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Top Seven Massage Cities in the World.
 Traditional Massage in Laos, Vietnam
 After years of war and isolation, Southeast Asia’s most pristine environment,
intact cultures and quite possibly the most chilled-out people on earth mean
destination Laos is fast earning cult status among travellers. It is developing
quickly but still has much of the tradition that has sadly disappeared elsewhere
in the region. Village life is refreshingly simple and even in Vientiane it’s
hard to believe this sort of languid riverfront life exists in a national
capital. Then, of course, there is the historic royal city of Luang Prabang,
where watching as hundreds of saffron-robed monks move silently among
centuries-old monasteries is as romantic a scene as you’ll experience anywhere
in Asia.
Away from the cities, there is so much more to see; the Plain of Jars in Xieng
Khuang Province, the forested mountains of Northern Laos, the gothic limestone
karsts around the backpacker-haven Vang Vieng and in the deep south, past the
market town Pakse, is Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands), where the mighty
Mekong spreads out and all the hammocks are taken.
The Lao wilderness is drawing travellers looking for nature, adventure or both.
Kayaking, rafting, rock-climbing and biking are all available, but it’s the
community-based trekking that is most popular because it combines spectacular
natural attractions with the chance to experience the ‘real Laos’ with a village
homestay – while spending your money where it’s needed most.
There is undoubtedly a growing tourist trail in Laos, but that just means
there’s plenty of roads off Rte 13 where you can make your own trail. After all,
half the fun of travelling here is in the travel itself – the people you meet,
chickens you share seats with, wrong turns you take and lào-láo you drink with
the smiling family at the end of the road less travelled.
An experience of a visitor to Laos, Vietnam, "My first Lao massage since
arriving in Laos three weeks ago. I do not know why we have not been getting
those every day, they run about $8.00 an hour. Although a lot of the techniques
they use in the Lao massage are similar to techniques used in Thai massage,
there are some big differences as well. First difference I noticed is that you
do not strip down for a Lao massage, you get into a ‘massage outfit’. It
resembles something the Genie from Aladdin would wear, big baggy pants and a
matching shirt. The fabric is kind of rough, which kind of feels good on your
skin when they massage you. In a Thai massage, you typically undress and lie
under a sheet. I imagine the reason is that the people of Laos are much more
sensitive to showing any skin. In Thailand, people dress pretty modern, jeans,
tank tops, dresses, etc. Here in Laos, people still where traditional skirts and
blouses. Most of the people exposing any leg are tourists (and most of them are
out of shape!).
The second main difference is that the Thai massage was super rough, where as
the Lao version was just pleasantly rough. In Thailand I had several women
standing on me, pulling on my legs, pulling me backwards over their knees,
twisting my body around. Of course, I thought it felt great – but then again a
great massage to me is being smacked around with a 2x4. The Lao version was a
little lighter on the wrestling, and more about getting deep in there with their
fingers. I swear, those girls are 5’4, but they have a grip of iron."
Another narration of a visitor to Laos " I just came back from a trip to
Vientiane in Laos – and there are many massage shops, particularly in the town
center. The prices are very low, you can get a one hour massage starting around
25000 Kib (around $3), and maybe even cheaper if you look around more – for
which I didn’t have the time.
But I’m not really someone who likes cheap massages – I am someone who likes
GOOD cheap massages. And that’s a different. There are plenty of places all over
the world where you can get cheap massages, but it’s those kind of “you get what
you pay for” places, and in the end, you’re mostly happy when you’re through
with it.
 And rest assured, there are places like that in Vientiane too, and I’m gonna get
to that a bit later. But for now, I want to talk about the GREAT massages I got
there.
Vista Wifi Cafe is directly in the heart of the tourist centre, and there you
can get a 1h oil massage for 35000 kib – and it’s great. My masseuse was “Mimi”
(or Meme?). Small girl, very strong hands. Her movements are rather fast and
hefty, not the slow gentle kind of oil massage – and usually I don’t like that.
BUT in case of Mimi, I absolutely did like it – it was intense at just the right
points, and afterwards I always felt great.
You can also use the internet in that cafe for free when you get a massage.
Then, there is another place just down the road (in direction of the river), on
the same side of the street. I think it’s “Dao” massage? The prices here are
rather upscale, and so is the clientel. Upscale by Laotian standards I should
say though – a foot massage for 45000 kib. It’s located in a nice wooden teak
house – at least the part upstairs. The foot massage was good, but not awesome.
The woman didn’t speak a word of English, was around 50 and rather reserved. On
a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate her foot massage skills at 6. Given the prices, I’m
not going to go for a foot massage again.
Another place is called “Happy Land”, and they do traditional massage. It’s a
rather weird place I must say. When you walk in, it’s a cafe/bar. The reception
ladies wear heavy makeup. I was kind of wondering whether this is a special
massage place. I requested a massage, and a unhappy looking woman came out and
brought me to a place to wash my feet and then into the massage room. She seemed
to have a cold and was constantly coughing. The massage was… well, I got up
early, paid the 40000 kib and walked away.
Then there is another massage shop in Rue Setthathilath, at the western end of
it. Outside, you can see a mutlicolor neon-lit sign that says massage, and when
you walk inside, it’s a rather dingy and choatic looking place. The reception
woman was friendly though, and guided me inside the room were old massage mats
where laid out, separated by think makeshift walls from each other. She started
to massage me. The aircondition was too cold, but they couldn’t – or wouldn’t –
adjust it. In the middle of the massage, she walked out and said that she had a
headache to one of hear colleagues, who then continued to massage me rather
mechanically and with an obvious lack of interest in her work – she seemed to
just watch the time. I don’t remember exactly how much for the massage, I think
40000 kib.
On Rue Samsenthai, in the vicinity of Rue Chao Anou and Boulevard Khounboulom,
not far from a small gas station, there was another massage place, but the sign
read “MASSAGE & KARAOKE”, and I skipped that. I guess this is a sexy massage
shop in Vientiane.
And then there was another place somewhere around Rue Samsenthai where I got a
foot massage for 45000 kib. The shop was nice and clean, the staff very
friendly, and the massage was good."
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Dated 08 May 2013
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