Compared to the 20 million travelers who visit the city of Bangkok, the entire nation of Laos only receives around four million foreign tourists a year, a relative backwater in terms of Southeast Asia travel. From the “four thousand islands” of Si Phan Don and waterfalls of the Bolaven Plateau to the luxury hotels of Luang Prabang, Remote Lands has a plan for every traveler to Laos.
Not for the faint-of-heart, this 14-day expedition across Laos will have travelers revving their way through the streets and making stops at awe-inspiring cultural and natural wonders.
This itinerary is a full week of adventure in the lesser-traveled Bolaven plateau, a region of culture, waterfalls, and trekking. Get ready for the jungle and some excellent coffee.
This nine-day journey artfully blends culture and nature, with nights spent sleeping under the stars in the heart of the jungle and journeying north to Luang Prabang and Luang Namtha.
Southern Laos is for the adventurer. Start off in Pakse and take the journey south to the “four thousand islands” of Si Phan Don to see the Mekong in a whole new way.
There is one properly luxurious hotel in Vientiane: Settha Palace. Laurel Tuohy sits down with general manager Hala Krimi to learn what makes this colonial haunt so charming.
Remote Lands goes inside the most exciting Laos hotel opening of the year, Rosewood Luang Prabang, a mix of riverside and hilltop dwellings designed by Bill Bensley in the country's hottest travel destination.
It wasn't until recently that kayakers mapped the waterways of Si Phan Don – the "4,000 Islands" of the Mekong's lower reaches. Kayaker John McMahon goes exploring.
The Bolaven Plateau just east of Pakse in Laos is perhaps most famous for its coffee, but for hikers who aren't afraid of heights, there are incredible waterfalls to be found.