Slash and Burn effect on Luang Prang & Siem Reap
 

Trying to organize our trip to SEAsia. I have been reading about the slash and burn that takes place and the potential impact of the smoke on visitng LP. Would we be better off visiting LP at the beginning of the trip Feb 15 then later in the trip during mid March? About when does the burning start? What about Siem Reap? Is that area also effected by the smoke? Thanks

Feb would be better for LP, less likely to run into smoke. I can't remember any accounts of Siem Reap being affected. But Chaing Mai and Chaing Rai are affected.

BTW, this isn't slash and burn (this term is usually meant to indicate the clearing of jungle or forest land for farming), but is the burning of agricultural fields for the purpose of preparing to plant the next crop.

We got a boat downriver from Chiang Saen to Luang Prabang in early April 2007 and the smoke was really appalling. It was so bad that at times it was difficult to see across the river. That said the timing and severity does vary tremendously from year to year depending, I suppose on the timing of the dry season etc. I have visited that part of the world several times, usually around that time of year and it has never been as bad before or since. In the end we gave up on LP and got the earliest flight we could out to BKK

As Kathie says, Feb would be better but you could well be ok in mid March. You can check out historical and current data on air quality at
http://www.pcd.go.th/airquality/regional/default.cfm - Chiang Rai would be the best location as it is not too far from LP.

I don't think that Siem Reap is affected

Thanks -- until I read some blogs I didn't realize how bad it could get. It's really putting a twist in our trip. We can't leave the US until mid Feb and it appears we could hit either Laos or N Thailand or both no matter how we try to arrange things. I understand that it varies from year to year, but looking at the data on the air quality often Feb is bad too. I'd hate to travel that far and be caught in it. Its making me rethink doing this trip another time.

crellston -- hey -- did u go to Chile on your RTW trip? I think I hear South America calling...

yestravel - We did go to Chile and loved it. In retrospect I wish we had spent more time there - Torres de Paine is calling me...

I was in Cambodia (Siem Reap) in February a couple of years ago and it was very smokey. It sounds like the earlier in the year the better