Laos Destination Guide

One of the highlights of a trip to Southeast Asia, Laos offers a pristine landscape, intact culture and relaxed and freindly people. If you are taking the overland passage from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, you can explore the many limestone caves of Vang Vieng enroute, or go tubing in the waterways in that area. Around Phonsavan in Xieng Khouang Province is the mysterious Plain of Jars, a large area of land littered with stone jars weighing from 600kg up to 6 tons and thought to be about 2000 years old. Little is known about their origins or what they were used for.

Those who make the effort to explore Laos will be well rewarded with stunning landscapes, friendly people and unique glimpses of a country hardly changed for over a century.

This Laos Destination Guide gives some information about what there is to see and do in Laos. General travel information about Laos can be found by visiting our Laos Country Guide page. A great way of seeing the highlights and exploring the country is on a fascinating Laos tour.

Things to See & Do in Laos

From Thakhek, Savannakhet and other parts of the country, more adventurous travellers can venture into and even camp in one of Laos' 20 National Biodiversity Conservation Areas, the home of several endangered species of rare birds and wildlife including tigers, bears, monkeys, deer and elephants.

Safety note: Check with a tour operator or other knowledgeable sources before hiking or camping anywhere in Laos to be certain it is not an area that may have UXOs - unexploded ordnance from past wars.

Follow the links to the right or scroll further down the page for details on some of the interesting tourist attractions in Laos:

The Champasak Province is a lesser known part of Laos, but this simply adds to its appeal. Here villagers live in traditional ways, much as they have for hundreds of year, and the laid back and friendly atmosphere that you feel as soon as you enter the province is one of its main attractions.The highlight for many visiting Champasak is visiting Wat Phou, a pre-Angkorian site which has been listed to the World Heritage site by UNESCO. Whilst smaller than other ruins in South East Asia, such as Angkor Wat in Siem reap, it is highly atmospheric and offers stunning views of the Mekong from its terrace.

Our Champasak tours page lists some competitively priced tours on things to do throughout the province, whilst you can find a range of locally owned accommodation for your Champasak holiday on our Champasak hotels page.

The picture perfect province of Luang Namtha in Northwest Laos offers a beautiful mountain landscape, friendly people, a rich natural biodiversity, diverse villages, tasty cuisine and exciting opportunities for adventure. It is a popular stopover on the backpacker trail from China to Laos, and an alternative to the boat trip between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang, but Luang Namtha can hold its own when it comes to being a holiday destination and offers some of the best infrastructure in Laos. Increasingly popular are hill tribe treks, especially those into the protected area of Nam Ha National Protected Area, and throughout small villages in the region.

The former royal city Luang Prabang is a time-forgotten town set by the river, encircled by mountains and beset with gleaming, ancient temples. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town's French colonial buildings, former Royal Palace and 32 temples are protected, preserving the unique charm that makes Luang Prabang such a popular destination in Laos.

There is also a good selection of accommodation, restaurants and shopping venues there. Outside of Luang Prabang are waterfalls, caves and some interesting villages, one famous for excavated jars and rice wine and another for its cotton and silk handweavings. See our Luang Prabang city guide and pages for more information.

The scenic town of Vang Vieng lies approximately mid-way between Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Not only does it offer an ideal opportunity to break up the journey between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, but it is a great destination in itself. With the beautiful Nam Song River running alongside the dramatic karst limestone mountains, the scenery is breathtaking.

A wide range of tours and activities are available here, including kayaking, trekking, white-water rafting and rock-climbing. For those looking for something a little more peaceful, why not try tubing, or simply relax by the river with a good book and cool Beer Lao? See our Vang Vieng Destination Guide for more information.

Set on a bend in the Mekong River, Laos' capital city Vientiane is by Southeast Asian standards a rather laid back town. It is replete with aging French colonial buildings, Chinese shophouses and Buddhist temples.

A little outside the city centre is the country's most important national monument, the Pha That Luang, which symbolizes both Lao sovereignty as well as its Buddhist foundation, and is the site of the full moon temple festival in November.

As Laos' biggest city, Vientiane has the widest selection of restaurants, busiest nightlife as well as its best shopping. See our Vientiane City Guide and pages for more detailed information and to book accommodation in Vientiane.

Xieng Khouang province is located in northeast Laos. It is most commonly known for its mysterious Plain of Jars, some as high as 3.25 metres, as well as its biggest city, Phonsavan, which makes a good base for exploring the region. The scenery throughout the region is stunning with rolling hills, green grass and sparse forests of pine trees, and it's distance from the main tourist paths has allowed it to remain pristine.

The number of visitors to see the Plain of Jars, which UNESCO wants to establish as a World Heritage Site, has been increasing every year, and you can now find a number of authentic guesthouses and hotels in Phonsavan to stay during your visit.