Welcome to Laos

Land-locked and utterly alluring, Laos has a laid-back pace and some of the friendliest and welcoming people you will meet in Asia. In Luang Prabang, ribbons of orange-robed monks receive alms at dawn whilst the far south centres around the mighty Mekong Delta with its remote fishing communities and dense jungle, disturbed occasionally by crashing elephants and trilling birds.

Only open to foreigners since 1990, the small nation of Laos is one of the most charming countries in South East Asia. Much of the country is made up of rugged highland areas home to ethnic hill tribes living a very simple way, with most of the population based in river valleys and towns that have sprung up here. The Mekong river is the country's lifeline and is a popular way of entering Laos from northern Thailand as well as exploring the Four Thousand Islands (Si Phan Don) area of islets, rocks and sandbars to the far south of the country, near the border with Cambodia. The most evocative Khmer ruin outside Cambodia, Wat Phou, is also along the southern banks of the Mekong. Within this southern region, you’ll find the sleepy Mekong-side towns of Champasak, Pakse, and Savannakhet, all atmospheric and full of charming French-inspired buildings sitting comfortably alongside Buddhist temples. In central Laos overlooking the Mekong and Thailand to the otherside, Vientiane is possibly the most modest and laid back of the South East Asian capitals and has numerous beautifully decorated Wats (temples) bustling local markets, as well as grand French colonial buildings, wide leafy avenues, and Patuxai - Laos’ Arc de Triomphe. Vang Vieng, once the party capital of Indochina for young travellers, is now focused more on eco and adventure tourism where you can spend days on the river gazing up in amazement at the limestone karsts jutting from the valleys. The mysterious Plain of Jars out in the east of Laos have just won UNESCO World Heritage status. Further north, the enchanting former royal capital of Luang Prabang, also a UNESCO World Heritage site, is packed full of gilded temples, elegant monasteries, inviting markets, French colonial houses and saffron robed monks collecting alms. Tucked into a loop of the Mekong, surrounded by hills, Luang Prabang is the perfect place from which to explore off the beaten track ethnic hill tribe villages, to haggle in local markets, take a boat trip on the Mekong or just sit in a cafe and watch the world stroll by. Getting off-the-beaten-path in Laos is easy: just head north by boat along the Nam Ou river, often cited as one of the most picturesque waterways in Laos, and stay in a small town surrounding by towering mountains, or visit one of the lush biodiversity conservation areas - enjoy a simpler way of living and a slower pace of life.

Sitting next to the Mekong river, with some deliciously aromatic Lao food, a Beer Lao or a Lao coffee, hearing the welcoming sound of a local calling out “sabaidee” (hello), as the warm glow of the tropical sun shines through the lush green vegetation, and bounces off the charming French villas and the gilded roofs of the beautiful Buddhist temples, you’ll realise why you travelled here.

If you are seeking a laidback atmosphere, then a tailormade tour of Laos is for you.

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