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About
Borikhamsay
Borikhamsay ( or Bolikhamsai )
province is located in the central Laos in the narrow "neck" with
moderately high mountains sloping south west INTO the Mekong River
valley. Vientiane and Xieng Khouang province lie to the north,
Khammouane province to the south. Paksan the capital town is a
commercial centre, can be reached from Vietntiane by bus in about
three hours. . In Borikhamsay province, between Vientiane and the
provincial capital Paksan, a 'footprint of Buddha' shrine at
Wat Phra Baat is an important pilgrimage site.
The most famous attraction of
the region is its striking landscape. At Ban Nahin, Poupha Mane, a
stone forest featuring thousands of rock pinnacles, can be found.
Due to its proximity to Lak Xao, the latter is within easy reach for
tourists crossing to Vietnam. South of Lak Xao, the still pristine
forests of Nam Thuen National Biodiversity Conservationa with
varieties of wild life. The largest conservation area in the country
at 3700 sq km is home to
over a dozen threatened species including Asiatic black bear,
clouded leopard, elephant, giant muntjac, guar, Malayan sun bear,
and tiger.
The saola (spindlehorn) or Vu
Quang Ox - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis was discovered
in neighbouring Vietnam in 1992 and sighted since then in Laos in
the conservation area. Only two other land mammals have been
classified with their own genus this century. The first live saola
was captured in neighbouring Khammouane province in 1996.
See also
About
Khammouane
Khammouane is situated in the
central part of Lao PDR with an area of moderately high mountains
sloping down to the Mekong valley. Fertile land here is well suited
to plantations of rice, cabbage, sugar cane, bananas etc.
A total population of 260,000 is
made up of low land and up Landers Lao groups: Phuan, Tahoy, Kri,
Katang etc. Thakhek provincial capital, situated across the Mekong
from Nakorn Phanom in Thailand. It also has much well preserved
French colonial architecture similar to that found in Vientiane.
Buses run several times a day
from Vientiane and Savannakhet and yhe journey takes up to five
hours from Vientiane. Tha Kek is a designated international border
checkpoint, although visas are not available on entry. You will need
a visa in advance. The ferry
across the Mekong from Nakorn Phanom, in Thailand runs all day
between 0800 and 1700 on weekdays, with some restrictions at
weekends.Nakorn Phanom has an airport that is served regularly by
regular flights from Bangkok by Thai Airways International.
Khammouane province contains two
vast wilderness areas known as the Khammuane Limestone National
Biodiversity Conservation Area and the Nakai - Nam Theun National
Biodiversity Conservation Area.
Besides, Khammouane province
also rich with many caves, such as Tham Xieng Lieup, Tham Nang An,
Tham Phanang and Tham Phaya In. The Khammouane Limestone is a maze
of limestone karst peaks forming a stone forest of caves, rivers and
pristine jungle. For most of
the wet season, the area
is not accessible by road - most 'roads' being tracks with log
bridges across deeps streams. These tracks are often routes across
rice paddies near the river banks - during the rainy season, the
only way to get around is by boat.
The National Tourism Authority
of Lao PDR is currently investigating ecotourism projects in this
beautiful region.
About 8 kilometers to the south
of the town is the That Sikhotabong or Sikhotabong stupa,
constructed around 9th to 10th century by King Nanthasen and
restored in the 1950s.
See also
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