Bolaven Plateau, Southern Laos
The Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos is a poor, but fertile agricultural area known for its coffee plantations and spectacular waterfalls. Various coffee growing co-operatives are now established growing the coffee beans for domestic Cafe Lao and export abroad.
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The main ethnic group living in the Bolaven Plateau are the Laven people - Bolaven literally means the "home of the Laven".
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The Bolaven Plateau was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War and unexploded ordinance (UXO) is still being found and diffused.
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The French first introduced coffee to the area when Laos fell under French colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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| Images © Daniel Allen |
An area of fantastic, natural beauty the Bolaven Plateau is slowly escaping its grinding poverty with the help of fair trade initiatives and a nascent tourist industry.
© Beijing-Visitor.com
