Travelling to Laos with kids

In choosing Laos as our travel destination to celebrate Snufkin's 4th birthday, I exposed myself to questions on my sanity. "Surely there are better alternatives, say Disneyland or Universal Studios Singapore?" Laos sound to many (especially Malaysians) like a backward, 3rd world country with no facilities to cater to travelling children. After all, you would be hard-pressed to find the words "family-friendly" and Laos in a single sentence.

But I beg to differ. Although our travel in Laos was only limited to the main tourist trail, i.e. Luang Prabang and Vientiane, from what I have experienced Laos is a doodle and there's plenty to keep the little rascals occupied. Here's 7 reasons why:

1) Hassle-free South East Asia

Unlike many other South East Asian cities/towns, you will seldom be hounded by touts and people trying to sell you massages, tuk-tuk rides, postcards, bangles etc. We felt perfectly safe walking the streets and in those instances when it was too far to walk, there was always the tuk-tuk which by the way would not try to get you on an extended tour of the city. The roads within the city/town were mainly not congested and in no circumstances that we felt the tuk-tuk drivers were playing Russian Roulette with our lives.

2) Food glorious food

The topmost concern for any parents wishing to take their kids on holiday in developing/3rd world countries must surely be food. In Laos, your kids do not have to eat unfamiliar food bought for a few thousand kip at a roadside stall. Nor is your choice limited to the other end of the spectrum, i.e. expensive hotel food. What I love about Laos is the abundance of Western-style bakery and cafe - La Banneton, Joma Bakery, Scandinavian Bakery, Croissant d'Or. These places serve good quality freshly-cooked food, all prepared (hopefully) under hygiene standards that you are used to back home.  As much as I want Snufkin to be adventurous food-wise,  I have to concede to the fact that he loves his creamy pasta. And by the way, the pumpkin soup from Joma Bakery is to die for.

La Banneton Luang Prabang

3) Juice galore

Your kids will not have any problem getting their 5-a-day in Laos. Lao fruitshake stalls are everywhere, especially in Luang Prabang. I love the fact that you can choose the combination of fruits that you like from the rows of transparent cups, then get it zapped in a blender in front of you - all for a fraction of the price you would normally pay in KL. In Vientiane, Noy's Fruit Heaven is aptly named. We stumbled upon it as it was just around the corner from our hotel. I still remember our dinner of camembert sandwich and the freshest fruitshake in that unassuming miniscule shop. There's certainly nothing 3rd world about that.

Fruitshake stall on Sisavangvong Road

4) River eco-system

No kids will be able to resist a boat ride down that wide expanse of water that is the Mekong, not especially if you get them to watch documentaries on giant catfish in the Mekong before the trip (as Snufkin did). And if that is not enough, a walk along Nam Khan river in Luang Prabang will almost certainly get you within touching distance of what could possibly be the biggest spiders that you have ever seen in your life, weaving equally frightening-looking and gigantic webs. I shuddered at the mere thought of it - but it was fascinating to Snufkin.

Nam Khan River

5) Rice education

Living Land Farm is probably the best place to be educated on this grain that forms the staple food for most Asians. Kids can learn that rice do not necessarily come from an orange box that is Uncle Ben's. The buffalo ride is a bonus point.

Entrance to the Living Land Farm

6) A lesson in gratitude

Our visit to the COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane provided an insight into the unfortunate side of Laos, more specifically the impact of UXO on ordinary people of Laos. Although there are no kids-specific activities here,  the prosthetic legs and cluster bombs displays have an aesthetic value that  makes them somewhat riveting. The information on the display boards are probably too much for young children to absorb, but the condensed moral of the story that can be conveyed is that kids in some parts of the world are not as lucky as them and they should count themselves blessed.

7) Children's Books

I try to make a point to buy local children's books in each country that we visit. In Luang Prabang's night market, we came across Big Brother Mouse (BBM)'s bookstall. BBM is not just a book publishing outfit - it is a literacy program intending to promote the love of reading to Lao children. I bought a few books for Snufkin, not only for the Lao folklore stories but also to support the noble mission.  There are other things you can do to help or volunteer, including reading English books to children at the BBM centre. More information here.

I also found the cutest cloth books in the night market. Although the storyline is very simple and Snufkin is probably too old for cloth books, I think it is very creative and the fact that the stories are about highlights of Luang Prabang makes it a perfect souvenir for kids.

So Laos is not only about the wats and Tak Bat ceremony. There are other things that kids can see and learn about. Until today, some of Snufkin's sentences still start with "When I was in Luang Prabang..."