our travel consultants have visited Laos several times in the last five years and believe that the Mekong, mountains and forest give Laos a great natural beauty that when combined with its French colonial heritage, Buddhist culture, and relaxed pace of life makes this arguably the most appealing country of south-east Asia.
WHY WE THINK YOU’LL LOVE IT
- Although land locked, Laos makes up for its lack of coast line by really making the most of the majestic Mekong river – there are boat trips and islands aplenty
- If you want a real contrast to a busy life, then Laos is the place to head. It’s super laid back (in the nicest possible way) and is full of contented, happy people
Laos is the oft-ignored backwater of what was once French Indochina, and as a fortuitous result retains much of the traditional charm and feel of a bygone era. Roughly the size of Britain, landlocked Laos is sandwiched between Vietnam, China, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia, all of whom have exerted a strong influence on the country during the course of its history. Laos has one of the lowest population densities in Asia, with most of its population living along the fertile lowlands of the Mekong River valley which forms the country’s lifeline.
DID YOU KNOW
- Laos is the only country in Southeast Asia that is landlocked
- The Khone Papeng waterfall is the largest waterfall in the whole of Southeast Asia
- The country was once known as Lan Xang, meaning ‘the kingdom of a million elephants’
