Laos Travel Guide

Laos is a mountainous, landlocked country located in Indochina and has common borders with China (505km), Cambodia (435km), and Vietnam (2,069km). It is the Land of the Million Elephants and offers visitors a window into ancient Indochina. It is less developed than its Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese neighbours but offers natural beauty and hospitality combined with French influences and original Buddhist culture.

The country is centred around the Mekong River that flows the length of the country, providing water for farms, agricultural lands and a major means of transport. Vientiane, the unassuming capital, is situated on its banks, and the city provides a comfortable introduction to the treasures of the country.

Tourists tend to flock to the town of Luang Prabang, the former royal kingdom, with a legacy of splendid golden temples and whitewashed houses. However, travellers that are happy to brave the lack of infrastructure will discover charming towns and rural villages, welcoming and endearing people, splendid scenery, and a slow, relaxed pace of life. In the countryside, people will all eat family style, sitting on the floor, sharing a few dishes. Traditional Lao food is dry, spicy and delicious.

Modern Laos has brushed off its troubled French colonisation, internal conflicts and assertive communism and caters well for visitors who can enjoy an unrivalled look at the old-fashioned way of life of a country still largely unscathed by the harsh effects of mass tourism.

Your Name	:
Your Email Address	:
Suggested Changes	:
Security Code	: