Laos holiday ideas: Explore a land of new opportunities
Where to travel in Laos?
Many visitors to Laos are heading to just one place – Luang Prabang. These same travellers often remark, having returned home to friends and family’s that they have ‘done Laos’. In our opinion, a few days in this magical city falls well short of experiencing even a fraction of what this enticing country has to offer.
There’s no right or wrong direction to travel on your holiday in Laos, but we’ll start in the north for the purpose of this page. If time permits and you want to travel by land or water into the country, then crossing from Chiang Khong in Thailand to Huay Xai is the best place to start.
From the border town you can drive east for outdoor adventures in Muang Sing or more likely the charming riverside town of Luang Namtha on the border of the Namtha National Park.
For the more adventurous traveller there is Phongsali in the far north where your long journey will be rewarded with some of the finest trekking in South-East Asia.
Having enjoyed the great outdoors, you can travel south, perhaps stopping en route to Luang Prabang, at Oudomxai and the wonderful Muang La Resort. Alternatively there’s the picturesque haven of Nong Khiaw. Set high on the banks of the Nam Ou River, seven hours by boat or two by road from Luang Prabang, it’s a delightful town to spend a couple of days, or even longer if more trekking is on the cards.
From Huay Xai (having just crossed from Thailand) you can also travel south by river boat, initially spending a night at the charming riverside town of Pakbeng, either at the Pakbeng Lodge or Luang Say Lodge, by way of breaking the journey en route to Luang Prabang. The two day journey is amongst the finest river cruises anywhere in Asia and a wonderful way to reach Luang Prabang.
So far, all roads (and rivers!) lead to Luang Prabang; now in the great city you’ll be joined by the many more that flew in and collectively you are advised to spend at least three nights in the cultural capital. The highlight of Laos certainly, some would argue all of Indochina, you should plan for plenty of unguided time, discovering this enigmatic town by foot and just settling into the unique pace of life.
From Luang Prabang most will travel south but a few, those with more time in Laos, may venture east to the mysterious Plain of Jars near Phonsavan. From here you can also travel further east and cross the border into Vietnam, passing through Na Meo and into Vietnam’s Mai Chau Valley.
For those travelling south from Luang Prabang, there’s a choice to be made – namely whether or not to stop in Vientiane. Many, perhaps too many, will choose not to; often ‘guided’ by what they have read. This, however, is a mistake in our book. Not only is it far more interesting a city than it is usually given credit for, but also how can you have experienced everything Laos has to offer without at least spending a day in the capital city?!
From both Vientiane and Luang Prabang there are flights to Pakse, however for the more adventurous you can drive from the capital, passing through Savannakhet en route. It’s an enticing journey that ideally needs 4 days, during which you can trek, boat through mysterious caves and visit century’s old Buddha caves.
Once in Pakse there are some more decisions to be made, the southern region is so rich in travel experiences its hard at times to know where to start. To the east are the Bolaven Plateau’s rich soils, with coffee plantations, waterfalls, minority tribes and wildlife. To the south the Mekong River’s 4000 Island’s or Si Phan Don, is a region of outstanding beauty and whilst many are perhaps more like sandbanks than islands, there are a number of habitable islands with a range of accommodation to choose from.
On the banks of the Mekong is the charming town of Champasak and close by are the pre-Ankorian ruins of Wat Phou (or Vat Phou). Inland there are adventure and wildlife to be enjoyed, our favourite lodge being the Kingfisher Eco Lodge at Phou Asa, where you can spend the day learning the skills of a mahout, enjoy bird and nature watching or just relaxing.
Finally to the Cambodian border at Don Kralor, passing the monstrous Khone Phapheng Waterfall en route. From the border you can drive south into Cambodia or return to Pakse for your onward flight.
Help is at hand
So where to start with planning your Laos holiday? To assist you in making your decision you can take advantage of the vast wealth of information to be found on this website. Our Laos specialists, who have travelled extensively throughout Laos and Indochina, have written literally 100's of pages to ensure that all the information you may need is at hand. The key page is Laos Holidays, linking you though to the vast majority of relevant travel information that you will require. This includes a list of our recommended Laos holiday itineraries - a great way of getting to know how best to travel, where the highlights are and how much your holiday is actually likely to cost! You've also got Laos Travel Guides which go into a little more detail on some of the key destinations from Luang Prabang to Pakse and everything that lies in-between.