- Duration
- 8 days / 7 nights
- Price Per Person
- From $8,700
Perhaps due to its status as the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia (it is encircled by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar), Laos often gets less notice than its more famous neighbors. We view this low profile in another light: this beautiful Buddhist land is one of the continent’s best-kept secrets, although it is increasingly on the radar of savvy luxury and adventure travelers alike. Together with Vietnam and Cambodia, Laos made up the triumvirate colonies of French Indochina, and significant pockets of Old World charm remain.
Laos’s understated crown jewel is the ancient capital of Luang Prabang, whose fusion of Lao and European architecture UNESCO called a “key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions.” Vientiane is the region’s most relaxed capital, while the Bolaven Plateau beckons with dramatic waterfalls and superb coffee plantations. For travelers willing to forgo five-star hotels to focus on remote rural encounters, the northern hill-tribe peoples in Luang Namtha and Muang Sing (Black Tai, Hmong, Lanten, Akha and many more) and the unspoiled “4,000 Islands” stretch of the lower Mekong, home to the rare Irrawaddy dolphins, are itinerary highlights. Champasak province, meanwhile, offers the impressive Khmer ruins of Wat Phu, architectural forebear of Angkor.
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Overlooking the pretty Northern Laotian town of Phongsali, this basic guesthouse provides simple rooms - good for a few nights of resting after exploring the region. Although amenities and services are kept to a minimum (don’t expect any lavish swimming pools or 24-hour room service), the guesthouse does provide hot water, and some of the more modern room are fitted with TVs and other modern conveniences. The real draw here is the location: shared balconies afford some nice views of the town towards the front, and windows at the back face the rolling green mountains in the distance. The quiet yet ever-so-quaint town of Phongsali is the highest in the whole country, situated around 4,500 feet above sea level.
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The best time to visit Laos is between October and April when there is no rain and the temperature is cooler.
Multi-Country Specialists
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