Cambodian Markets - Suprisingly Clean!

The food markets had all the typical fruits, vegetables and river weeds. The butchery section held the usual pork, beef, chicken and fish sections. Standard cuts and inners open to the air, displayed on tables with the flies buzzing around. Personally I was impressed by the cleanliness. The fish and seafood was the most surprising, if the fish were not sold alive they were packed on ice (in Phnom Phen). We didn’t experience a small village market where I’m sure the conditions would not be quite as savoury.

The spice section of the markets was very small in relation to neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam (even Laos). The shrimp paste and fermented fish piles are mountain high and stench as strong.


There are some good snacks available, the baguettes are filled with papaya salad, chilli, cheese and a meat substance (Cambodian pate). I large baguette, more than enough to fill an empty belly for $1US.

Bundles of sticky rice sticks (packed into bamboo, sugar cane or corn husks), sticky rice cakes and sweet bread items are available for 1000 riel (about 25 US cents).

Fresh fruit drink stands and sugar cane stands (sugar cane is piled high in the streets) are seen scattered around, 1000 riel an cup.

Crossing the Cambodian Border

From Bangkok’s main station take the 5.50am train to Aranyaprathet, third class only. The seats are hard and it can get pretty crowded but the windows open and you can watch rural areas of Thailand go by with the wind in your hair. The rice paddies are a beautiful distraction over the 6hr trip.
The trip costs 47 baht.

From the train station at Aranyaprathet take a tuk-tuk to the border for 80 baht. Without fail the tuk-tuk driver will take you to a tout to get your Cambodian visa (THIS IS NOT THE BORDER, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FILL OUT ANY FORMS OR PAY ANY MONEY). This is the first scam along the way! Get back in your tuk-tuk and go to the border. At the border walk through Thai immigration, once through keep walking for about 150 meters to the Cambodian immigration. The route is a little confusing past big casino’s with people approaching you wanting to guide you, offering you taxi services and visa services. IGNORE THEM AND KEEP WALKING. (more scams)

You can get a Cambodian visa at the border it costs $20 US, do not pay any more. If you have a chance get your visa in Bangkok before heading to Cambodia, it will make the crossing a little easier for you.

Once through immigration you enter the town of Poipet. A typical border town, here you will be approached by people wanting to take you to a taxi. A shared taxi to Siem Riep cost $60 US (4 people can share this).

On the way to Siem Riep (about 3 hours) the taxi will make a toilet stop. Everybody is on commission and yes water does cost $1 US.

Ordering the Right Balance

While there are similarities, Cambodian cuisine should be taken in its own right. Khmer recipes go back to the days before the introduction of the chilli, so are consequently much milder than most Asian food.The best of Khmer food is about balancing your meal as a whole. Where single Thai dishes might attempt to balance spicy, sour, sweet and salty in a single bowl, Khmer food goes about achieving the same balance through multiple dishes usually a sour soup, a curry, a fried fish, steamed rice.

Ingredients

Spices
Prior to the 16th century, the chilli was relatively unknown in Asia until the arrival of the Portuguese. It was many years before chilli was introduced to Cambodia. Tamarind, is a common ingredient in sour dishes such as soups. Star anise is a must when caramelizing meats in palm sugar like pork in the dish known as pak lov. Turmeric, galangal, ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are essential spices in Khmer cooking, such as stews and curries.
From India, by way of Java, Cambodians have been taught the art of blending spice paste using many ingredients like cardamom, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and turmeric. Other native ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, garlic, shallots, coriander, and kaffir lime leaves are added to these spices to make a distinctive and complex spice blend called "kroeung." This is an important aromatic paste commonly used in Cambodian cooking. and stews.

Vegetables
Many vegetables used in Khmer cuisine are also used in Chinese cuisine. Vegetables such as winter melon, bitter melon, luffa, and yardlong beans are found in soups. Oriental squash can be stewed, stir fried or sweetened and steamed with coconut milk as a dessert. Vegetables like mushrooms, cabbage, baby corn, bamboo shoots, fresh ginger, Chinese broccoli, snow peas, and bok choy are commonly used in stir fry dishes .

Fruits
Fruits in Cambodia are very popular! The durian is considered the King, the mangosteen the queen, sapodilla the prince and the "milk fruit" (phlai teuk doh ko) the princess. Other popular fruits include: the jan fruit, kuy fruit, romduol, pineapple, star apple, rose apple, coconut, palmyra fruit, jackfruit, papaya, watermelon, banana, mango and rambutans. Although fruits are usually considered desserts, some fruits such as ripe mangoes, watermelon, and pineapples are eaten commonly with heavily salted fish with plain rice.

Meats
Fish is the most common form of meat in Khmer cuisine. Dried salted fish known as trei ngeat (???) are a favourite with plain rice porridge. The popular Khmer dish called amok uses a kind of catfish steamed in a savoury coconut based curry. Pork is used to make sweet Khmer sausages known as twah ko. Beef and chicken are stewed, grilled or stir fried. More unusual meats include frog, turtle, and tarantulas; enjoyed as everyday delights in Cambodia.

Holiday in Cambodia

The trip from the Thai/Cambodia boarder to Siem Riep was an adventure to say the least. We shared a taxi with an older South Korean couple with limited English, our taxi driver had just as few words, mostly his name and where we were going (we paid $15 US each to make the 3hr journey).

First impression of a country when you come thru a border town will rarely be good, the town Poipet was no exception, dusty, dirty busy with cars, buses, minivans and pickups full of people coming and going. Up the road a little were horse drawn carts and cattle roaming free across the so called highway, (the horse drawn cart was a new one for us, we'd never seen on the streets of south east asia before).

Driving through small communities on our way to Siem Riep it became apparent to us that Cambodia was another poor country where people survived on their own self sufficiency.
On arrival to the out skirts of Siem Riep we were swooped on by tuk-tuk drivers (later we were to learn this was a common occurrence once you got on the streets) offering to take us to our guest house. Sure, great hastle free, out of the taxi, into the tuk-tuk and onto the guest house of our choice. IF ONLY! We were taken to the wrong guest house, when asked to be taken to the one we asked for we were told it was a long way away so the charge was $2 US (which may not sound like much but most Cambodian's live off less than this a day). Ok, ok just take us where we want to go!

We get 10 metres down the road and there is the sign to our guest house. We yell to the drive to stop, STOP, we'll get out; he wants to circle round, NO NO WE'LL GET OUT. After stuffing us about he decides he still wants his $2, (which he isn't getting), we grab our backpacks and start walking to the sound of the swearing tuk-tuk driver. THAT'S RIGHT HE WAS SWEARING AT US BECAUSE WE DIDN'T PAY HIM $2 FOR A 10 METRE JOURNEY!

By now I was hoping our trip to Cambodia was going to get better than our first impressions of the place.

Shiva, Pushkar

I saw Shiva no more than three brief periods of maybe 15-20 minutes each, before he invited me to his cousins wedding in Pushkar, a 40 hr train ride from where we were in Gokarna, on the Karnataka coastline. And with my ever cautious western mind, I needed some time to think about this amazing offer from a virtual stranger. After a few days lazing on a nearby beach, I decided that I would be crazy to turn down this opportunity. In making this decision, I had changed the entire plan of my visit to India. Instead of covering both coastlines of the south, I would instead head north to the deserts of Rajasthan, and afterwards onto the cultural Hindu heartland of Varanasi, then North east to the Himalayan region of Sikkim. It's always good to keep an open mind!

So one month later I met up with Shiva in Pushkar. Everywhere I went I was offered food and chai. I was introduced to Shiva's entire family, and shown around the families farm. All his friends and relatives were incredibly welcoming. The hospitalty shown towards me was very heart warming. Life has been very tough for the farmers in Rajasthan for a few years now, like many farmers the world over. One of my favourite meals was a few varities of of chapati, a dahl (all prepared over an open flame in a mud hut come kitchen), and some deliciuos, rich buffalo curd which was fresh that evening. I was served first and made to eat twice as much as anyone else. Even though times are financially difficult and very frustrating for Shiva's family, I was amazed by their generosity and happiness. Food has never tasted so good as when it has come from someone who cannot afford to share it. This is one meal I will always remember.

This is not so much a story about the wedding, that is another one entirely, but more about friendship and generosity. Shiva just wanted to share with me, a complete stranger, some of his culture, to have a new friend. Our friends are one of the most important gifts we have in this life.

A Day on the Train, Mumbai

It begins early with the chai and coffee "wallahs" that parade up and down with their fresh brews and their own unique way of yelling out their goods. I mean, does anyone really feel like a chai at 4am, apparently so! These guys are closely followed by the food vendors with fresh samosas, vadas (a lentil pattie), fried veg cutlets or some other tasty morsel. Sometimes you are lucky enough to be sitting with a family, and when it's lunch time, everyone eats, including you. It is normally a chappati based meal with rice, a dhal and a potato curry style dish. Most of the time it comes from a family who speaks very little english, but they are only too eager to share with you their family meal. Sometimes your swamped by a carriage of small children, who after a few minutes of shyness, are climbing all over you, laughing and smiling.

When you travel in the unreserved third class, you may have to stand for quite some time before getting a seat. That could be in the aisle, next to the toilet, or hanging out of the open door. Those without tickets sit on the roof, not recommended! Even though you may not have a seat, theres still plenty of smiles and conversation on offer. A friend and I decided to catch a peak hour passenger train in Mumbai(Bombay), with our backpacks! That turned out to be one of the hardest workouts of my life. I'm not the smallest guy in India by any stretch of the imagination, but there were times when I was convinced my feet weren't touching the ground. Quite a few people were surprised that we were attempting that in peak hour, a few even asked, " What the hell are you doing here?" Even under the immense crush, there was still more conversation, plenty of smiles, and even a few lifes, as well as a few pickpockets!

If you can manage to excuse yourself from a conversation, you find yourself staring at the mesmerizing scenery. The south is a vivid green, splattered with hundreds of coconut palms, rice paddies and glistening rivers. The north is a vast desert, with wild rock formations, towns popping up like an oasis and camels shading themselves under sparse vegetation. Sometimes you pass through tiny villages, close enough to the living room of a family house that you can see what's on television. On the toy train from Darjeeling, we passed by a guy bathing himself on his front step, close enough that you could have taken his soap from him! No place to be shy in India!

Travel around India can sometimes be a painfully slow experience, but the train system is a huge network that provides so much fun and beauty. It is such a huge part of the Indian experience.

The "Humble" Samosa

Walking through the local market in Bundi, I came across a large crowd surrounding a little stall. Behind the "hungry" eyes were three men. Two of them were making fresh samosas, whilst the other guy was fishing out about 50 piping hot samosas from a huge wok of oil. He would then place a samosa on a piece of newspaper, squash it, then pour over 2 sauces, one a spicy, sweet, tangy one, the other a dahl.

One of these super fresh, swimming samosas cost only rps3 (AUS 0.08c). It was no wonder there was a huge crowd hanging around! It made me reflect on the take away food business, and how important it is in a place like India. It provides everyone with nutrition, great flavour, and all at an affordable price. I'm sure there are many people who look forward to this little stand opening every afternoon, and I was surely glad I had stumbled across it too!

The variety of snacks deep fried on the side of the road in India is immense. The flavour, freshness and price are the three things which stand out the most. All you need is some form of table, a wok and some oil, and your open for business. You can spend all day wandering and not set foot inside a restaurant, and still be well fed and entertained. This amusing side show starts early and finishes late, and will cost you only a handfull of rupees, plus your life story told on repeat.

The "Indian" Smile

Although I am finding it quite hard to translate into appropriate words many of my Indian experiences, there is a small story which I will try and tell justly. It is so typical of day-to-day life here, but the impact it has on you is immeasurable.

I was walking with a friend late one evening down by the Ganges on Dasaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi. It was a very cold night. There was an older man , most likely with no family, and definitely no home. He was lying directly on the icy cold concrete, under a wooden bench. He had a dirty, paper thin blanket, a tiny candle which he was curling his fragile body around, settling in for the long night ahead.

As we walked past, he stuck his head up, and with one of those beautiful Indian smiles, greeted us in a language that wasn't his native tongue, a "good evening".

So if you think your having a bad day, or someone or something is annoying you, just think about the millions of people without family, friends or someplace to call home, who can still manage a loving smile for a complete stranger.

Gopal Guesthouse, Jodhpur

There are 3 generations of family living and working in this heart warming, super friendly guesthouse. I was nursing a tender tummy(post 30 hours of the squirts) upon my arrival, and was given a family remedy to help my "iron gut" return to it's natural state.

Unfortunately I could only stay for a few days as I had a pre-arranged plan to meet friends in another town. Gopal is the type of place where 2 weeks would fly by before you realized, such is the friendliness of the family. When they found out I was a chef, I was in the kitchen immediately. They were desperate to improve their "western food" repertiore. My bare-footed lessons included spaghetti and tomato sugo, french toast, poached eggs, greek salad and roast chicken and roast vegies( the later been done in a gas tandoori oven!). In the meantime, I was in turn shown a few local treats.

The rooftop sitting area overlooks the magnificent Meherangarh Fort and is a wonderful place to sit, drink chai and discuss life with Mr. Shatki. Without sounding too cliche, it eally is that home away from home. When it was time to (begrudginly) leave, the family refused to accept any money for the food and drink my "back to normal stomach" had consumed. They also gave me a small gift for the few dishes I had showed them. The genuine hospitality shown at Gopal Guesthouse exemplifies Indian culture and it is the only place you should stay if you ever find yourself in the magical town of Jodhpur.

Taking off with LAM

When we stop to work it may be for extended periods of time, example one year. This gives us time to take in the town, city or island community we are contributing to. Some experiences are outstanding, some not so good, a golden rule we travel by is the people make the place and the good food is just a bonus!

If you have been thinking of taking off around the world but don't think you can leave your job behind, family, pet or comforts. Think again you can and you should! It's easy to travel, well no, it's challenging, tiring and sometimes alittle hairy (you know what I mean), but the rewards are life lasting. The people you meet along the way open some many paths, opportunities lay around every corner, life becomes a choose your own adventure.

Everybody travels now adays, oldies are out there with backpacks, families with kids, single women with toddlers, the list goes on and on......

Ok so maybe you don't think you've got the money, it's so expencive with airfairs, travel insurance, vaccinations and general living expences. It's true these things are expensive, you folk out thousands of dollars sometimes before you have even left your home country, so save a little harder before you go. Don't have that third, fourth or even fifth drink, take public transport instead of a cab, cut back on your smoking, eat dinner at home, stop getting take away coffee, cutting back on little things goes further than you think.

So you've done it you've saved your money, you've got your ticket (and the rest) your on your way. How long do you think you want to be away? From our experience it's a bad question to ask yourself, just be away and see where the journey takes you. The options for extending your finances are limit less wether you have a working visa or not, from voluntry work, to cash in hand there are always options, you just have to want them.

And the food, OH THE FOOD, wine and good times .......................

Sathi Lassi, The Best in the World???

Sathi's lassis' can be found in his aplty named shop, Sathi Lassi, on Chorbhuja Rd in Bundi. Bundi is a 4 hour bus ride south from Pushkar, in Rajasthan. His lassi is flavoured saffron, sugar, honey, cardamon, cashew nut, pistachio and raisins.The flavour is highly addictive and the texture is fantastic. It is so full of goodies, that instead of the usual straw, it must be eaten with a spoon.

Sathi makes only 50, fresh every morning, and sells for a bargain Rps20. They are approx 350mls, and one is generally not enough, they are that good!

"Dr" Sathi is a bit of a one-stop-shop, and he is always sporting a big grin and is up for a chat. He also sells a sticky sweet fruit and nut "confection", that will give you an altered view of Bundi town! Beware!

The South Indian Thali

There is always a central theme of rice, a couple varieties of dhal, rasam(a tamarind vegetable broth), pickle, puri(fried flat bread) or chappati and curd.It can be either basic or extremely glamourous. Prices can vary from Rps20(Aus0.60) to Rps 200(Aus$6.00).The accompaniments are spooned over the rice, which you then mix with your fingers to form small balls, then scoop in to your mouth. More rice and accompaniments will be provided until, with a wave of your hand, you indicate you have had enough.

Some of the delicous thalis from the coastal states of Goa and Kerala include a stunning wet fish curry and a separate piece of marinated, crispy fried fish. Washed down with a cold Kingfisher and the palm lined beaches a mere flip-flop away, life doesn't get much better.

The adjoining photo is from the Mango Tree restaurant in Hampi, a gorgeous garden setting overlooking the river, and will set you back Rps50(Aus$1.40)

Land of Extremes

An old friend once said to me, "When you go to India, the most important thing you can pack, is your sense of humour!" After some time on the road, you begin to understand how very important this is. India is a place of contrasts. You must also come here with an open mind and an open heart. Don't try to understand it and don't try and change it, and whatever you do, never judge it.

India's contrasts are as varied as it's population of 1.3 billion! You can be walking knee deep in monsoon rain in the south, while there are millions of people in the north wondering if they will ever see another drop of rain in their lifetime. You can stand at the railway stationand watch an orderly, quiet, well dressed few hop into an air conditioned 1st class compartment, while at the other end of the train, a manic crowd symbollic of an all out riot, fight their way to a seat in the 3rd class carriage. But rest assured, the poor farming family, rich in generosity and smiles, will be the first to offer you some of their delicious home prepared meal, a refusal will not be accepted. You will be walking down the street wafting in open air sewerage, and just before you start dry wretching, the air will be thick with the sweet smell of sandalwood or some freshly cooked samosas.

India is a land of extremes, it is, hot, wet, green, dry, colourful, noisy, smelly, clean, manic, calm, disorganized, methodical, spiritual, friendly, confronting, hilarious, harsh, povert stricken, happy, graceful, historical, powerful, optimistic, India is absolutely everything!

And everwhere there are cows.

Ran Thammachat (natural restaurant)

Many restaurants in Phuket entised return visits. Of these 'Ran Thammachat' on Soi Phuton and the 'Hokien Noodle Shop' on the circle fountain roundabout were stand outs.

The relaxed atmosphere of dining in a tree house, with quirky alcoves and tv set fish tanks, makes Ran Thammachat worth a mention; not taking from the food in any way. Served up is traditional Thai fare from all regions; the Tom Yam served in a coconut shell with fresh young flesh was out standing.

A good range of dishes for meat lovers to try:

Duck Larp: Duck mince fried with chilli, lime and roasted rice (served with greens on the side).

Marinated bbq pork neck: A rich, juicy, tender, sticky cut. Lingering smokey flavour left you hankering for more.

Crispy catfish salad: The drying of the fish is a slow drawn out process. Taking days to produce a fluffy, flossy, airy flesh, mellow in flavour for such a strong tasting fish. We were all suprised by this dish, not really knowing what to expect. The texture was crisp, crunchy and slightly chewy. A typical garnish for this dish is mango salad (see LAM bits).

Hor Mok: Steamed fish mousse wrapped in banana leaf (cup like). A light mixture of fish, egg, red curry paste, lime leaf and coconut milk is steamed to a spongy consistancy.

'Hokien Noodle Shop', as the name states, serves up fresh hokien noodles wet or dry. Dry seemed to tickle our fancy and we returned for a daily dose of the hearty goodness.

A noodle dish consisted of; fresh home made noodles, bbq pork, crispy crackling (always the best part and always found at the bottom of the bowl), shrimp, chives and bean sprouts. A good drizzel of soy based malasis gave the noodles the edge. Garnish was always a spoon of black pepper and crushed peanuts. Served on the side was a bowl of lightly prawn flavoured broth, peppery and aromatic.

The shop is the front room of their house complete with family photos and antiques.

Night market, Hua Hin

Hua Hin is a small town situated on the north east gulf of Thailand. Being a coastal town, seafood features strongly on all menus. The night market has all the usual bling, but the seafood on offer is the highlight.

The night market is held is held on Dechanuchit Rd, and the stall on the corner of Srasong Rd, out the front of the Siam commercial Bank, is my favourite.

I first visited this place 2 years ago, and it was great to see that nothing has changed. It is still run by the same family. The whole street is filled with stalls selling super fresh seafood, and they are all vying for your dollar. I was first attracted to this particular stall as they were the only ones without a tout out the front. It was like they had a quiet confidence in what they were doing, and left it up to you to make up your own mind. I have never regretted it.

On my recent visit, the hot n' sour prawn salad brought tears to my eyes, and big smiles to all the staff, especially the chef. The salad, Aus$3, is made up of lightly poached prawns, lemongrass, mint, shallots, scud chillies, lime juice and fish sauce. The prawns are poached in stock for a matter of seconds, before being tossed with the remainder of ingredients. Super fresh simplicity. Another night I devoured a green curry of prawns, Aus$4, filled with thai eggplant, shallots, scuds and kaffir lime leaves, which also left me reaching for my beer. Although it was sensationally hot, I had to finish all of it as the flavour was addictive.

Hopefully I can return again in the not too distant future.

Siam Winery, Floating Vineyards in Thailand

I was fortunate enough to be shown around the winery and the nearby floating vineyards. The winery is itself a state of the art complex with an ultra modern tasting room.

The "floating" vineyards are quite unique. The vines are planted on raised soil beds that are surrounded by channels of water. The water level varies according to the season. One interesting concept is the way the vines are trained into a pergola to form a canopy of leaves, thus protecting the grapes being scorched by the sun. Another noticeable difference is that there are 2 vintages per year.

Of the wines I sampled, the two stand-outs for me were the Monsoon Valley Malaga Blanc and the Monsoon Valley Pokdum.

The Malaga Blanc, a grape originally from the south of France, is a light bodied wine with a crisp and fresh finish. It would go well with a variety of seafood dishes, especially salads, and also a green curry. The Pokdum, a grape originating in Thailand, had some lovely spicey characters and is medium bodied. It would also go well with a variety of spicy dishes , especially a Thai beef salad or a Red duck curry.

All the wines produced by Siam Winery are made with the Thai cuisine in mind. You can organize a visit to the winery and have a matching food and wine luncheon. It was a wonderful experience visiting the winery and I would especially like to thank Ms. Waraphorn and Ms Kae for their immense hospitality.

Night market in Hua Hin

The night market is held is held on Dechanuchit Rd, and the stall on the corner of Srasong Rd, out the front of the SiamCommercial Bank, is my favourite.

I first visited this place 2 years ago, and it was great to see that nothing has changed. It is still run by the same family. The whole street is filled with stalls selling super fresh seafood, and they are all vying for your dollar. I was first attracted to this particular stall as they were the only ones without a tout out the front. It was like they had a quiet confidence in what they were doing, and left it up to you to make up your own mind. I have never regretted it.

On my recent visit, the hot n' sour prawn salad brought tears to my eyes, and big smiles to all the staff, especially the chef. The salad, Aus$3, is made up of lightly poached prawns, lemongrass, mint, shallots, scud chillies, lime juice and fish sauce. The prawns are poached in stock for a matter of seconds, before being tossed with the remainder of ingredients. Super fresh simplicity.

Another night I devoured a green curry of prawns, Aus$4, filled with thai eggplant, shallots, scuds and kaffir lime leaves, which also left me reaching for my beer. Although it was sensationally hot, I had to finish all of it as the flavour was addictive.

Hopefully I can return again in the not too distant future.

What you get for your Baht!

Our view of what you pay for in a Thai guesthouse!

Staying as cheaply as possible is sometimes cramped, dirty and loud. You can wake up in the morning with a few more itches you just can't scatch, your bag half emptied and a stench from the leaking water source down the hall.

But when you find a ripper you are stoked and often find yourself staying longer than you first intended. (Well we seem to anyway)

Opium Trade

“After France annexed Laos in 1893, opium monopolies were established to finance the heavy initial expense of colonial rule. The French imported over 60 tons of opium per year from the middle east.”

Opium poppy cultivation expanded in South East Asia during the 1950’s mostly due to the suppression of Chinese people and a decline in imports from the Middle East due to them becoming increasingly expensive.

Today Thailand is opium free and Laos no longer supplies to the illicit drug market. The Laos government has been trying to eliminate poppy crops for the past 8 years but unfortunately the crops have been wiped out faster than the farmers can find alternative sources of income. Therefore the cultivation continues but on a much smaller scale than in the previous century.
Harvest continues in remote mountainous and poor areas in the northern provinces of Laos.

Addiction usually affects middle age to elderly men, often making them incapable of contributing to the family income and well being. Lao women unfortunately bore the task of working the field, waking early and walking for many hours up steep mountainous terrain to tend the crops. Labor is very physical and trying for these often frail women who then have to return home to opium dependent spouses.

Guesthouse Improvements

Due to up coming events; 2009 SEA games and 2010 celebrates the 450th anniversary of the establishment of Vientiane. Changes in guesthouse standards are on the rise, unfortunately so too are the number of tourists and the amount of noise.

Gone will be the days of sharing one squatter loo with 20 people!

From the 10th June guesthouses must have at least 15 rooms with adequate facilities. Guesthouses are being evaluated for upgrade or shutdown. Those that do not make the grade will most likely be guttered and turned into restaurants or mini markets.

The capital currently houses 5000 hotel and guesthouse rooms, by 2009 it will house

10 000.

Improvements will lift many prices outside the range of budget travellers, forcing them further from the city centre (not that it's a big city) to the outskirts, for a different Laos experience in Vientiane.