I wrote an article titled “A Kinder, Gentler Laos,” published in The Statesman on 1 December 2000.
In this travel account, I recount a three-week journey through Laos, traveling from Vientiane and Vang Vieng to Phongsali and Luang Prabang. I reflect on the country’s isolation, the continuing legacy of war and unexploded bombs, its poverty and bureaucracy, and the striking calm, safety, and social order I encountered.