Boat Trip in Laos 5: Purely Natural Feast Digging Mole Rats and Eating Wild Rice

Boat Trip in Laos 5: Purely Natural Feast Digging Mole Rats and Eating Wild Rice

If you think traveling in Laos means just chilling in big cities or walking through tourist markets, let mr.hotsia take you to experience the true deep side of Laos by cruising along a small Mekong River branch that hides stunning natural beauty and a lifestyle deeply connected to nature in every drop of water and every breath of the riverside villagers. In episode 5 of the series,Boat Trip in LaosI encountered the rare and almost unseen experience of digging mole rats and eating wild rice.

I started my journey from Muang Hongsa, a convenient spot for river cruising that still preserves the rawness of nature. Here, there is no hustle or commercial tourism. Just cruising along the Mekong River and witnessing villagers’ way of life closely tied to nature brings a peaceful and profound sense of stability to the heart.

That day, I had the chance to visit Ban Tha Suang, where Nang Ta Ban Tha Suang, a strong woman of the community, took me to dig mole rats and eat wild rice — an experience almost impossible to find in today’s world. Digging mole rats is not easy and requires deep understanding of nature. These mole rats live underground in dense forests and are dug out by hand. This is truly natural food without any seasoning.

Besides mole rats, I also tasted grilled water hyacinth, which many might overlook as a weed. But for Lao people and riverside villagers, water hyacinth is a rich nutritional food source. Grilling the water hyacinth over charcoal until fragrant, served with wild rice cooked in the traditional way, made that meal both filling and heartwarming.

While cruising and soaking in this atmosphere, I couldn’t help but recall my visit to the deep forest Khamu market of the Khamu people inBoat Trip in Laos 2where food and ingredients remain fresh from nature and truly reflect traditional lifestyles. Seeing Lao people eating forest food, picking vegetables from the river, and living simply made me feel more connected to nature.

Besides the wild rice and mole rat experience, I also got a close look at the villagers’ way of life here. Their preservation of traditional lifestyles without being swallowed by modern culture is highly admirable. I recommend watching the videoBoat Trip in Laos 5: Purely Natural Feast Digging Mole Rats and Eating Wild Ricethat I filmed to clearly see the atmosphere and authentic way of eating wild rice.

Traveling by boat in this area is not just about enjoying natural scenery but also learning about culture and food deeply connected to the forest and river, as I wrote before inBoat Trip in Laos 17which talks about the truly natural recipe of Khamu curry — a charm that made me fall in love with traveling in Laos forever.

If you are interested in the traditional lifestyle and food of Laos that remain unaltered by modern times, try cruising this route. You will feel like mr.hotsia, truly immersed in nature and learning that sometimes the joy of travel comes from simple details around us.

For those who want to experience the Lao way of life more deeply, I recommend readingBoat Trip in Laos 3/9: Villagers Making Breakfast, True Lao Lifestyle in Muang Hongsawhich will help complete the overall picture of this journey.

Finally, my journey did not end in Laos. There are other interesting food stories and markets I have written about, such asSam Neua local foodthe Sam Neua market full of authentic Lao food, or if you like seaside atmosphere, check outGrilled Chicken, Lao Papaya Salad, Sticky Rice, Koh Sametwhich, although not in Laos, is full of authentic Lao flavors that mr.hotsia also loves.