indochina
pretty Sitting
A trinity of culture, culinary delights and adventure activities, Indochina is the perfect touring destination, says Neil Murray
I
t’s my first night in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and I’m sitting nursing a beer on a balcony in a friendly bar overlooking the Mekong River. Below me, locals are parading the river banks and stall holders are preparing for the night market as the sun sets on what will become a highly colourful scene. When the market does get going, I’m spoiled for choice, with a vast array of clothes, bags, shoes and jewellery to choose from. But with so many selling the same or similar items I wonder how they all make money. Not that the locals are slow to buy, and the clamour of bargaining gets louder as the evening progresses. Later, I dip into a local restaurant, where two of us eat sumptuously for less than a tenner. The following day I view the Presidential Palace and visit the first of a series of
glittering temples and stupas that will give me a fascinating insight into the culture, religion and people of Laos.
Local flavours Indochina combines the names of India and China and was once used to describe the countries that lie between these two great states, or what is now known as ‘Southeast Asia’. Today, the name usually refers to the old French Indochina, or Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Growing steadily in popularity over the last decade, the area’s star is without doubt Vietnam, which has the largest selection of luxury product, followed by Cambodia, thanks to its famous ancient temples, and lastly by land-locked Laos, whose tiny cities and beautiful landscapes
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