#  >  > Non Asia Travel Forums >  >  > Travel the World Travellers Tales Forum >  >  Sri Lanka photo thread

## Bettyboo

Sponsored by Sony Xperia Z (3G...)

Many folks on this board show great skills with a camera. I don't. I used my camera phone, I sat in a chair, pointed and clicked. That's it. Additionally, my files were too big to download, maybe something to do with my 13mp camre phone and the settings I had it on; I tried to play around in Microsoft Paint to resize them. Sorry in advance for the crap pictures...  :Sad: 

I popped into Sri Lanka for 2 days; flying Oman Air from Muscat; four pleasant hours chatting with the young Czech stewardess. She gave me her number and email, and asked to meet in Muscat for dinner, but being a married man...

There she is in the distance (I always take the very rear isle seat as you can more easily get beer...):



This young lady kept giving me 'the eye', and her husband didn't seem too happy about it! On second glance, it may have been his mother...



I took a few shots out of the window as we started to fly over Sri Lanka then onto landing:

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## peterpan

keep them coming betty you old tart.

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## Bettyboo

I stayed in a guesthouse in Negombo that I booked online for 1000 baht per night. The main reason was that it's only 20 minutes from the airport, and I didn't want to waste time travelling. It's low season, and I could probably have paid less locally... The guesthouse (Blue Horizon) was a nice place with pleasant folks running it; clean and helpful. A 2 minute walk through the back alleys to the beach (it's safe).

As you will see, even though this is considered one of the worst beaches in Sri Lanka it's still miles better than Chaam or Hua Hin and probably on a par with Kata or Chaweang. I didn't visit any other places, but I was told that Sri Lankan beaches are some distance ahead of their Thai conunterparts - I don't find that hard to believe.

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## Bettyboo

On the first evening, I had some food in a nice looking beachside restaurant - it cost 500 baht, but was poor. On the second evening, I did the same at an Italian, it was also 500 baht, but I didn't even eat it...  :Sad: 

Early on, I found the best 5 star hotel on the beach and just sat in the shade on their beach, eating and drinking. It was very very nice indeed, and great value for food and drink. It's called Jetwing Blue. Her's the link:

Negombo Hotel | Official Site Jetwing Blue Negombo

Here are some initial pics I took from the beach terrace:





There seemed to be a bit of a standoff between the Devil Birds and the Tree Rats:





I sat on these chairs for some early beers:

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## Bettyboo

It was nearly 10, so I decided to order a beer, and a Sri Lankan whiskey (Arac?) and bottle of water:



To my left was the pool area, the restaurant was immediately behind me:



I sat and enjoyed the view and did nothing. I took a book to read, but I didn't bother...

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## kingwilly

Did anyone go in the water ? or was it too hot ?

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## Bettyboo

There were fishing boats out doing their business and a couple on the beach:



I thought it was time for another beer. It tasted similar to Chang, but a tad better, and the big 630ml bottles did their job well. By this stage, I was going a bit Thaistyle with the ice...



Just after 11 the sun started to get up, so I moved back a metre or so into the open fronted restaurant area, and had another beer. I also had a small lunch which was a Thai style mixed started (crab parcels, stay, etc), very nice too. But I didn't take a picture of the food because I was busy chatting up the beautiful young waitress (off season, so she must have been bored rigid...); she sent me a skype friend request yesterday, but being a married man...

Here's the beer:



Time for the bill, as I thought I'd walk along to another hotel and do much the same, just for a minor change of scenery.

How much do you think? 3 large bottles of beer, 2 waters, a large whiskey and some food, all in a nice 5 star beach fronted hotel? Do I hear 1,000 baht? 2,000 baht perhaps when service is included?



600 baht all in! It's about 4 SLR to the baht.

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## Bettyboo

> Did anyone go in the water ? or was it too hot ?


It was perfect holiday temperature; between 29 - 32 degrees with a nice breeze. It really was lovely weather, I was very lucky in that regard.

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## Mid

> the beautiful young waitress


and all we get are pic's of a bottle of beer ?

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## Bettyboo

I walked along the beach for about 1km then stopped at a nice looking beach front hotel; maybe a 3 star. I bought some Cylon tea on the way; don't know why I was attracted to this particular brand...



Similar view to before, all very nice and relaxing:







Then I had another beer - not bad that Lion...
(and a water to keep meself hydrated...)



More Devil Birds!



Then I thought I'd go for another beer; asked for a bucket of ice for my beer - and that's exactly what they gave me...

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## Bettyboo

I then went out and about to see what the place had to offer; no pictures though, sorry... I can tell you that there's not much going on and what is going on is not very nice.... Being a married man, I took great care to behave meself.

The pics of the next day, are much the same, but include lunch pics which was very very nice and great value...

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## peterpan

your  a good boy betty, stay home and chockey the chicky, a good lad indeed.

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## Bettyboo

Peter, since I've found the delights of LiveJasmin and some beautiful Romanian friends, I virtually never have to go out again: delivery pizza, a few chang and a video chat with Michaela (she tells me that I'm a nice man and she respects me, and that's good enough for me_...

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## Dillinger

^Is that why you're handing out your skype addy to any fucker who would talk to you ?  :Smile:

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## Bettyboo

^ at my age you have to try every trick in the book - work on the percentages; and don't forget I've just spent 10 months in Oman - not exactly a paradise for the ladies (although I did pop to Dubai...).

Day 2, the final lot of photos. 

I was flying back to Thailand later in the day so I just relaxed on the beach all day... Back to the best hotel in town because I liked their staff, location, food, drink and prices...

Here's the voew from my seat for the afternoon:



And now lunc. For starter, a chicken roll type dish. I also took a mixed fruit smooothy and a water (I will drink enough on the plance later...); I liked the bread roll selection, very fresh and tasty:



The main course was local Grouper on a bed of mash potatoes with local King Prawns. It was delicious. Absolutely so... Delightful.









The water was nicely presented and environmentally friendly in a glass bottle - 20 baht!



Dessert (notice the % of this stout...):



A rather pleasant lunch view, I hope you'll agree:



& the price???



800 baht all in! You can't say fairer than that.

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## Bettyboo

I took a couple of distant snaps of a bloke walking along the beach carrying a snake and a monkey - it was quite funny watching the little kids running over to him quickly followed by their panicking parents...  :Smile:  He was telling everyone that neither the monkey nor the snake would bite, and that they could be stroked, but I didn't see any parent let their kids within 20 feet of him...

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## Bettyboo

I got an early morning flight back to Bkk, arriving at 7:00, actually we came in 30 minutes early. Thai Airways was 9000 baht for the one way flight (no doubt a shite old plane too), so I paid 4,400 baht for a brand new Cathy Pacific 777. I sat at the back (6 rows of empty seats...) waiting for beer and company from a stewardess, and I got a young camp Chinese bloke, so decided to listen to some music and have a sleep... Oh well, I'm a married man anyways.

Great value Sri Lanka. I really enjoyed the trip and would willingly go back. Actually, rather than fly to Samui or Phuket (from Bkk), I'd say Sri Lanka is a rally fine option...

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## peterpan

Thats an option, haven't investigated the live jasmin yet, but can keep for a rainy day 
BTW the beaches look stunning.

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## patsycat

Did you go for a swim?

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## Davis Knowlton

It's been a long time since I lived there (77-79), but the beaches look just as good as they did.

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## Bettyboo

Nope, I didn't do anything really; after 10 months of boredom in the stoney desert, I just wanted to relax and have some nice food, a few light beers and be in a nice environment. The people were very nice everywhere I went.

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## good2bhappy

thanks for the memory

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## Dillinger

Nice pics Betty.

Any of the nightlife?

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## Bettyboo

I didn't do much nightlife, mate - sorry.

There's the beach road with restaurants and bars, then there are, apparently, a couple of massage places that tuktuk drivers will take you to, but I don't think they are 'Pattaya style' places. Sri Lanka isn't the place to meet local women for a 'sexy' time.

The mix of religions is quite interesting; I expected, and saw many, Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims, but Negombo seemed to be mostly Catholic, I suppose from Portugese times.

I was also chatting about housing costs, even though they have exploded in recent times due to the troubles, people reckoned that a nice 3 bed bungalow, maybe 120 sqM inside with 80 or so sqM of covered outside space (pretty much what I've just started to build) which would cost 1 million baht in Thailand could be built for 600,000 to 700,000 there. It's not a particularly exciting place, and I only touched the surface, but not a bad place to live. In about 3 weeks I'm toying with the idea of going back for a few days, but this time visiting Candy - I have to leave Oman for a couple of days while changing overmy visa, so why not pop back there?

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## Davis Knowlton

^Kandy is well worth a visit. The botanical gardens there are spectacular (you may remember them as the site of the British Intelligence School in "The Bridge Over The River Kwai".) Also from the same movie, the huge swarms of giant fruit bats are on the curving mountain road leading up to Kandy. Kandy also contains the Temple of The Tooth, housing one of Buddha's teeth.

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## Aberlour

Great pics, thanks. I thought that SL was a bit tasty with rebels and civil unrest these days? Is that all done with now?

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## Davis Knowlton

> Great pics, thanks. I thought that SL was a bit tasty with rebels and civil unrest these days? Is that all done with now?


Pretty nuch limited to the Jaffna area of the country.

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## natalie8

Nice thread, BB. Sri Lanka has always been a place that has piqued my interest, but I haven't heard much feedback from people who have been. Nice to hear about the weather at this time. We'll consider it for next summer.

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## kingwilly

> Being a married man, I took great care to behave meself.


Me thinks that the lady doth protest.....

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## farmerfloyd

Nobody there,  I liked to be entertained just watching,  Give me anywhere in Thailand better then that desolate place,  Thanks for the info

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## terry57

Nice mate,   I was there in 2002 just after the Tsunami.

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## Roobarb

Great pics, and they do sort of sum up a lot of what a holiday in Sri Lanka is all about**: decent food, cheap beer, slow pace of life and just chilling out and doing very little.

We've done a few long-weekend trips down there in the last year or so (generally staying south of Colombo).  Have to say that for me Sri Lanka beats most beach destinations in Thailand, but there's nothing much in the way of the nightlife, or for the avid people watchers the pond life, that you would find in places like Phuket.

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## Necron99

So apparently there are no actual people in Sri Lanka?

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## Bettyboo

> Sri Lanka is all about**: decent food, cheap beer, slow pace of life and just chilling out and doing very little. We've done a few long-weekend trips down there in the last year or so (generally staying south of Colombo). Have to say that for me Sri Lanka beats most beach destinations in Thailand, but there's nothing much in the way of the nightlife, or for the avid people watchers the pond life, that you would find in places like Phuket.


I wasn't there long, and I didn't see much, but this seems accurate from my limited experience. I think there's also another site of beauty, nature and culture to Sri Lanka that's well worth a look. Some of the most interesting sites in Thailand, such as Sukhothai, had much of their culture come through Sri Lanka (Theravada Buddhism for example...), so there's a lot of sites to see. It's pretty easy and cheap to get around and the people are helpful and very pleased to get a days work. I'd certainly like to go back and visit some of the more easily accessible sites over a long weekend to maybe 10 day triip.

Not the best destination to go whoring... although, like any city, I should imagine that Colombo has it's share.

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## mingmong

> she sent me a skype friend request yesterday, but being a married man...


 I exposed me self on the Webcam ! and beat it!




> I took a couple of distant snaps of a bloke walking along the beach carrying a snake


A bloke in a dress! no less

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## mingmong

I spent 3 days there after paying of on a Belgium Dredger in 2006. was impressed with the Hotel crew, but at the Airport I tipped the Bag boy $5 US and He then asked for $10!  whinging prick...

nice country side /  but if You jump on a sail boat the winds will take you to Thailand, that's why the Sri Lanka Budda comes to Thailand

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## mingmong

> and I got a young camp Chinese bloke,


  what ever sails ya boat Betty, you didn't have to share with that us mate....

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## Bettyboo

Why not, that was the best bit of the trip... ask our mates Socal and Paps...  :Smile:

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## Marmite the Dog

> Great pics, thanks. I thought that SL was a bit tasty with rebels and civil unrest these days? Is that all done with now?


It's all done with.

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## Happy Dave

I lived in CEYLON for 3 years back in the mid 1950's. Always considered it a beautiful country with friendly people. Have to do a visa run there some day.

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## Happy Dave

> Great pics, thanks. I thought that SL was a bit tasty with rebels and civil unrest these days? Is that all done with now?


Friends tell me that the civil war is all over now.

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## Happy Dave

> I spent 3 days there after paying of on a Belgium Dredger in 2006. was impressed with the Hotel crew, but at the Airport I tipped the Bag boy $5 US and He then asked for $10!  whinging prick...
> 
> nice country side /  but if You jump on a sail boat the winds will take you to Thailand, that's why the Sri Lanka Budda comes to Thailand


You kidding ?    most of them find their way to Australia these days .

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## Happy Dave

Forgot to mention, their curry is the best ever. But i cannot find a Sri Lankan curry here on Samui  and never found one in Bangkok.

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## mingmong

> You kidding ? most of them find their way to Australia these days .


 that's after they Jet in to Java and organize a leaky boat to Oz !

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## bushwacker

Great pics, surprised that there seems like no people.  5 star hotels with no people ... what gives?

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## beerlaodrinker

Nice thread betty, i havent been to sri lanka for over 20 years but remember it as being fairly grotty in colombo, negombo was nice as was hikkadua , By the way did your missus find out you were having a sneaky holiday in sri lanka ?

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## Bettyboo

There were people around; I suppose around 15% occupancy.

At the weekend, many more people came from Colombo; the rich in 4x4 and driving like a Fortuner driver would here; the less rich by bus. 

I did tell the missus; I phrased it such that she was very pleased with the whole idea. 

I had to get a visa online; 30 days double entry; can't remember exactly, but was around $20 and pretty easy.

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## peterpan

I got a down load, that depicted scenes duing he tamil tigers uprising,  it was called "sri lankas Killing feilds", jesus some harrowing video taken there, contrast that with the stunning beach shown here.

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## Phrakhanong

Great pics!

I was in Sri Lanka for a week a couple of years back.  The beaches South of Colombo were nice.  The beaches in Colombo (including just south, in Mt Lavinia) were pretty awful though and Colombo itself was grotty and had traffic.

I originally started the trip in a guest house, but soon discovered that I could get absolute bargains (both for accommodation and food) at the 5 star resorts, so ended up at one of the old colonial hotels (Galle Face), which offered a nice relaxing pace and made me feel like it was 1900.

"Tree rats"?  I saw the same stand off between the crows and what I assumed were squirrels or chipmunks.  Some of the chipmunks were so brazen that they even came up to my plate to steal food off of it.

My biggest issue though in Colombo was food poisoning.  I was travelling with a group and each member (myself included) eventually came down with food poisoning.  In my case, it was from a hotel buffet.

For Lion beer... there is actually a Lion pub in Mt Lavinia, which seems to be a popular spot for locals and expats to drink.  I personally still prefer the beach side areas at the 5 star hotels though... more scenic and less mosquitos.

If anyone does visit Colombo, I recommend checking out the national musem... it is housed in the old colonial governor's mansion, and it is a very well presented museum.

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## grasshopper

This continual reference to you "being a married man" - does your wife (?) have access to Teakdoor as well?

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## Davis Knowlton

> ended up at one of the old colonial hotels (Galle Face), which offered a nice relaxing pace and made me feel like it was 1900.


I worked right next to the Galle Face from 77-79; the waiters were older than the hotel! Probably still there.

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## CNF55

Went to Sri Lanka the first time in 79 but have not been back since 82.

Absolutely loved it then - hardly any car traffic (plus odd and even license plate restrictions on Sundays) and you could really race down Galle Street.

The beach near the Mount Lavinia was really not so bad then but the most beautiful ones where near Galle. Picture perfect, hardly any tourists and the most fantastic curries and chili crabs directly at the beach.

Also went to  Nuwara Eliya and visited the tea plantations and breweries. Stayed at the Grand Hotel - huge rooms, no hot water but a massive fire place in the room. Still froze my arse off - it can really get quite cool up there.

Stunningly beautiful and diverse country.

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## Bettyboo

> This continual reference to you "being a married man" - does your wife (?) have access to Teakdoor as well?


Nope; do you think I'd be posting the comments I do if she did???

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## Rupert Wanger

> Kandy is well worth a visit. The botanical gardens there are spectacular (you may remember them as the site of the British Intelligence School in "The Bridge Over The River Kwai".) Also from the same movie, the huge swarms of giant fruit bats are on the curving mountain road leading up to Kandy. Kandy also contains the Temple of The Tooth, housing one of Buddha's teeth.
> 
> 
>     [at]


I lived in Kandy for a year between 2011-2012 and made some good friends there - nice place boring after 1 year though

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## Davis Knowlton

I lived in Kandy for a year between 2011-2012 and made some good friends there - nice place boring after 1 year though[/quote]

That kind of sums up the way I remember Sri Lanka.

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## Bettyboo

If any of you folks wanna add any more pics of your own, please feel free to do so; I was only there for a couple of days, so didn't take many...

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## Davis Knowlton

> If any of you folks wanna add any more pics of your own, please feel free to do so; I was only there for a couple of days, so didn't take many...


I lived there before cameras were invented.

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## beerlaodrinker

^ i only had a kodak instamatic back then,

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## cdnski12

You gotta learn to use the EV(Exposure) Meter Setting on your Camera. Read your Camera Instruction Book, while sitting on the beach quaffing Beers. Turn the EV Filter up or down, to open or close the camera lens, depending on the light strength. As a Rule of Thumb *ALWAYS* Shoot Photos with the sun *BEHIND* you! The photos will be crisper. Cameras seldom have lenses capable adjusting as well as the human eye lens, except for extremely expensive cameras ...which I find are to bloody bulky to fit conveniently into your trouser pockets.m

 :German:

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## Rupert Wanger

> I lived in Kandy for a year between 2011-2012 and made some good friends there - nice place boring after 1 year though


That kind of sums up the way I remember Sri Lanka.[/QUOTE]

Yes Davis, a years enough there

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## Davis Knowlton

^ I spent two, then on to two in Bangladesh, followed by three in India. Seven years in SWAsia, plus a year of Hindi language intensive training, was more than enough. Haven't been back on the nightsoil circuit since leaving India in '86.

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## Rupert Wanger

^We'll traveled mate.I used to have a beer in the Royal Hotel in Kandy on a Saturday afternoon. Drinking arac with the locals was more fun though. I used to hate the staff in Food City though, obnoxious, arrogant fokers

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## Davis Knowlton

^Yep. Got around a bit. Followed India with 2 years in Saudi, 2 in Cambodia, 2 in Philippines, 3 in thailand, and now 15 more in Philippines. Plus 5 in France and one in Tunisia as a kid, and a war year in Vietnam. Pretty much rarely travel outside of SEA any more.

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## Rupert Wanger

Lived in UK, Ireland, Thailand, Vietnam, Qatar, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and now Laos.........time to settle down methinks and Laos looking a good option with all the investment and development at present

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## Rupert Wanger

your welcome in Laos any time mate

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## Davis Knowlton

^Who knows? You might see me one day. I've never been there other than straying into Laos once or twice during my Vietnam tour. I hear good things now.

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## Rupert Wanger

^Yes developing quickly........great people the Laos

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## Neo

Very disappointing thread second time around Betty.. or maybe my expectations have gone up somewhat these days.. a couple of photos of beer bottles and a potential scuffle between local tree rats and devil birds does not a travel thread make... looks like I'm gonna have to go and do one myself.. for the lads  :Smile:

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## Bettyboo

^ you should have booked for a few days in SL on your way from the ME to Bkk - it's very nice, well worth the visit, and everyone would love to see more photos; go for it!

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## Neo

It's on  :Wink: 

https://teakdoor.com/the-teakdoor-lou...t-is-then.html

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