In the eyes of foreign tourists, Laos appears as a peaceful Buddhist country with hundreds of ancient temples, a slow, leisurely pace of life and gentle people. However, photographer Ngo Tran Hai An has completely changed his perspective on this country since his wandering trip to Southern Laos in early October.
There is a wild and rugged Laos.
This is the third time coming to the Land of a Million Elephants but the first time the Vietnamese photographer has set foot in the Southern Laos region. Just hearing the name and schedule, Hai An was very excited, thinking that he "did not measure his strength" and took the risk to set off. During the 10-day journey to Southern Laos, he and his group of close friends went through many provinces and cities that are still unfamiliar to foreign tourists such as Pakse, Champasak, Thakhek, Khammouane...
From Ho Chi Minh City, the group flew directly to Vientiane, then on the second day moved to Pakse to enjoy Li Phi waterfall on the zipline and suspension bridge. Located near Don Khon in the area of 4,000 islands, the waterfall is associated with the legend of trapping the evil spirits of both dead humans and animals. At the beginning of the dry season, the waterfall still flows day and night, the scene looks like the waves want to "swallow" people at any time.
The following days in Champasak, Hai An's group had the opportunity to enjoy coffee in an unexpected way. That was hanging on a zipline, sitting in a chair in the air, watching the double waterfall of Tad Fane while sipping a drink at a height of more than 200m. The unprecedented feeling of fear and just a little wind that made the heart jump out are what the Vietnamese photographer still remembers.
At the end of the journey, Southern Laos also surprised with a series of adventurous activities in Phu Hin Bun Nature Reserve, Khammouane province, such as walking on sharp rocky plateaus, kayaking on rugged rivers, ziplining down caves more than 90m deep...
Hai An revealed: “This trip showed me that Laos is no longer a peaceful, gentle, ancient country, but a wild, rugged, and extremely exciting Laos. I never thought that Laos would have such thrilling experiences. Now, instead of thinking about going to faraway Europe or America, I just need to go to the neighboring country.”
Feeling like being on the line between life and death
Located in Dong Hua Sao National Park, Champasak Province, Tad Fane Waterfall is a cluster of two white-foam waterfalls standing out against the deep green forest. From afar, you can hear the roaring sound of falling water, a sign that visitors are about to admire a wonderful natural wonder of Laos. The powerful water flows straight down from the towering cliff into the deep valley, creating an astonishing sight.
Still feeling scared, Hai An admitted that he was really reckless, daring to challenge himself with three levels of increasing adventure at Tad Fane waterfall. First was ziplining, then sitting perched on a chair drinking coffee with friends while watching the waterfall and lying in a hammock alone halfway up.
The feeling of screaming at the top of her lungs to release all her fear into the air and then excitedly blending into the flow of nature are the emotions when ziplining. But when she sat drinking coffee precariously on a chair hanging in the sky, Hai An only remembered that fear invaded everything, clearly feeling like she was on the edge of life and death.
Each table will have two guests, even though the safety ropes are securely fastened, 99% of the guests will definitely not have the soul to enjoy their drinks anymore. “I swear the feeling is extremely terrifying, every time a super light wind blows, the table shakes slightly, it feels like an earthquake has just passed, my body is stiff, my hands grip the table unconsciously, I try to take deep breaths to calm myself down but I don’t know why I still scream.”
However, lying alone in a hammock suspended at an altitude of more than 200m is called a “spirit-destroying” experience that not everyone has the courage to do. Lying in a hammock means swaying on a hammock, with no one around and no support like sitting at a table or chair drinking coffee, the feeling of fear of death multiplies many times. The heart beats like a drum as if it wants to break out of the chest. The adventurous activities at Tad Fane waterfall are truly a lifetime experience that the Vietnamese photographer confessed that he would not dare to try again.
In addition to the thrilling rides and the majestic, overwhelming natural scenery, another surprising thing is that after 10 days of traveling hundreds of kilometers, the roads in Southern Laos have improved a lot. Ending the trip full of emotions and realizing that Laos still has so much to explore, Hai An really hopes to return to this place soon.
