Shoestring Student

Wat Xieng Thong In 1995, Luang Prabang was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its mixture of French colonial villas, Buddhist temples and beautiful landscapes are enchanting to visitors. Ever since, tourism has been a fundamental aspect of the town's economy and culture. While the architectural heritage has been protected by UNESCO regulations, Luang Prabang as a living city has become defined by its past and has steadily rejected long term residents. Prices have risen dramatically, leaving only the wealthy able to afford to live in Luang Prabang. Francis Engelmann, former UNESCO consultant, stated 'we have saved Luang Prabang's buildings but we have lots its soul'. Anthropologist David Berliner refers to this as the ‘unescoization’; the development into ‘idealised traditions’ for the tourist gaze. Traditions like the monks’ alms procession, as I've previously written about, have been affected by tourists turning the ritual into a...

Luang Prabang Tourists taking shots of Buddhist Monks in Luang Prabang  Laotian culture is extremely connected to Buddhism. While the region is very ethnically diverse, Buddhism remains a point of national identity. As such, the tradition of collecting alms is an important and deeply spiritual process. Local residents wait outside their homes with food such as sticky rice, a staple of Laos cuisine, to place in the monks’ bowls. For a student traveller on a budget, if you are willing to wake up early in the morning, the ceremony is free to observe and gives great insight into Laos culture.  However, the origin of the ceremony is religious and thus not originally intended for the tourist or traveller. Despite this, in Luang Prabang tourists have turned the procession of monks into a spectacle to observe. Talking to the  New York Times, artist  Nithakhong Somsanith described it as 'safari' or 'theatre' stating that tourists 'look at the monks the same a...

Welcome to Shoestring Student! I'm Frankie, a 21 year old university student from Melbourne studying sociology and gender studies. At the moment I'm planning on travelling to Laos so my posts will be featuring a lot of research surrounding travelling to Laos. Laos is nestled between China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It's a mountainous landlocked region with 49 different ethnic groups and 4 main languages. With gorgeous scenery, temples and the traditions that are rooted in the strong Buddhist culture of Laos, it's an interesting and diverse place to visit. When you're a student is the perfect time to travel! You've got far more time, less obligations and a huge amount of energy ready to spend on discovering the world-  and discovering yourself. As  Pico Iyer says   " Travel, then, is a voyage into that famously subjective zone, the imagination, and what the traveler brings back is — and has to be — an ineffable compound of himsel...

  The first time I ever was aware of Laos as an individual country outside of simply being a name on a map next to Thailand and Cambodia was when I watched the The Rocket (2013). The film ends in the main character participating in a rocket festival. Ever since the rocket festivals of Laos have stayed in my mind as symbolic of the country. Showcasing the communities of the villages, the beauty of the area and the history and traditions of cultures in Laos. While the festival has become an attraction for tourists it still is largely a community affair which brings together different villages. Boun Bang Fai is the biggest rocket festival in Laos. It occurs over the sixth Lunar month usually around May or June. As with most cultural events in Laos, the roots of the festival lie in Buddhist traditions, specifically the story of the ' Toad King ’ . The festival focuses on trying to beckon rain and to celebrate fertility. It is often a baudy affair with men dressing in women’s cl...