learn out of available 20 dishes in the menu, then Linda will take them to local market to buy all ingredients and explains her students each kind of vegetable and materials. When

they are back, Linda will prepare everything and instruct them how to prepare and cook each dish step by step. After all food were cooked, all of her students will have lunch together meanwhile criticize, comment, and do Q & A. At the end, the restaurant will grant everyone a certificate.

Linda states that the charm of Lao food is its freshness. You have to eat it right away once when finish cooking from the kitchen and served so that you can savour its ingredients in details. If the food has been left for more than 15 minutes, it would become tasteless. Also, Linda emphasizes that herbal ingredients used in Lao food are quite useful for your health such as lemongrass can help digesting. Besides food, those herbal ingredients can also be mixed in drinks such as ginger and lemon.

Make your reservation for Linda’s cooking class at Bamboo Tree Restaurant, call +856 20 2242 5499

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TESTIMONIALS

               “ I really like cooking, when my sister asked if I want to join her for this cooking class, I agreed. I think it's really interesting because you really learned a lot about local spices and local way of cooking. We have these spices available in Europe but we don't know how to cook it. So, it's good to see here how we can mix it together and how it works. It's an unforgettable experience to learn here.”

Stefanie Koulouris, Belgium

             

    “To cook, you must do it by heart so that it would be totally delicious” Linda Moukdavanh Rattana

“I think it was really interesting and nice experience. For me I learn a lot new thing about how to cook Lao food and I really like to visit the local market.

It's interesting how many spices are working together in every meal.”

Martin Dziuba, Germany

      “I like Lao food because they put everything together, and I love sticky rice very much. I can eat it with my hand with some spicy food. I really love it!”

Jonathan Munch, Germany

           “It was really great. I really like the teaching; how they show first and then you can do it by yourself and you can always ask questions.

The instructor is truly helpful. Also it was great to go the the market and see the locals go shopping and see all different spices.”

Lisa Villing, Germany

Bamboo Tree

Lao Cooking School and Restaurant

Ban Wat San, Kam Nam Khan Call +856 20 22425499, +856 71 253747 bambootreelpb@live.com

https://goo.gl/6zQ1RY 15

SABAIDEE COVER

Words & photos Kate Bavister





Photo by MICT

       

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       

Slow Down in

Salavan Change is in the air. There is a proliferation of wildlife. More frogs, spiders, snakes, toads, and a multitude of small flying creatures.

It's getting almost unbearably hot.

The rain is coming. Soon the dusty plains are going to become vast green endless spaces. It's almost Pi Mai and everywhere, everyone is praying for water.

“

Rainy season is a great time to travel

Rainy season is a great time to travel, if you don’t mind a bit of mud and adventure. When you get the timing right there can be nothing more breathtaking than the sunlight exploding over the lush mountains after an almighty downpour.

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   

                               18

Onto the Plateau

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this is a wonderful place to relax en route and try home-roasted Bolaven Coffee

Pakse is a great starting point for a trip around southern Laos and onto the Bolaven Plateau.

The land steadily climbs through Champasak, heading east to Salavan.

Mountains come into view with wisps of cloud floating dreamily past the peaks.

Katu village. There is a wonderful homestay here marked by a big wooden ‘fresh coffee’ board.

Owned by Mr Vieng and built on the typical vivid red soil of the plateau, this is a wonderful place to relax en route and try home-roasted Bolaven Coffee.

Heading to Ban Senvang, more commonly known as Tad Lo you will pass Sai Nyai Eco School, a small notfor-profit project. Sai Nyai runs socially and environmentally sustainable projects in the area. Just across the border into Salavan province you come to Ban Houay Huong, an ethnic

The soil in this region is incredibly fertile due to its genesis from a huge volcano exploding around 1 million years ago. The amazing highgrade coffee produced here is testament to the productive land. You can also see Katu weavers at work in the village, and the traditional back strap weaving loom.

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    

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  

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                                

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Exploring the surrounding area confirms that Laos is the world's secret garden

To the Waterfalls Leading off the main road are numerous red tracks running into the surrounding hills in all directions. You can make a base in Tad Lo village and stay in lush garden accommodations surrounded by nature before exploring the area. There are many waterfalls to visit, much like the rest of the plateau. Just take your pick of routes!

Tad Lo is a great place to meet others on the road and friendly guesthouse owners and locals in the village.

Green Garden for seclusion, a wealth of plants and opportunity to take a slower pace of life for a while is a must-stay. You can also find home-roasted coffee here, the best in town! Exploring the surrounding area confirms that Laos is the world's secret garden. Off every road you come across hidden plantations down long and winding mud paths.

Photo by MICT

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                 22

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        

23

“

Many people are turning to cheap chemical fertilisers which bring only short term growth and eventually ruin the land

Working the Land During rainy season people are planting sticky rice.

Spending time in any village, one realises it’s a family affair. At the back of Palemai Guesthouse, there are organic rice fields. Each plant moved by hand into its final growing spot. This is a time consuming process, but the turn around in the almost barren soil is testament to the hard work of the owner and his extended family.

Many people are turning to cheap chemical fertilisers which bring only short term growth and eventually ruin the land.

Such chemicals also have severe health implications for the growers and consumers alike.

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                          

                                      

“

       25

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Ringing out across the villages is the familiar sound of the huge Laos pestle and mortar preparing tonight's meal for the family

26

The Mountain Cold You could also ride up to Paksong. The scenery is stunning but be careful, on a rainy day it can get chilly very quickly. You can find much organic produce and of course, huge coffee plantations. The weather swings in and out of heavy rains and bright sunshine and the cloud formations and views are truly spectacular.

Back in Salavan as the end of the day approaches numerous open trucks pass full of people; standing room only. They return home along the bumpy roads after a hard day's graft in the fields.

It is twilight hour and the misty blue haze over the mountains is dreamy and calm. Smoke rises from numerous kitchens as fires are lit for dinner. Whether there is an overload of pumpkins, corn, or sweet

potatoes you know what is growing locally by passing by the road side stalls. Women head home from the river with their children, aunties, sisters and mothers and the noise of insects increases as the light fades. Ringing out across the villages is the familiar sound of the huge Laos pestle and mortar preparing tonight's meal for the family.

As you sleep under a bamboo roof you may hear the awesome power of a tropical rainstorm breaking over the night. The land is alive with the sound of thousands of frogs and insects. You can see the head torches of people carefully picking their way through the fields, dodging the snakes. They are out looking for tonight's catch; barbecued frog is on the menu.

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                                            

                

          

                                    Lao Skyway    

    www.laoskyway.com

        

* ບິນສຸດຄຸມ

ກັບລາວເດີນອາກາດ ບິນກົງຈາກນະຄອນຫລວງວຽງຈັນ ສູຫົວພັນ ເລີ່ມຕົ້ນພຽງ

915,000 ກີບ Exploring Lao History Through the Cave Complex in Houaphan

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esides the dense mountainous forests and immaculately fresh air, Houaphan is one of the most significant historical sites in Lao P.D.R. that the young generation can learn how their leaders fought to win the nation’s independence. Not very far from Xam Neua, the capital of Houaphan Province, the curvy road through the hilly areas leads to a small town called Viengxay. The town is home to several hundred caves amongst limestone mountains and some of these caves were used by the Pathet Lao during the Second Indochina War to shelter from American bombardment. Nowadays, six major caves out of 12 are open for tourists, where it’s possible to explore the hideouts of the revolutionary leaders.

A visit to the leader’s caves involves first calling to the Viengxay Caves Visitor Center to register and pay an admission fee. There are six cave sites open for visitors, including the Kaysone Phomvihane Cave, Nouhak Phoumsavan Cave, Souphannouvong Cave, Phoumi Vongvichid Cave, Khamtay Siphandone and Xanglot Cave, and the Artillery Cave. Visiting all caves requires an official guide to lead the group, and there are two times per day to make these cave visits – at 9 a.m. and another around 1 p.m.

When standing in front of the cave, it just looks like a normal site, but once you enter, you will be amazed as the ordinary rooms are developed into an underground city

Call Center: 1441

complete with government offices, meeting rooms, guest rooms, bedrooms, toilets, a school, library, and even a hospital and theatre. One of the most important rooms in the cave was the emergency room used as a hideout from bombardment, which was equipped with a ventilation machine and toxic gas protection system.

Apart from those rooms essential for living, in the cave of Kaysone Phomvihane, the former President of Lao P.D.R., there are also leaders’ bedrooms, the Politburo meeting room, the foreign guest rooms, as well as sports club and art centre. Not very far from Kaysone’s cave, there lies Souphannouvong Cave, at which you will find a pond in the garden in front. This pond was constructed at a big hole which was originally caused by the bombing, and is intentionally built in a heart shape in order to remind people how Lao people’s hearts had been distressed by the enemy’s invasion. If time allows, both Nouhak Phoumsavan and Khamtay Siphandone caves are also worth a visit.

Getting to Vienxay is quite convenient with flights operated by Lao Skyway from Wattay International Airport to Nathong Airport in Xam Neua every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

For more information contact 1441 or visit www.laoskyway.com.

A taxi from Xam Neua to Viengxay (30 km) costs 150,000 kip per one way trip and 300,000 kip for a round-trip / full day hire.

Book your taxi at 020 5627 6510.

with Benefits * Fly Fly with Lao Skyway From Vientiane Capital to Houaphan

only 915,000 LAK

www.laoskyway.com

Head office Asean Road, P.O. 6618, Vientiane Capital, Lao P.D.R Tel / Fax : (+856 21) 512 027 Email : info@laoskyway.com

WILDLIFE FEATURE

Words & photos Ian Lacey



 Savannakhet’s

Survivors

                    

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Deep within the noiseless forests of central Savannakhet, where day and night pass slowly by, lives a rare and emblematic species. The Eld’s deer, a creature known for its elegant appearance and movement, is bounding back from the edge of survival.

With the help of its closest neighbours – the communities inside the forest – the deer population is rising, and along with it hope of expanding its numbers in the most distinctive and picturesque of homes.

A male Eld's deer_Credit Fletcher and Baylis - WWF-Greater Mekong

               Pery Eld     

                 

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

1 Sanamxai villages conservation team made up entirely of villagers 2 Loggers taking wood from the sanctuary 3 Wild mushrooms collected by the communities 4 Local children with a drawing of the Eld’s deer 5 A sandy track through the dry forest

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                                                                                       

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 



                                  (WWF)                       

       WWF             

Across a Continent

A Special Home

Once spread widely from the eastern reaches of India to Vietnam, the Eld’s deer has historically inhabited the wetlands of South and Southeast Asia. It was in the former – the fertile green Manipur Valley of India, where deep blue lakes are bounded by fields of wild rice – that Lieutenant Percy Eld first came across this timid and elusive species in 1838.

The countries in which Eld’s deer remain are India, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and China.

Yet, despite this wide geographical range, the numbers are a pale shadow of their former self.

As the decades passed, the Eld’s deer range dramatically decreased as hunting pressure and forest loss squeezed it into ever-more fragmented populations throughout the continent. The travails of this Old World deer were further compounded by the fact that these smaller, disjointed populations breed poorly and without the genetic diversity needed to sustain healthy herds, leading it into an uncertain future.

      IUCN Red List             wwflaos.org  http://goo.gl/9Odx2I

However, in the isolated dry forest of Savannakhet Province, something remarkable is happening.

The once declining deer population is on the rise, so much so that in the past 10 years alone it has jumped from an estimated six to 20 individuals to now 60 to 80.

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Their habitat, which turns from shades of gold in autumn to rich greens in the rainy season, is an ideal residence for the deer. Crisscrossed by sandy tracks running through short, wind-caressed grasses, there is little human habitation.

However, the most remarkable aspect of the Lao Eld’s deer revival is the charge that the few humans here have taken for its protection.

Several small villages located inside the dry forest, of which 93,000 hectares is designated as the Savannakhet Eld’s deer sanctuary, have decided to become guardians of its centuries-old home.

Community Protection Tens of kilometres off Highway 9 making its way to Vietnam, the villagers are cloistered inside stands of spectacular dry dipterocarp woodland. Their inhabitants mainly collect non-timber forest products such as mushrooms, honey and wild plants as a major component of their daily activities. Yet, in amongst providing for their families’ livelihoods, they regard the deer’s conservation as a priority.

Supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), teams of green-uniformed men regularly take to the forest patrolling for illegal activity, such as prohibited logging and burning of vegetation to make way for agriculture and livestock rearing. They’re also collecting data on the deer population that will inform how best to conserve the forest in the future.

6 Eld’s deer

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Looking Boldly Ahead As communities adopt more conservation-orientated practices, the deer is quietly springing back to life in Laos. With the help of WWF and the local authorities, they are beginning to plan the best way to use the land that meets the needs of people and the survival of this endangered mammal.

There is also hope on the horizon that the sanctuary may one day become a National Biodiversity Conservation Area, the highest level of designation in the country.

With that, there is the possibility of eco-tourism opportunities, so that a journey into the heart of Savannakhet’s green-leafed interior can further endear this secretive species into the hearts and minds of the nation.

7 The conservation team returns from a patrol

Did You Know?

There are three subspecies of Eld’s deer, one in India, one in Myanmar, and the other in Cambodia, Laos, and China.

The deer is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List.

On the Rise

Since 2005, the Eld’s deer population has increased x 6 in Savannakhet!

In Numbers

Eld’s deer can grow up to 1.2 metres tall and almost two metres long, with their antler length up to one metre!

For more information

visit wwflaos.org or http://goo.gl/9Odx2I

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ASEAN CONNECT - MYANMAR

Words & photos Suwida Boonyatistarn



Kalaw

Trekking the Tribal Trails



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Drying Chilies, Pa-O Tribal Village

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

                 

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                                        

Bengali and Nepalese migrants as construction workers, and their descendants still call the town home today.

Trekking in Kalaw ranges from half-day self-guided hikes around the town, to 3 and 4 days treks with overnights in the minority villages of the Palaung, Pa-O, Taung Yu, and Danau tribes, all sequestered in gorgeous hilly landscapes. The most popular half-day trek brings you south of the town to a viewpoint at a Nepali-owned restaurant perched on a hill. Here you can have lunch, enjoy the sweeping views overlooking the hills and return to town. One day trekking options head further from the town, in the same direction, to Myin Ma Hti Cave, the Pa-O villages south of Lamaing, and the Pa-O, Danau, and Taung Yu villages near Myin Dike train station. Trekking groups from Inle Lake usually end here to board the train to Thazi, which connects to Mandalay and Yangon. Guesthouses are able to provide town maps and basic information if you’d like to do a self-guided trek in the area.

Pa-O Woman

Sitting

1,300 meters above sea level, in the Shan State of eastern Myanmar, the pineforest surrounded town of Kalaw provides several great reasons why it has become an emerging destination for holiday makers.

Among these are the yearround cool weather, the calm and refreshing atmosphere, and the adequate tourism facilities.

Individual and slow travelers love it for being a perfect on-the-way stop for a few days break before moving on to, or coming back from, the more popular tourist destination of

Inle Lake, which is 78 km away.

But trekkers adore it even more as its surrounding regions reveal both picturesque landscapes – within reach on easy day hikes – and a peek into the colourful lives of the ethnic minorities who live here, an experience unrivaled by anywhere else in the state.

Kalaw saw its first wave of visitors in the British colonial period when the colonizers fled the heat of the plains and made Kalaw a hill station. They built a railway station a few kms south of the town (now named Myin Dike), and brought with them

Pa-O Woman

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Pa-O Tribeswoman Drying Chilies

For the longer treks, you need to consult trekking agencies, however the trekking guides usually find you first when you arrive at the local guesthouses. With trekking becoming more popular now, some agencies claim to bring guests on specifically nontouristy routes, but chances are that you will still run into other tour groups along the way. The most popular route is the 4-day trek to Inle Lake, and although some hardened

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travelers think it “too touristy” now, the stunning and gradual changes of landscape, and the chance to visit many different tribes – and spend longer times in each village – still make the experience tremendously worthwhile. You will walk at least 4-hours a day, and end your treks in the villages of Inthein, Tone Le, or Thandaung close to the lake. This trip can also be shortened to 2 days, with car rides alternating with the trekking.

                                        

                              

Pumpkins, Common Crop of the Pa-O Tribe

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Drying Wheat to Make Blooms, Hin Ga Gone Village photo Pitchaya Mahanond

For all treks the levels of difficulty range from easy to medium, and you are more likely to be climbing low and high hills rather than steep forested mountains.

The trails walk you through valleys with the sweeping views of tea plantations, as well as fields of rice, wheat, potato, sesame, green vegetables, and chilis, while farmers with bamboo woven baskets on their backs dot the landscapes.

From June to October these vistas are rather green, but in winter,

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lasting from November to February, the lands show different types of colours after the harvesting season, exhibiting shades of dark brown where the soil’s surface is exposed, interspersed with the red of chili fields, green swaths of lettuce crops, and white patches of snow pea flower fields.

The trails are also dotted with tribal settlements. The ones closer to towns and on the plains are more modern, with halfbrick, half-wooden houses, solar power

                        

                      

generators, TVs, and satellite, while the ones up mountains can be just groupings of a few bamboo huts, solely dependent on daylight and candlelight for illumination. Most of the villagers still wear traditional tribal clothing in their daily lives, and the geography of each tribe’s settlement allows them to grow different types of crops. The Paluang in their red tunics, and the Danau, living on the mountains, both ply their cornfields, cotton crops, and do additional logging. The main produce of the Pa-O, notable for their

black tunics and red headcloths, is chilies, while the Taung Yu living on plains are great producers of rice and green vegetables.

Trekking around Kalaw can be a wonderful experience. All you need is a good pair of trekking shoes, the least amount of trekking gear you can safely carry, and some wise preparation. As a reward you will get to interact with the local people, and you will be amazed and impressed with the charm of Kalaw’s natural beauty, and local people’s boundless generosity.

                                       

                  

Snow Pea Flower Field

TREKKING AGENCIES

GETTING THERE





                              www.

                

go-myanmar.com/getting-tokalaw

The closest airport is Heho, which is just 16 miles away from Kalaw.

Check Air Mandalay, Air Bagan, and Asian Wings for flight schedules. Taxis waiting at the airport take you to Kalaw for about US $30, or catch a tour bus directly from Yangon, Mandalay, or Bagan, which take 11, 8, and 9 hours respectively.

To find more updated information about transportation to and from Kalaw, check the link: www.go-myanmar. com/getting-to-kalaw

Full-board treks, which include food, accommodation, a guide, and bag transfers to your trek’s ending point, cost between US $12 to $20 per day. Golden Lily Guesthouse on Natsin Rd. can hook you up with trekking guides whether you are their guests or not.

Otherwise, consider Sam’s Trekking Guide at Sam’s Family Restaurant on Aung Chan Tha Street. The proprietor, Uncle Sam, offers a few wellthought out trekking routes, and although this lifelong trekking guide doesn’t actually the lead treks any more, he will sit you down and explain each route in great detail once you show interest in signing up for a trek.

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SABAIDEE GUIDE TO

Words & photos Saynam Menorath

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                                    

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                                  

                     44

                        

Siin-dard

-Thrive in its Translation-

The Origin Meat, fire and water come together to create a beautiful marriage in the perfect Lao dish called Siin-dard – a most unexpected culinary journey.

Calling Siin-dard a Lao dish might not sit so well with those who know a lot about it. It is Laos’ version of BBQ, a dish many have claimed is a Korean one. The story of how it came about is still up for debate, but let’s just say for now that it originated in Korea. Then, we may say this is such a wonderful translation

of a dish from one culture to another. It has been adapted to suit the local taste buds and eating culture so much so that it can’t be called Korean fare anymore. Like it or not, Siin-dard has became one of the most beloved, adopted children of this country’s culinary repertoire. It is quite rare that the cover of anything is better than the original, but in this instance, the Lao version of this seared meat delight is simply better than its old cousin in the Far East.

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 Editor’s Pick                

46

                

       

   Surt and Turt              

First-timers

Eating it the Lao way Because of its origin, a lot of people might not think this dish sums up the meaning of what it is to have a Lao dining experience. However, everything about eating Siindard reflects the meaning of eating in true Lao style in the most fundamental way. We’re not referring to the ingredients like fish sauce, the local vegetables or even the meat itself here. The most important thing, weirdly, the way it is eaten. Sharing pieces of grilled pork or the soup from the same pot among a dozen

people around the dining table is at the core what it’s really like to have an authentic Lao dining experience. It’s in this sharing of food from the same dish, or a sizzling hot pot in this case, that we identify with each other. Just like the saying, you can get the man out of Laos, but you can’t get Laos out of the man.

Siin-dard is quite universally loved here, so it’s not an overstatement for some people to say that if you haven’t tried this dish, you haven’t been to Laos yet.

The Stars The leading actors here are none other than the meat and the uniquely shaped pot.

So unique it is in design that we’re astonished to find out there’s a cooking tool that can ready both grilled meat and soup at the same time from the same equipment. It just does it all so effortlessly.

The meat has to be fresh and sliced thinly in perfect bite-size portions to increase the speed of cooking and the ease of eating. When the slice of meat meets with the flame from the pot something almost magical happens; the same thing our ancestors discovered millions of years ago but could not explain. The Japanese called it Uma-mi, which is what was released when fire meets with a piece of meat: It changes and melts fat from the meat, releasing with it that natural sweet flavour that makes us smile and experience heaven for one second. And as some of the fat that escapes the meat,

juice will drip down into the burning coals to create yet another aroma that can only make you hungrier.

For visitors who’ve just visited Laos for the first time or have been living here forever but never tried it, after reading this you should grab a taxi, show the driver the address of the restaurants that we will give you later and see what we mean by all this.

And if it’s your first time trying this dish, here are some tips to get you started: 1. Bring a friend or two.

This dish is best enjoyed with a lot of people, so the more the merrier. But if you happen to visit Vientiane alone, go ahead. Just don't order too much.

2. Wash your hands. You just have to. Because unlike its counterpart the Korean BBQ, the waitress won’t help you cut and put all those vegetables in the pot. So do yourself and your guests a favour, wash your hands before you start!

3. Glide that piece of pork fat all over the pot where you will sear the meat to prevent it from sticking.

4. Pour in the soup, vegetables and sear the meat.

5. Season your dipping sauce with lime, garlic, and chilli to your liking.

6. When the meat is done, dip it in the sauce and give your mouth a prize it deserves for all the hard work.

The best of both worlds Being human, we like to have more if we can. This plays out quite well in our culinary world too. In the west, especially in America, there’s a staple dish, surf and turf, where you have the combination of meat and seafood together. Similarly in Japanese cuisine you will often come across dishes they so elegantly called the blessings of the sea and the mountain – their interpretation of meat and seafood. We don’t have the sea here, but we more than made up in what we lack by bringing you a bursting volcano with meat on top and hot spring surrounding it all in one perfect pot.

The soup which is brimming in the pot, absorbing all the flavors from the vegetables and the Umami from the meat, is a perfect reset button that you need after all the meat you’ve eaten or while you are waiting for the next round to be ready.

And last, but definitely not least, is the dipping sauce.

Siin-dard is not Siin-dard without the dipping sauce.

The perfect sauce will elevate the dish to another level.

Think from coach to first class. Imagine eating Lao papaya salad without the accompaniment Padaek (fermented fish sauce) or Lao Bamboo soup without Bai Nha Nang, a type of edible leaf that gives it its distinct green colour. It just doesn't work no matter how important the main ingredients are.

Editor’s picks:

Poi Sian restaurant This specialized Siin-Dard restaurant is one of the oldest and the best in town. Great food, great services. Any Siin-dard list wouldn't be complete without it.

Location: Asian road to T2 area.

Call: 021 213 713 Sudachan Siin-dard Good food and service and you might get

a cleaner car by the time you finish your dinner. Location : Ponetan Nua, Hom 12.

If you’d prefer your Siin-dard dry and enjoy rolling your meat in your vegetables go to Kaonhord for another experience of Siindard Pan. Other good options include: Siin-dard Papao and Siin-dard Sailom.

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1-342 Dongpalanthong, Sisattanak facebook.com/cafenomad.lao 020 5434 9977

189 Setthatirath Road, Mixay Village facebook.com/ChanCoffeeLaos 020 2398 6066, 020 5222 4665

278 Sokpaluang Road, Thongkang Village facebook.com/chanmalyrestaurant 020 58 346 410

32/4 Fa Ngum Road, Mekong riverside www.chokdeecafe.com 007/078 Rue Francois Nginn

Rue Francois Ngin

acqua.laos

021 212 930

020 2811 7888

020 5610 3434 EDITOR’S

PICKS

Soi 4 off Nongbone road 8 Rue Francois Ngin, Ban Mixai

facebook.com/pages/Begonia-cafe

aicaponelaospdr

020 5555 5082

020 5991 0888

Ban Phonsinuoan, Sisattanak facebook.com/CoffeeToday 030 5058123

Rue Chao Anou Rue Setthathirath (above Phimphone)

021 255 057

37 Soi Wat Xieng Gneun, Setthathirath Road

facebook.com/benonicafe

facebook.com/commongroundslaos

facebook.com/amphonelao

021 213 334

021-212 489/ 020-7785 7647

Nokèokoummane Road 22 Samsenthai Road, Ban Khaonyot

8 Rue Francois Nginn, Ban Mixai ARIA.MIXAI.RESTAURANT

facebook.com/benonicafe

facebook.com/CouleurdAsie 021 223 008

021 214 129

021 222 589

Quay Fa Ngum www.facebook.com/DairyQueenLaos 021 255 380

23 Singha Road, Nongbone Village 021 453-668

blackcanyoncoffee.com 0 20 77 442 643

Beside Namphu 021 254 858

Sokpalaung Road facebook.com/BanGaiHouseOfChickenh

Fa Ngum Road, Wat Chanh

020 9825 6654

facebook.com/Bor Pen Yang restaurant 020 5580 8281

48

Beside Namphu 021 254 858

EDITOR’S

PICKS

Off Khounboulom Road, Ban Haysok facebook.com/JamilZahidRestaurant 020 5650 2455 EDITOR’S

PICKS

Sumibiyaki Torishige Restaurant

Setthathirath Road facebook.com/jazzybricklao 021 212 489

EDITOR’S

PICKS

Unit22, No333/02, Nongbone Village, Near Janpanese Embassy, Saysettha, Vientane

T: 020 97 575 700

Wed - Mon 5:30pm - 11:00pm / Mon - Close joma.biz 020-2204-4555

EDITOR’S

PICKS

54 Setthathirath Road facebook.com/KhopChaiDeu 021 251 564

Simeuang Road, Ban Simeuang L’Atmosphère 020 7715 8813

Namphou Area pages/Lopera-Italian-Restaurant-Vientiane

Setthathirath Road

021 215 099

www.cafelao.com 020 5855 5725

EDITOR’S

PICKS

Settha Palace Hotel, Pang Kham Road setthapalace.com/dining/belle-epoque-bar/

183 Souphanouvong Road

021 217 581

www.kongview.com 021 520 522

164, Unit 15 Sibouaban Road, Sithane Neua Village 021 264 187

134 Samsenthai Road facebook.com/Kualao Best Western Hotel,

021 215 777

021 254 722 Nongbone Village 021 454 782

Luang Prabang Road facebook.com/pages/Fujiwara-Restaurant 020 77 773 177

Off Rue Simeuang, Piawat Village facebook.com/KungsCafeLao 021 219 101

Wat Ongteu, Setthathirath Road ladressedetinay.com 021 215 506

88 Setthathirath Road

Setthathirath Road

facebook.com/ibeamvientiane

L’alsace

020 5610 3434

020 9806 2295

Hengbounnoy Road, Ban Haysok facebook.com/La-Cage-Du-Coq-Ban-Haysok 020 54 676 065

Fountain Area (Nam Phu) facebook.com/La-Cave-Des-Chateaux 021 212192

Ban BOUNKAGNOM,Thadeua Rd www.lascalalao.com 021 931169

Quai Fa Ngum, Ban Vat Chan Tha ansarahotel.com 021 213 514

49

EAT & DRINK DIRECTORY

VIENTIANE

P

Rue Hengboun (opposite KP Hotel)

Beung Ka-nyong, Tha Deua road

lao-kitchen.com

facebook.com/Paris-Cocktail

021 254 332

020 78 111 008

Norkeokoummane Road, Ban Mixai

Rue Nokeoukoumane

Le-Banneton

pimentonrestaurant-vte.com

021 217 321

021 215 506 EDITOR’S

PICKS

8,rue Francois Ngin facebook.com/lecomptoirdevientiane 021 254 013

17/1 Sihom

Setthathirath Road Ban Naxay

021 219 689

Senglao café@facebook.com

Setthathirath Road

Email: Chayada@sabaidee-magazine.com

030 5880588

www.sengtawan.com

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78 Ban Inpeng, Vat Chanh Tha makphet-restaurant.org 021 260 587

Tel: 021 454 782 Mob: 020 5884 8376

Ban Sithan Neua

facebook.com/letriocoffee 020 2255 3552

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R S

facebook.com/LeSilapaVientiane

PICKS

Here

facebook.com/raysgrilleLaopdr 20 58 966 866

EDITOR’S

Advertise

Rue Dongpalanthong, Phonesinuan 021 261 634

021 219 362

Thadeua Road 143 (KM 0.5) 020 5612 0804 soulkitchen.vientiane@gmail.com

Fa Ngum Road, Baan Seetarn Neua thespirithouselaos.com 021 243 795

Setthathirath Road facebook.com/SputnikBurger 0 30 93 76 504

Saylom Road 020 5550 5305.

Souphanouvong Road, Ban Nakham, Vientiane Capital of Lao P.D.R 020 77 456 664

Dongpalan Road nakedespresso.net 021 454 631

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1/3 Francois Nginn Road facebook.com/StickyFingersLaos 021 215 972

EDITOR’S

PICKS

68 Pangkham Road

facebook.com/XANG-KHOO-Restaurant 021 219 314

Nongbone Village facebook.com/sumibiyakitorishige Tel: 020 9757 5700

T V X

Samsenthai Road facebook.com/xayohgrillhouse 021 261 777

Luang Prabang

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Ban Aham, Sisouphan Road

Chao Fa Ngum Road

aussiesportsbarlaos.com

071 254 988

020 22 425 499

Ban Aham, Sisouphan Road aussiesportsbarlaos.com 071 254 706

Phothisalath Road

100 Sisavang Vatana Road, Ban Wat Nong

Ban Phan Louang

030 51 55 221

facebook.com/Dyensabai 020 55 104 817

EDITOR’S

PICKS

H I J

5 Kingkitsarat Road, Ban Aphay Soukhaserm Road, At Nam Khan river side Bamboo-Tree-Lao-Cooking-School-and-Restaurant 071 254 670

46 Ban Vat Nong bigtreecafe.com 020 77776748

B

hivebarlaos.com 020 59 995 370

Siphouttabath Road, Ban Xiengmouan iconklub.com 071 254 905

indigohouse.la

blue-lagoon-cafe.com

071 212 264

020 5925 2525

Ban Vat Sene

EDITOR’S

PICKS

C

Sakkaline Road, Ban Vat Nong 020 5657 6763

Sisavangvong Road 071 212 092

EDITOR’S

PICKS

4-5 Ban Phonepheng, luangsayresidence.com 071 260 891

L

66/6, Ban Xiengmouane Road 020 22 8 12 64

Sisavangvong Road, Pakham Village

Ban Choumkhong

cafetoui.com

K

020 5516 6575

joma.biz 071-260-920

Phu Vao | Opposite Bcel and Lao Viet Bank laoindoorgolf.com 071 253 491-2

Phousi Road, Ban Aphay 020-7777-4414

020 77 77 94 97

Sisavangvong Road elephant-restau.com/coconutgarden 071 252 482

86/04 Ban Vat Sene 020 2388 1771

Ban Viengkeo

D

facebook.com/ Dao-Coffee-Luang-Prabang 071 214 444

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Anytime Anywhere

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Ms. Chayada Ariyaphoncharoen ( Gung ) Sales & Marketing Director +856 20 5884 8376, +66 83 018 4076 ( Thai ); E-mail: chayada@sabaidee-magazine.com

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WELLNESS DIRECTORY

Luang Prabang AYU SPA

A D K L

Kounxaou Road, Ban Phoneheung www.xiengthongpalace.com.

071 213 200 EDITOR’S

PICKS

DHAMMADA MASSAGE OASIS Luang Prabang Oasis Hotel

www.luangprabangoasis.com.

071 212 642

EDITOR’S

KIRIDARA SPA

PICKS

22/13 North Road, Ban Naviengkham www.snhcollection.com/kiridara.

071 261 888

L’HIBISCUS SPA

45 Sakhaline Road 030 923 5079

LAO RED CROSS

Opposite Vat Visoun 071 252 856

LUANG PRABANG YOGA luangprabangyoga.org 020 7777 9966

M S

M.K. Wellness Centre

77 M. 4 Ouparach Buakhum Road, Ban That Luang 030-777 1082

SANCTUARY MASSAGE

Sanctuary Hotel, Kitsalat Road 071 213 777

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Spa by Burasari

Nam Khan River Road, Ban Khili 071 255 031

THE SPA GARDEN Ban Phonheuang

www.spagardenlpb.com.

071 212325

T

The Angsana Spa Luangprabang Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel www.angsana.com | www.banyantree.com 071 254609

DHAMMADA MASSAGE OASIS Tropical Oasis Park, Ban Vixoun, Setthathirath Road, Luang Prabang Tel: 071 212 642, 071 252 933 Fax: 071 212 818 Email: info@luangprabangoasis.com www.luangprabangoasis.com

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Tropical Oasis Park

125 Unit 7, Vixoun Village, Luang Prabang Tel: 071 212 642 facebook.com/luangprabangoasis

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A RETRO

ESCAPE

BY THE RIVER Samut Songkram, Thailand

t helegendmaek long 1285, PATHUMMALAI ROAD, T. MAEKLONG, MUANG DISTRICT, SAMUT SONGKRAM 75000 RESERVATION:+66 (0) 3470 1121 E- MAIL : INFO@THELEGENDMAEKLONG.COM

www.thelegendmaeklong.com

4

A Stylish Budget Accommodation Option in Luang Prabang

The Ultimate Relaxation Hideaway FOR RESERVATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT:

125 Unit 7, Bane Vixoun, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR Tel: +856 (0) 71 212 642, +856 (0) 71 252 933 www.tropicaloasispark.com