Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISITING THE PATHET LAO CAVES
Around a dozen caves are open to the public, and the only way to visit them is by guided
tour, which takes about two hours.
Guided tours
are run by the Caves Visitor Centre at
9am & 1pm (60,000K). Outside of these times, it's possible to arrange for a private tour,
which costs an additional 50,000K per group. The guides can be a little hit and miss, but
the audio tour (included in the entry fee) is excellent, with accounts from people who lived
in the caves really bringing them to life. In order to get the most out of the tour, it's recom-
mended you rent a bike (or charter a
tuk-tuk or minivan
) - this will allow you to see more
caves, as some of them are quite spread out, but it does depend on everyone in your group
renting one. Bikes are available to rent from the Caves Visitor Centre for 15,000K .
Inside the caves
Each of the caves, most named after the Pathet Lao leaders who lived there, had multiple
exits, an office and sleeping quarters, as well as an emergency chamber for use in case of
chemical-weapons attacks (these chambers were kitted out with a Soviet oxygen machine and
a metal door of the sort you'd find on an old submarine).
Tours often begin with the large cave of
Kaysone Phomvihane
, who became leader of the
Lao communist movement at its formation in 1955, and remained unchallenged in his post
as head of the Lao People's Democratic Republic from its inception in 1975 until his death
in 1992. Born in Savannakhet of a Lao mother and a Vietnamese father, Kaysone spent far
more time in Vieng Xai than the Pathet Lao's face man, Prince Souphanouvong. While the
Red Prince was off playing Vientiane's game of cat-and-mouse politics, Kaysone stayed in
Hua Phan, attending frequent meetings in Hanoi - a risky two-day journey from Vieng Xai
- with North Vietnamese leaders Ho Chi Minh and General Vo Nguyen Giap, the legendary
military strategist behind the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu.
One of the most fascinating caves is
Xanglot Cave
, a huge natural cave which housed a
large concert hall where rallies and meetings were held, alongside festivals and musical and
dance performances. It's fascinating to imagine the residents attempting to maintain some
semblance of normal life while living in these extraordinary conditions.
