Like
Vietnam and northern Thailand, parts of Laos are ideal for coffee cultivation. And, like in Vietnam, we can partially thank the French colonists for today's Laotian cafe culture. While in my opinion, Lao coffee isn't
quite as good as Vietnamese coffee (I never had a single coffee in Vietnam that was anything short of excellent), visiting a cafe every few days is a great way to enjoy the slow and relaxed lifestyle in Luang Prabang.
After all, everyone loves coffee. I love coffee, monks love coffee...
Another great thing about Laos is the pastries! I've mentioned before how Laos was colonized by France as part of the protectorate of Indochina.
That, of course, comes with its own baggage of history and issues that we won't
really get into here, but it can't be denied that the European cafe and
bakery culture has really left its mark on Luang Prabang!
Every street is packed with these open-air cafes, known by name to travelers through Indochina: Saffron, Indigo, Joma, and more. Each one conjures up memories of lazy afternoons spent along the Mekong River with an iced glass of Cafe Lao.
The trendier neighborhoods in Bangkok are starting to develop a coffee culture of their own. I like that! Nowadays, as I work mostly online, it's nice to get out of the house and do some work at a cafe. I hope that the US can follow! Last time I was home, it was hard to find a cafe that wasn't a branch of Starbucks (I admit that I am a sucker for Starbucks but $$$).
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