Caves of the Pathet Lao and More Photos around Vieng Xai

See the caves Pathet Lao leadership lived in during the Secret War and the beauty of the karst peaks around Vieng Xai.

 

Rolling hills near Vieng Xai

 

entrance to Nok Ann cave

 

A wooden bridge with Beerlao planters as decor. Purple potatoes in hand given by the caretakers of Nok Ann cave.

 

inside a cave that housed a hospital above Nok Ann cave

 

the top of Nok Ann cave

 

you could ride a boat through the cave if you wanted

 

Looking out of Nok Ann cave

 

our motorbike glamour shot outside of Sabaidee Odisha restaurant

 

cave squat toilet. very small hole

 

statue of Lenin in the war room

 

beds

 

buildings were built inside the caves to make them more livable--no water dripping interrupting important meetings

 

modernization in process. digging a hole for pipes

 

an old military jeep

 

a house built after the war outside of the cave

 

bomb crater just outside the cave

 

stairway to the cave entrance

 

the caves were formed in these karst peaks that dominated the landscape

 

light at the end of the cave

 

spider!

 

house built after the war by the red prince

 

emergency bathroom cave

 

the grave of the son of the Red Prince.

 

built in deep

 

even the inside walls are strong in this cave

 

a long cooridor

 

notice the hole in the middle of this picture? that's from a rocket

 

view of the house from the cave built after the war

 

a heart shaped pool built in the location of a bomb crater after the war

 

the garden around the pool

 

a blast wall in front of the cave entrance

 

this is the last cave we saw, but it was a big one… housing 10,000 people, mostly soldiers

 

 

 

a theater was built into elephant cave

 

a theater was built into elephant cave

 

taking a break from roofing

 

an anti-aircraft gun used to sit here

 

what a setting for a soccer match

 

 

 

 

everyone watches intently to see if the ball will pass the defender

 

who needs a seat to watch the game when you can just pull up your motorbike?

 

more karst peaks around Vieng Xai

 

on our way back to Sam Neau

 

rice padies

 

sunset on the road to Vieng Xai

More Secret War

Learn more about the caves of Vieng Xai and the Plain of Jars and Secret War.

Which cave did you find most interesting? Let us know in the comments! I still can't believe that swimming pool is made from a bomb crater.