11 good reasons to visit Laos

Far from the well-worn paths, he is resting in the sun in Laos, where skyscrapers and subways will not appear soon.

When popular resorts are traveled far and wide, you want something unusual. Far from the well-worn paths, he is resting in the sun in Laos, where skyscrapers and subways will not appear soon. When the orange robes of monks flicker in the morning haze, fishermen set nets on the Mekong, and the silhouettes of mountains appear on the horizon, you completely forget about the benefits of civilization.

We’ve rounded up 13 of the best things to do in Laos to help you see the world from a different perspective.

Ride a boat on the Mekong

A two-day cruise on the great Asian Mekong River will add to the treasury of the most atmospheric trips of your life. Wooden slow boat boats, stuffed to capacity with backpackers, peasants, and sacks of rice, glide along the Luang Prabang-Huayxai route, overnight in Pakbeng village. It will not be boring: while some take pictures of thatched shacks and paint foggy hills, the rest fill in the “Birlao” and revel on the deck with new friends.

Motorized pirogues whistling past the large snail boats on the same route. For six hours, extreme fans rush through the Mekong, holding a backpack with one hand and a helmet on their head with the other. You won’t take a picture for memory, but friends with open mouths will hear about adventures in the style of Indiana Jones.

Feed breakfast to the monks

In Luang Prabang, they are sensitive to Buddhism: you can dine and dine yourself, but you need to share breakfast with the monks. Every morning at 5:30 is the townspeople line up along the main road with baskets of glutinous rice and sweets wrapped in palm leaves. Silently collecting the offering in bowls, the young novices in orange robes set off to breakfast in a chain. In order not to interfere with the ancient rite, observe from the side and turn off the sound of a click on the camera.

You can spy on the everyday life of Lao monks on Sisavangvong Street, where several Buddhist monasteries are located. On the banks of the Mekong, the famous Wat Sieng Thong shines with colorful mosaics, where gilded naga snakes guard the royal hearse. In the late afternoon, climb the sacred Mount Phu Si and watch the sunset gilded the curving roofs of Lao temples.

Take a ride on an inflatable cheesecake in the middle of an idyll

When unearthly beauties were handed out above, the Lao village of Wang Vieng grabbed the most. Pull back the hotel curtain and gasp at the lush karst hills, rice paddies, and the fast-moving Namsong River. The most popular entertainment here is tubing or, in a simple way, river rafting on a car tire, surrounded by postcard landscapes. Bars with cold beer are crowded on the shore – no wonder that the four-kilometer rafting takes half a day.

Tickle-lovers swim on a cheesecake under the dark arches of Tamnam Cave. Here, holding on to the saving rope, you will feel yourself in the labyrinth of the Minotaur. By the way, not all Vang Vieng dungeons will have to get wet: to explore the wild cave of the Blue Lagoon, you only need a flashlight and a little courage.

Peep into giant jugs

Not far from the city of Phonsavan, thousands of human-sized stone jugs lie on the ground. It is still unclear who left behind the gigantic pots – ancient kings or giants who had a feast with lao-lao rice whiskey. Historians also throw wood into the fire: they say, they found jewelry and bones indicate that the jugs served as burial urns.

The first platform, where more than two hundred jugs, headed by a six-ton ​​Tsar, have been preserved, is the thickest of all strewn with artifacts. It is dangerous to go behind the bricks with the MAG inscription: during the secret war, American planes generously bombarded the valley from the air. The vicinity of Phonsavan is full of craters from numerous explosions and caves where locals hid from raids.

Swim in the waterfalls of the Bolaven Plateau

On the mountain plateau of Bolaven, waterfalls roar and endless coffee plantations rustle. Rent a motorcycle in Pakse and ride the Lao roads for days, braking at the steepest points. If time is running out, you can take a march to the iconic waterfalls on the way to Paxon. The first item on the checklist will be Thad Fane, who falls from a 120-meter height. After a couple of kilometers, the stepped Tad Yuang gurgles, where you can swim in a cool lake. Tad Ciampi is not so tall and powerful, but tourist groups rarely drop in here.

Two circular routes to Pakse start in Paxon. The large circle captures the Sekong province with its coffee fields, while the small one goes north to the Tad Lo waterfalls. A detailed map of the Bolaven Plateau from the Frog Travelers bloggers will help you plan your trip.

Relax on the river islands

There is no sea in Laos, but there are as many as four thousand Sipadan islands in the middle of the Mekong. You can get to the main resort Don Det only on a wooden cake from the village of Nakasang. On the shore, everyone goes into idleness: they lie in a hammock all day and take pictures of buffaloes in the river, and in the evenings they relax in bars. To unwind, take a river excursion to the ten kilometers wide Khon cascading waterfalls.

The first river resort Don-Det was appreciated by the French: they also built a bridge to the neighboring Don-Hot island and left an old steam locomotive there. In the north of this island, ramparts seethe on rocky rapids, and from the south, you can gaze at the rare Irrawaddy dolphins. Those who are not enough to see the flickering backs swim closer to the dolphins on boats and change to kayaks.

Dig up Vientiane’s past

The French ruled in Vientiane for only 50 years and inherited it for centuries to come. The colonial past of the capital of Laos is felt in the architecture, crispy baguettes, and streets with names in Ryu. Take a bike from the hotel and ride to the “brother” of the Arc de Triomphe – the Patusay memorial, which, ironically, was built in honor of independence from France. Climb to the observation deck: the rooftop offers a beautiful view of the city’s business district.

Where the French authorities used to sit, the Lao National Museum is located. It is immediately evident that the Communists are at the helm here: two floors are filled with revolutionary paintings and busts of leaders. For a long time, the hammer and sickle flaunted on the country’s coat of arms, until they were replaced by the golden stupa of That Luang.

The main Lao shrine is built of sacred stones and topped with a curved spire. When you go around it around the perimeter, buy a bird in a wooden cage, go up to the viewing room, make a wish, and release the bird into the sky. According to legend, the relics of Buddha are kept here, so in the fall, near the Pha Thatluang stupa, it is customary to cleanse karma at a colorful festival.

Meet the Akha and Yao peoples

In the northern province of Luang Namtha, there are about 20 ethnic groups who do not care about the latest iPhone. Every day I have worries up to my throat: growing rice, weaving colorful scarves, weaving baskets. To visit wonderful people who know the main thing about life, be ready to climb mountain trails and wade through the jungle for half a day. A good guide can be found in the capital Luang Namtha.

The locals will be flattered if you speak Lao. Say “sabaidi” to say hello, and “smoke” to thank you for the delicious food.

If you are too lazy to go far, ride a bike along the picturesque outskirts. Thatched houses on stilts are exactly like huts on chicken legs. Get ready for the fact that the locals will be alarmed at the sight of a foreigner because for them you are a fairy-tale character. There is nothing to worry about: the reception will be magical.

Respect Khmer Builders

The ruins of the Khmer city of Wat Phu near Pakse are reminiscent of Cambodia’s iconic Angkor. A thousand years ago, at the foot of the mountain with a phallus-top, a mighty civilization was gaining strength, but, as often happens, it has sunk into oblivion.

To explore Khmer heritage in silence, it is best to arrive at Wat Phu early in the morning. Officially, the entrance to the ruins opens at 8:00, but for a small fee, it is allowed earlier.

A stone road along the blackened ruins will lead you to a steep staircase. Above, there are temples decorated with statues, the remains of a library, and a sacred rock spring. No need to read guidebooks: the entire history of the complex is written on giant boulders scattered here and there. At first, the ancient Khmers worshiped the Hindu gods and sacrificed them on a stone in the form of a crocodile, then they fell into Buddhism and worshiped the Buddha imprint. In the middle of the day, take a short break to relax in the shade and photograph the ruins from above: from the top of the hill, the ancient city looks even more incredible.

See Buddha in a new guise

In the still waters of conservative Laos, there are a couple of quagmires where devils are found in every sense. Half a century ago, the eccentric sculptor and shaman Bunlya Sulilat built a sculptural Buddha Park on the outskirts of Vientiane and populated it with characters from his visions. Your world will turn upside down: a tailed deity devours a monkey’s head, and fantastic creatures and multi-armed demons are doing yoga nearby. And only the 40-meter reclining Buddha is not in the least embarrassed by such a strange company.

The three-story pumpkin with a tree on the roof at Buddha Park symbolizes hell, earth, and heaven. Through the mouth of the demon, you will get to the sinners suffering in the dark, and along the serpentine, you will rise to heaven. It is pleasant there in every sense: fresh air and a beautiful view from above at once on all the amazing inhabitants of the park.

Sharpen a basket of rice with a meat salad

To fully experience Laotian flair, have breakfast in Luang Prabang or Vientiane markets. A cup of hot coffee with a croissant remains in the colonial past: street vendors grill river fish or chicken and then string them on wooden sticks. Fat lovers will love Lao pork sausages dipped in salted fish sauce. If you are ripe for the exotic, take a barbecue from a field rodent – they say, for an amateur.

The main decoration of the table in Laos is a wicker basket with Khao-nyau glutinous rice. Lao people nip it off bit by bit and eat it in a bite with a main course such as lamb meat salad with aromatic herbs and vegetables. Unlike their Thai neighbors, Lao people do not throw a handful of chili on a plate – so you can breathe fire only after a spicy papaya salad there is mak hung.

Crunch on a therapeutic massage

Lao masseurs will not ceremony and gently stroke the back: until they find and feel all the pain points, you will not get up from the trestle bed. In the work of the master, they put not only the soul but also the whole body: kneading with knuckles, pressing with elbows and knees, grabbing under white hands, and straightening until you crunch. No matter how much you would like to pray for mercy, remember that beauty requires sacrifice: after the session, you will have a second wind.

In the street salons of Vientiane, massages are performed for a penny, but in the spa centers, they are greeted like a king and given tea. At Lao Herbal Steam Sauna and Massage you can steam up in a traditional herbal sauna, while at the Tangerine Garden Spa you can soften up in the jacuzzi.

Take a shower with an elephant in Sainyabuli

Five hundred years ago, Laos was called the Kingdom of the Million Elephants and the White Umbrella. And if Buddhist “umbrellas” still adorn many temples, then the ranks of gray giants have noticeably thinned. Ordinary hard workers haul logs for farmers, and the lucky ones are taken to rest in the hard-to-reach Sinyabuli nursery.

When you get to the Lao jungle over bumps and bumps, be sure to swim in the river with an elephant. While you stare around, he will quickly draw water into his trunk and wash away your daytime fatigue. In a week you will also learn to ride like a real mahout. And the most responsible will think about getting their own elephant.