Many guests travelling to or from Gecko Villa combine a stay at our country pool villa with a visit to Vientiane or Luang Prabang in Laos, given the proximity of the Thai / Laos border. Here we list some travel options from Udon Thani  to Vientiane.
Train: Train 69 leaves Udon Thani at 07.14 and arrives in Nong Khai at 08.25. Delays are frequent. From Nong Khai train station, you can transfer to the bus station to head over to Laos. There is also a once daily train service from Nong Khai to Thanaleng, which is in Laos but about 13 kms from Vientiane.
Bus: There is an international coach service from Udon Thani to Vientiane, although we would only recommend this if you have your Lao visas issued prior to arrival in Thailand. If you have these, this alternative is fairly straightforward and inexpensive (approx THB100 per person.) Buses generally depart each way at 07.00, 09.30, 15.00 and 17.00 If you plan to get a Lao visa on arrival, you can take a coach from Udon to Nong Khai. A shuttle bus runs from the bus station across the Friendship Bridge to Laos every 20 minutes throughout the day ( fare about THB30).  It stops at Thai immigration 5 mins after leaving the bus station, where you need to get your exit stamp,  then crosses the Friendship Bridge to arrive at Lao customs & immigration some 10 mins later (a visa on arrival is available for Laos at this border point).  You now remove your luggage from the bus luggage hold and go through Lao customs.  Then take a tuk-tuk to your chosen hotel.
Car: Private Thai vehicles are not allowed into Laos  without a special license. This means you need to get to Nong Khai in one vehicle, go through the various passport and customs controls, take a third party bus across the bridge, go through Lao immigration, then take another bus or taxi into Vientiane. Guests of Gecko Villa  may book a fully licensed car in advance for the transfer between Gecko Villa and Vientiane (in only the one vehicle, and without border  issues.) This is the quickest and most independent option but is more costly, at approx THB3,500 each way.

Thai food commonly known outside of the kingdom is often a limited litany of accessible (but nevertheless tasty) dishes. Yet each region in Thailand has its indigenous favourites, and one of Isan's specialties is "Mam", or beef blood sausage. The central Thais refer to this as Sai Krok Luat, yet these sausages are nigh on impossible to find out of Northeast Thailand.

They are made with beef  liver and blood, mixed with a variety of herbs and spices such as lemongrass and garlic, stuffed in beef intestine. They are air dried and stay soft for approximately seven days before hardening, and may be eaten raw or fried. Not only does this process ensure a symphony of flavours - but the addition of salt or fish sauce and garlic allows the meat to be preserved. They are usually served with a spicy dipping sauce - the recipe for which you will find lurking on our Thai Isan blog.

If you travel to Thailand and are a foodie who enjoys salami or andouillette at home, keep an eye peeled for roadside stalls with a small tarpaulin roof covering strings of these tasty morsels hanging up to dry - then stop and buy a couple! Alternatively, ask us to purchase some for you and to prepare them as one of your authentic Northeastern Thai dishes at Gecko Villa.

Lao Airlines has suspended direct flights between Udon Thani and Luang Prabang (despite still showing these on its website!)

However, the drive from Udon Thani to Vientiane, the Lao capital over the Mekong river, is only an hour and a half or so, and regular flights depart from Vientiane to Luang Prabang.

If you sit at night by the pool at Gecko Villa, you may well see what appear to be bright green lights flashing in the night sky, dancing glimmering attendance on the trees and bushes. If you have not had too many Gecko Bites (our special cocktail), then you are watching magical fireflies at work (Hing Hoi as we know them.) This is one insect that does not form part of our spicy local Thai food diet! Sit still, and one may land on your lap and continue winking at you in bioluminescent green.

Perhaps the firefly is a fallen angel, a misguided light seeking its way back to the ethers: the molecule that generates this spectacular light is termed "luciferase". This has been the subject of much research by molecular biologists, trying to comprehend our circadian rhythms.

The male firefly deploys his blinking greens as a mating call, to which the female will responds with a similar flash when impressed by the show. Research shows that the faster the flash, the more popular the male. They have light generation down to the finest of arts. Whilst light bulbs typically emit 97% of their energy as heat, the firefly has this down to a mere and ecologically-minded 3%. They may not be aware of this, but do so through a chemical reaction between the molecule luciferin and the enzyme luciferase in the presence of oxygen in the firefly's abdomen, using the energy from adenosine triphosphate or ATP. Scientists have demonstrated that perhaps all animals have molecular clocks in virtually every cell of their bodies.

Fireflies in Thailand are very social creatures, and have become renowned for their ability to orchestrate their flashings, blinking in simultaneous rhythm. The logic behind these illuminated thoughts is unclear, although some believe that the males agree to dark periods the better to spy the females, whose glimmering is more faint. Others believe that the males have ganged together to imitate a “supermale”: an enormous glowing dance that cannot fail to impress!

Gene that makes them glow also makes cancer cells vulnerable to treatment. Researchers have now inserted the gene that creates bioluminescent light into modified cancer cells, to make them glow. Adding a photosensitizing agent to the cancer cells, toxic substances were generated that killed the cancer cells.

These fireflies are part of the beetle family Lampyridae (the "Shining Ones"), which morph into glowing fireflies and perform this seductive ritual dance for only the last three weeks or so of their life. Their unique show is thus a call to reproduction, a harbinger of death, and a possible clue to wiping the scourge of cancer from the world...

We are delighted to announce that we have now secured our own traditional wooden boat for excusions on the local listed wetlands. The boat was hand made by local villagers from three large planks of indigenous wood with simple wooden seats, and was finally blessed by the addition of a green gecko painted on the front of the craft.

Local villagers can now take visitors out onto the hidden lake to watch fishermen at work, to spot rare birds darting down over the clear waters or to get up close and personal with wallowing water buffalo. The shallow wooden boat glides effortlessly through the swamp-like waters which are covered by patches of bright green grasses and waterplants, and, in the cooler months, the boat offers a breathtaking experience as it proceeds through the calm waters covered in a thick, magical carpet of stunning pink lotus blooms.

The BBC film crew stayed at Gecko Villa during the filming of the "Rice" episode of the Channel 4 series "Blood, Sweat and Takeaways."

Gecko Villa became part catering facility, part translation house and fixer, and accommodation provider to a rotating crew, who were either working or relaxing at the villa or out in the field filming.

The house rented by the British particpants in this reality TV documentary was located in a nearby village, and the rice paddies in which they were set to work were also in close proximity to  the villa.

Whilst viewers were entertained by the sight of a somewhat fractious group of young UK visitors trying to eke out a living in the rice paddies of Isaan, the local villagers found it a hoot to watch the tears and tantrums of large foreigners unable to work in the paddies, terrified of unseen spiders, complaining about the hot sun under which "farang" would normally sunbathe (whilst the Thais will cover up to avoid darkening the skin), or to keep up with their Thai counterparts. Only one of the participants earned their respect, throwing himself wholeheartedly into ensuring that the work required of them was completed whilst facing any hardship with a "stiff upper lip" attitude that the programme would seem to suggest has disappeared from English culture.

Yet the local villagers were also impressed that a reputed overseas news channel should deem their small rice farming village of interest to their international viewers, and thoroughly enjoyed watching themsleves in the programme on a DVD kindly sent to Gecko Villa by the production house, Ricochet.

Photographers Karen and Brian Bayliss shot many photos around the local villages and visited the local primary school during their stay at Gecko Villa, where they mingled with staff and pupils. Some of these photos of the local schoolchildren  near Gecko Villa may be seen here.

They shot numerous photos during their stay, and upon their return to the UK very kindly organized an exhibition of a selection of their photographs, with the funds raised being remitted to Ten & Euang at Gecko Villa, whom they had asked to donate the funds to the local Um Chaan primary school.

In line with local traditions, a ceremony was arranged at the school and attended  by pupils, the head teacher and even  the head of the local municipality. The photograph below shows Ten from Gecko Villa presenting the funds to the school and receiving a plaque of thanks on behalf of Karen and Brian.  

Many of the photographs taken by Brian and Karen were later incorporated by them into a colourful book entitled Isaan Smiles, copies of which were kindly sent to the villa. The children and villagers  photographed were delighted to see themselves featured - never imagining that they could become the subject of such a tome.

Many thanks to Karen and Brian for their generosity and time in launching the exhibition and book, and for their kind donation to the school.