Laos through my eyes – Alexander Robb-Millar

This article is part of a series of guest blogs contributed by Brits who have lived and worked in Laos, or who have other interesting links to Laos.

Initially I was quite hesitant in writing this account; however I have enjoyed reading other people’s accounts and encourage others to do so in the hope we can all learn from each other.

For as long as I can remember I have always been incredibly curious and possessed a natural adventurous streak, often the cause of great worry to my dear mother. However, my desire for travel undoubtedly developed while at school where unusual artefacts, paintings and 100 year old animal collections from around the world adorned the walls and filled the display cabinets of the historic rooms and corridors, the most impressive being the old Gallery.

Therefore it is not surprising, that during my research while planning my yearlong round-the-world trip after university I became intrigued by Laos, some distant untouched land, where by all accounts relatively few people had actually been to. Of course, this is not to make any comparison as to what it was like just 10 or even 20 years previously, which some other contributors here were lucky enough to have experienced and kindly shared their story with us.

However, with mountainous Laos boasting numerous large national parks with endemic and unique fauna, yet being the most heavily bombed country in the history of warfare, it exuded adventure.

I’ll never forget crossing the border for the first time in 2003, taking a particularly aged river taxi from Chang Khong in North East Thailand to Huay Xai in Laos, from where I had planned to take the 2 day slow boat to Luang Prabang. It was about half way across the Mekong that quite a distinct overwhelming feeling of serenity came over me, and any concerns about life instantly disappeared, for whatever reason I know not.

Locals have since said that in a past life I used to be Lao and that I had returned home; while it’s a concept to which I don’t particularly partake, it is nonetheless nice to hear. It is a feeling I have seen in a few others, but one will never quite understand unless it’s happened to them. In any case, I fell in love with Laos immediately and this was the start of my Lao journey, although I hadn’t quite realised it yet.

I had originally planned to stay in Laos for two weeks, but after 4 days and quickly becoming disillusioned with the backpacker trail, which was essentially replicable anywhere in the world, I set out on my own to discover, with use of a definite cliché, ‘the real Laos’, a decision I will never regret. I believe some people reading this will think ‘oh dear, here’s another one!’ 

Indeed, it is amusing to read the humorous cartoons on the internet that get passed around once in a while illustrating experiences that qualify someone as being a ‘true expat’, I hasten to add that I do not currently hold ex-pat status. Even so, at that time, for days on end I would never even see another westerner and my 2 weeks subsequently turned into three months; those three months unequivocally changed the direction of my life.

Living with local families (Lao people are the most hospitable and honest people I have ever met), working with the fishermen, planting rice, eating all the ‘delicacies’ on offer, my favourite actually being the very common ‘laap luat bet’ (a raw duck blood salad) which I try to get everyone to eat when they visit. While this was a very liberating experience, there was something I had which the locals didn’t; I had the option to ‘get out’.

Since then I have returned to Laos over 15 times, usually for a month or two each trip, have met the President, presented a segment for a show on Lao National TV, and even had the luxury of a drip line in a local hospital, but all the while searching for a way to stay there permanently.

In 2008, the time came for me to make a move and I designed and built a large colonial style high end silk and wood show room called Erawan Arts that overlooked the mighty Mekong River in Luang Prabang. The design had to be passed by ‘Moradok’ (the cultural heritage office) due to the whole town of Luang Prabang falling under UNESCO protection, and with a small tweak went through successfully.

As most will know, Laos is a very poor country, and from having formed deep local friendships and seeing poverty there first hand, I stipulated that 10% of all profits go to local communities in need. This venture unfortunately was to only last for just over a year, but I am not ashamed to say it, indeed it was a fantastic experience building my knowledge of Laos immensely and enabling me to become fluent in the language.

If I was to give any advice to those thinking of moving to Laos, it is to learn the language, especially when the need comes to discuss the finer points of contract law! That said, I’m not alluding to attaining fluency, even a basic grasp would reap benefits, but it astounds me when I meet people who have worked in Laos for several years and still barely speak a word of Lao.

After selling Erawan Arts on, I returned to old Blighty to try to find a way that would enable me to move back to Laos full time, but what was it I really wanted? To run my own business? Help end poverty? Was there a way to sustain a reasonable living there, start a family and help disadvantaged communities without landing myself in poverty while doing so?

After several more visits, and spending a significant amount of time self-studying philosophy, empathy, and happiness, and realising life really is too short, in mid-2012 I took on a role as the development director for an NGO called Community Learning International (CLI), which I had known about for several years; CLI has a strong presence in the Luang Prabang Library, which also houses the Children’s Cultural Centre, and it has operated in Laos since 1997.

I decided to work for CLI because my beliefs are strongly the same; that education, formal and non-formal, is the longer-term key to development, including poverty reduction.

CLI works to improve the limited formal system in Laos, by building village schools for example, and to supplement it via its Lao Children’s Library Boats and Learning Centers. Each of our two library boats contain over 1000 books and serve over 100 riverside villages; and we operate 6 Learning Centres (with their own libraries), in the district town of 6 rural Luang Prabang districts that support the surrounding villages.

In comparison, Vietnam has over 8000 Learning Centres, though not through CLI. Learning Centres are a proven and effective way to boost a child’s education giving them significant opportunity to escape the poverty cycle, Laos needs many more.

I have to say I am very passionate about Laos and working for such a good cause, and look forward to the day I can stay in Laos full time. I am currently based in the United Kingdom while sourcing donors so we may continue providing educational aid to the disadvantaged children of rural Laos.