Chat with natives at Big Brother Mouse in Luang Prabang, Laos

Here’s a wonderful stop for visitors to the charming Laotian city of Luang Prabang: Big Brother Mouse. Its office is just off the main drag, on the side street where the 3 Nagas Restaurant is located (near Wat Nong Temple). From 9 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. daily, English-speaking visitors are invited to spend time talking to young people who are studying English. It gives the students an opportunity to practice with native speakers. We spent several afternoons there (5 to 7 p.m. is the ideal time to fill the gap between sightseeing and dinner), talking to high school and college students, even young monks. They want to know about us and are happy to talk about their families, their villages, their plans for the future, what they do for fun. To sit and talk (and listen) to young Laotian students is a wonderful opportunity and, for us, one of our most treasured memories of Luang Prabang.

Big Brother Mouse, Wat Nong, Luang Prabang; bigbrothermouse.com/englishpractice.html

Rita Schneir

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