Tourists get back to nature in Laos

Laos abounds with rainforests and waterfalls, making it an idyllic destination for nature-loving tourists from around the world.According to the Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA), almost 3 million tourists are expected to visit Laos this year.

The country's south is one of many places rich in natural resources, with scenic areas in Champassak province very popular with visitors keen to get back to nature, experience a rural lifestyle and local culture, and observe wildlife.Particularly popular is the Vat Phou temple complex, a World Heritage Site, while Khonphapheng waterfall and other falls in the province are visited by growing numbers of people ever year.

The tourism sector is the second largest source of revenue in Laos after the mining industry, with about US$2.5 million generated from tourist entry fees last year.We should take care to promote sustainable tourism as much as possible, Vice President of the LNTA Mr Vang Lattanavong said.

The Asian Development Bank has released a loan of US$10 million for Laos to develop the sector, in addition to grant assistance amounting to US$10 million, according to the LNTA.Pakxong district in Champassak is not only famous for its coffee plantations but also the more than 20 waterfalls dotted around the area, the most scenic of which are Yeuang, Fane, Phasuam, and E-tu.

The climate here is pleasant all year round, with dry season low temperatures of 5-7 degrees Celsius and the wet season bringing minimums of 21 to 23C.Pakxong is one of many places in the province that is rich in natural resources and forestry products, which are important to rural communities as a source of food for daily consumption and also income.

Forest foods gathered by villagers include lizards, bamboo shoots, vegetables and mushrooms.Here in the forests of Pakxong we don't have to worry about spending money to buy food because we have our own food and resources on hand, said Mr Phout, 38, of E-tu village.

We love the woods because they provides us with meat, fruit, vegetables, medicinal plants, timber for house building, firewood for cooking and enough products for us to earn a bit of money from.He said that middle traders come to the area to buy mushrooms for 10,000 kip per kg before selling them at a mark-up in the province's markets.

In Laos the prevailing weather system generates three seasons: the cool, hot and rainy seasons. On average, the wet season starts in May and continues to September, during which time vegetables and animals such as frogs can be easily found.In the dry months of February to April, most ponds, streams and rivers run low. At this time it is harder to find food in the nation's forests.

Dry season forest foods include some mushroom species, bamboo shoots, toads, and frogs, but in smaller quantities than in the rainy season. Ant eggs are also a major food gathered at this time.July to September brings many foods such as bamboo shoots, mushrooms and fish.

There are five categories of forest in Laos as designated by the government: conservation forest, protected forest, production forest, degraded forest, and reforestation zones, of which only production forests can be exploited by the logging industry. Removing trees from the other four areas is prohibited.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the government plans to increase national forest cover to 65 percent of total land area by 2015 and to 70 percent by 2020.Laos has undergone widespread deforestation, which reduced forest cover to 64 percent in 1960, 47.2 percent in 1992, and 41 percent in 2001.

Most deforestation is the result of illegal logging and clearing for local agriculture, mostly by farmers engaged in slash and burn cultivation.Other areas are felled because of infrastructure development such as roads and hydropower projects, according to the ministry.

Source = laovoices