Travel to Laos for the Holiday of Your Dreams!

While visiting South East Asia, Laos is more often than not given a miss by the average tourist. While the more popular Thailand, Malaysia or Vietnam tour comes instantly to mind, Laos is relatively lesser known and hence fewer tourists think of making their way there. But, Laos is full of hidden gems like rolling grasslands, rugged mountains which are deeply forested, quaint and peaceful villages, beautiful wetlands and exciting cities. It always comes as a surprise to visitors when they travel to Laos that a small country can pack in so much!

What better way to begin your tour of Laos than at its capital city of Luang Prabang? This ancient city is a royal city and has indeed been acknowledged as a UNESCO world heritage site. Nestling amidst mountains Luang Prabang is an interesting city to explore. The name ‘Luang Prabang’ was given after a Buddha figure (Pha Bang) which had been brought to the city by King Visoun in the 1500s. The Royal Palace Museum still houses that statue today and visitors are also allowed within the interiors of the former palace, the Haw Kham. This gives visitors a chance to see the way royalty lived as well as the various artefacts and artworks showcasing the history of Laos.

The hill of Phou Si which rises over the capital city with a gold and white pagoda soaring in the sky amidst green foliage is perhaps its most iconic image. It offers breath-taking views at sunrise and sunset over the city to those who have made the climb up and its temple, the Wat Chom Si is one of the calmest and most elegant temples to be found in the city. Pilgrims too make their way to this hilltop because of the footprint shrine of the Buddha.

The Pak Ou caves or the famous Buddha caves are a bit further afield but worth the venture. On the shelves within these caves there are innumerable wooden Buddha statues. The caves can be reached either by river or road and not only are the interiors of the caves fascinating, but the outdoor scenery is beautiful too.

One of the most mysterious attractions of Laos is the Plain of Jars where the ground is strewn with pots and jars of stone in myriad shapes and sizes. This Plain of Jars is split up in five sections. The first site is only 15 km away from town and there are about 250 jars here. The main attraction, the victory cup of King Khun Jeuam can be seen here.

For total relaxation and chilling-out head to The Si Phon Don Islands of Laos. The lucky ones can spot dolphins frolicking in the waters and you can also enjoy bike and boat rides on this island.

The best time to visit Laos is between October and March when the weather is dry with little or no rainfall. For a different vacation altogether, travelling to Laos and discover a world far away from the usual potpourri of Southeast Asian experiences!

Thai Lien - About Author:
The author is an experienced writer in tourism industry and works for Travelsense Asia, a leading travel agency in Vietnam. At present, he is writing on different topics like Vietnam Tour, Laos Travel, Hanoi Tour etc. To find more info, please visit Website.

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