Asia Travel Guides

Points of interest

Pak Ou Caves

The spectacular Pak Ou caves are justifiably lauded for their striking setting carved into a limestone cliff facing the river. The caves are crammed with Buddha images of all styles and sizes, but most represent the classic Luang Prabang standing Buddha. Trips can be arranged through guesthouses and tour operators.

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Khone Phapheng

Khone Phapheng is considered the largest waterfall (by volume) in Southeast Asia and is therefore a boast-worthy sight to visit. It's located at the southern end of Si Phan Don, an intricate network of islets where the Mekong fans out. Phan Don is also home to the rare Irrawaddy dolphins, which can be seen at the southern tip of Don Khon.

The falls are often included on the itinerary of dolphin-viewing day trips.

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Pha That Luang

The Pha That Luang is the most important national monument in Laos, a symbol of both the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty. The monument looks almost like a gilded missile cluster from a distance. Surrounding it is a high-walled cloister with tiny windows, added by King Anouvong in the early 19th century as a defence against invaders.

The temple is the site of a major festival held in early November.

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Wat Phu Champasak

Spread over the lower slopes of Phu Pasak (also known more colloquially as Phu Khuai), Wat Phu is small compared with the monumental Angkor-era sites in Cambodia or Thailand. But the tumbledown pavilions, ornate shiva-lingam sanctuary, enigmatic crocodile stone and tall trees that shroud much of the site in soothing shade give Wat Phu a mystical atmosphere.

This town cranks it up every year when pilgrims from near and far amass for Bun Wat Phu Champasak. During this three-day Buddhist festival (usually held in February) worshippers wind their way up and around Wat Phu Champasak, praying and leaving offerings; bands play traditional and modern music; young and old dance together; and Thai boxing, comedy shows and cockfights all add to the entertainment. Stands selling food and drink do a roaring trade along the road from town to Wat Phu and accommodation in town is booked out weeks in advance.

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Plain of Jars

The Plain of Jars is a large area extending around Phonsavan from the southwest to the northeast where huge jars of unknown origin are scattered about in over a dozen groupings. There are three main sites available to visit, with site 1 the closest and containing the most jars.

The purpose of these possibly 2000-year-old jars remains a mystery and without any organic material - such as bones or food remains - there is no reliable way to date them. Archaeological theories and local myth suggest the enigmatic jars were used for burial purposes.

The jars weigh as much as six tonnes (6.6 tons) and have been fashioned from solid stone, which doesn't seem to have come from the area. Many of the smaller jars have been taken away by collectors, but there are still several hundred in the five major groups. Thong Hai Hin, the biggest and most accessible site, has two pavilions and toilets, as well as the largest jar on the plain.

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Luang Prabang

Awakened from a long slumber brought on by decades of war and revolution, Luang Prabang, made a Unesco World Heritage city for both its beautiful buildings and the serenity of its natural surrounds, has become Lao PDR's foremost tourist showpiece.

Encircled by mountains and set 700m above sea level at the confluence of the Nam Khan (Khan River) and the Mekong River, the city's mix of gleaming temple roofs, crumbling French provincial architecture and multi-ethnic inhabitants tends to enthral even the most jaded travellers.

Hmong, Mien and Thai tribal people can often be seen walking around town on their way to and from the markets. Orange-wrapped Buddhist monks and novices occupy 32 of the original 66 historic temples built before the era of French colonisation, including the stunning half-millennium-old Wat Xieng Thong. Luang Prabang (Muang Luang, as the locals call it) also boasts a unique palace-turned-museum.

Sealed highways linking Luang Prabang with Thailand and China have turned the city into an important relay point for commerce between the three countries. A wisely constructed road bypass maintains the calm antiquity that first attracted visitors to the city when Laos opened to tourism in 1989.

Vientiane

Laos' capital city and seat of government sits on a bend in the Mekong River amid fertile alluvial plains. Despite its chequered past, Vientiane (pronounced 'Wieng Chan' by the locals) is a laid-back city with a number of interesting wats (Buddhist monasteries) and lively markets.

The most important national monument in Laos is Pha That Luang (the Great Sacred Stupa), which is a symbol of both Buddhism and Lao sovereignty. Other sights of interest include Wat Pha Kaew, a former royal temple which is now a museum, and Wat Si Saket, the oldest temple in Vientiane.

Vientiane has around 10 top-end hotels and as many guesthouses - many of them are moderately expensive, but plenty of lower-priced rooms have become available in the last few years. You can eat at cafes, street stalls, beer halls or restaurants that offer everything from rice noodles to filet mignon. For good Lao meals, try the Dong Palan Night Market on the east bank of the Nong Chan ponds.

Entertainment ranges from live music and discos - usually electrified Lao folk music or Western pop - to Thai, Chinese, Indian and even Bulgarian films. Tribal crafts, fabrics, jewellery and furniture are all good buys in Vientiane.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

For those interested in war history, the Ho Chi Minh Trail is a network of dirt paths and gravel roads running parallel to the Laos-Vietnam border. The trail was used by the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War and by the Viet Minh against the French in the 1950s.

Although the North Vietnamese denied the existence of the trail, and the USA denied bombing it, 1.1 million tons of explosives were dropped on the area between 1965 and 1969, as well as massive quantities of herbicides. The trail is fairly remote, so there's been little in the way of tidying up: you'll see helicopters, fighter planes and a whole heap of other war debris. The closest town is Sepon, about 600km (370mi) southeast of Vientiane. Sepon was flattened during the war, so its now little more than a collection of shacks. You can get there by bus from Savannakhet.

Events

Festivals in Laos are generally linked to agricultural seasons or historical Buddhist holidays. Some of the highlights include the Lunar New Year which begins in mid-April and the entire country comes to a halt and celebrates. Houses are cleaned, offerings are made in wats and everyone gets dowsed by water. Bun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) takes place in May. It's an irreverent pre-Buddhist celebration with plenty of processions, music and dancing, accompanied by the firing of bamboo rockets to prompt the heavens to send rain. Bun Nam (Water Festival) in October is held in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet and, as well as water fights and general good-natured mayhem, there are highly competitive boat races on the Mekong. The week-long That Luang Festival in Vientiane in November has the whole repertoire of fireworks, candlelit processions and music.