Southeast Asia - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 290

your bit for the natural environment by planting
saplings on the shore of the mangroves.
The real joy of staying at Ban Talae Nok,
though, is the time spent inbetween these
activities - playing with the children; picnicking
with the family on the beach at sunset; listening
to the villagers describe their experiences; and
understanding what life is like here and how
hope can spring from even the worst disasters.

square-metre concession remains pristine.
Yet, despite all that's available, you may still
struggle to fight the temptation to sit in the
restaurant with a cool drink and watch the
magnificent river drift by.

Need to know For directions, details of tours and
homestays, rates and reservations see W www.
rivertimelaos.com; T [phone].

Need to know Trips cost roughly $55 per person
a day including all food, accommodation, activities
and services of a local guide and translator. For
details see W www.andamandiscoveries.com; T
[phone].

382 stay at rivErtimE, laos

With its floating restaurant, fish ponds and
organic vegetable garden, the slow pace of life
at Rivertime Ecolodge feels far from the busy
streets of Vientiane, yet it is just 30km up the
Nam Ngum River - making the capital easy to
reach and quick to escape. Guests staying in the
wooden chalets, surrounded by forest and with
balconies overlooking the river, can catch a river
taxi into the city to see the monasteries and
temples, or visit schools in the nearby villages
that the lodge works with. Rivertime also runs
its own school next to the resort, training local
adults in agricultural and community skills,
where you're welcome to help out teaching
English. If you're keen to immerse yourself even
more, the lodge can also arrange for guests to
stay in the home of a local family and participate
in their daily life.
Anyone wishing to escape the crowds
altogether can head towards the pristine river-
gorges and butterfly-filled forests of nearby
Phou Khao Kwai, or simply cross the river by
long-tailed boat and explore the many trails
through the primary forest, accompanied by the
sounds of birds and monkeys chattering in the
tall, leafy trees. Rivertime pays an annual fee
to the nearby villagers - most of whose income
is dependent on logging - to ensure a 630,000-

Hmong traditional dress; The
huts at Rivertime Ecolodge