Visit Laos

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Travel to Laos - Laos cities and attractions

Despite being the capital and largest city of Laos, Vientiane is really no more than a small town sitting on the northern bank of the Mekong River. Like other French colonial cities, it has its share of wide boulevards and old villas, but the city is not awash with things to see or things to do. The trick here is to slow down to Vientiane's laid back rhythm and take in a few of the sights at a leisurely pace, breaking up the day with a meal, snack or drink at one of the city's many cafés or restaurants.

Among the sights to see is Pha That Luang, The Great Stupa of Vientiane, built in the 16th century on the site of 13th century Khmer temple which in turn was built over a 3rd century Indian temple. The golden temple is Vientiane's most important religious building and one of the most important in Laos. The temple was destroyed in the Thai invasion of 1828 but was reconstructed in the 1930s from original drawings.

The Lao National Museum was built in 1925 as the French governor's residence and today is dedicated to presenting the history of Laos from and its struggle for independence from foreign occupiers.

425 km north of Vientiane is Luang Prabang. Until the communist takeover in 1975, this was the capital of Laos and today it remains its spiritual centre. The small city is a mixture of French colonial architecture and Buddhist temples with their monks in their colourful robes.

Here you can visit the former Royal Palace, home of the Lao kings until 1975 and now the Laos national museum. The palace is a curious mixture of traditional Lao style mixed with a strong French influence all overlaid with Buddhist symbolism. The museum is full of treasures from Lao history and the private quarters of the royal family are preserved as it was when they left.

Nearby natural attractions include the Kuang Si Falls, consisting of one 180 foot main waterfall, and several smaller falls from one pool to another. 25 kilometers from Luang Prabang are the Pak Ou caves. These are only accessible by boat and the two caves are filled with hundreds of Buddhist figures covering the floors and wall shelves, all left there by pilgrims and the local people. It is estimated that there is a total of around 4,000 figures in the two caves.

In the far south of Laos, the Mekong River spreads to be approximately 14 km wide and in the dry season the water recedes leaving thousands of islands ranging from the smallest sandbars to inhabitable islands. The area is known as Si Phan Don or Four Thousand Islands. Among the permanent islands is Don Khong, 18km long and 8km wide, This is an ideal place to spend a very quiet time exploring the fishing villages or just watching the Mekong River flow by. If you are lucky you will also see the local dolphins. Bamboo bungalows are available to rent.

Laos is the most recent of the SE Asian countries to open its doors to tourists and now is an ideal time to visit as the country remains relatively unspoiled.

Are you planning to visit Laos? Please contact Indochina Odyssey Tours, maybe they can give you some help.

About the Author

Indohina Odyssey Tours - Your trustworthy Indochina Vietnam tour operator since 1987. Personalized and worry-free service in tours, hotels and tickets in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

My Visit to Laos

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