Author: Andy Chan

This month’s highlight was a long-awaited reunion with old friends at Royal National Park, just an hour from Sydney, where the group immersed in a breathtaking landscape reminiscent of Jurassic Park. The adventure featured a scenic one-hour trek from the mountaintop down to Burning Palms Beach and the popular Figure Eight Pools for a day of fishing alongside many other tourists. While the hike down was easy, the return journey proved much more challenging due to steep hills and loose rocks, leaving everyone with sore muscles and leg cramps. However, the effort was rewarded with a successful catch, which I transformed into a delicious bowl of home-cooked Khao Poon, making the day a perfect blend of natural beauty, physical challenge, and heartfelt connection.

Pakse has changed in many positive ways, but during my recent visit I was struck by how quiet my home villages have become. Despite years of investment in education, health, and infrastructure, many young people continue to leave Champasak — and Laos — in search of higher‑paying jobs abroad. This growing trend is draining our communities of their most important resource: the people who should be shaping the nation’s future.

After more than 25 years away, returning to Pakse felt like stepping back into the beginning of my own life. With only a few days in town, I walked the city, breathed in the Mekong breeze, and watched old memories rise with every street. Pakse has grown into a neat, welcoming hub for the south, surrounded by cool Paksong, the 4000 Islands, and the stunning road to Vat Phou. It’s affordable, diverse, and full of quiet charm. Riding through Champasak reminded me why this place will always feel like home — and why anyone visiting Laos should make their way south to discover it for themselves.

Travelling through Vientiane Capital, Vang Vieng, Pakse, and Paksong gave me a beautiful yet eye‑opening experience. Riding a motorbike offered freedom, fresh air, and stunning landscapes, but the roads were often chaotic and dangerous. Monster‑sized trucks, many from neighbouring countries, crowd roads that were never built for them, while broken or ignored traffic lights make crossings risky. In the suburbs, reckless driving is common, and in Vientiane many businesses still offer no proper parking, causing congestion. The positive sign is that new shopping centres now provide organised parking, and with time, more businesses may follow — improving traffic flow and safety for everyone.