LAOS

16 November 2025 Steps: 5,714 The second day of our Shompoo Cruise was an even earlier start than the first day – we had to be at the hotel reception at 6.30 am! At least there are lots of places to relax on the boat , and Jessica fell asleep again, and didn’t stir until we arrived at our first stop at 9.30am. Ban Paksith Village We stopped to stretch our legs at a local village called Ban Paksith , where we were shown around their village. I always feel a little awkward wh

15 November 2025 Steps: 3,098 Today was a very early start , as we were being collected from our hotel at 6.30 so we could catch the slow boat at 7am from town. The Shompoo Cruise Slow Boat Today we boarded the Shompoo Cruise slow boat , and the boat itself is very comfortable, with plenty of space to sit, lie down and relax . The cruise is definitely on the higher end of the price range , but we’d read some pretty rough reviews of the cheaper public slow boat and decided tha

14 November 2025 Steps: 2,431 Today was a relax and recharge day , and we decided that we would stay at the resort, rather than travel into town, so we spent time relaxing by the pool, going to the gym, homeschooling and packing our bags, as we leave early tomorrow morning. As I don’t have too much to write about today, I wanted to share my thoughts on our wonderful stay at the Namkhan hotel , as well as our time in Laos in general. The Namkhan Hotel Our time at the Namkhan

13 November 2025 Steps: 8,705 This morning we made an early start (or at least early for us) and drove about an hour to Kuang Si Waterfall hoping to beat the crowds. Spoiler alert: we didn’t quite manage it, but we still loved our visit. On the way back we stopped at the Laos Buffalo Dairy Farm for a tour and some buffalo ice cream , which was delicious, and the kids absolutely loved meeting the animals. Kuang Si Falls Kuang Si Falls was on our 'must visit' list from the mom

12 November 2025 Steps: 13.002 This morning we went for breakfast at the hotel restaurant . They serve a lovely continental breakfast of pastries, cereals, cheeses and cold meats, plus they have an egg station. They also have great coffee which I always appreciate first thing in the morning. Big Brother Mouse After we had spent a few hours at Big Brother Mouse chatting with students to help them with their English skills a few days ago, I wanted to go back and spend some tim

11 November 2025 Steps: 6,952 Breakfast at the Namkhan hotel This morning we went for breakfast at the hotel restaurant . They serve a lovely continental breakfast of pastries, an egg station, cereals, cheeses and cold meats. They also have great coffee which I always appreciate first thing in the morning. We spent some time walking through the organic farm , where the hotel grows most of the food they serve in their restaurant. It’s my dream to have something like this in Ca