Visit Laos Now
There has been a lot of press recently about why its time to visit Laos. While it’s something we have been shouting about for a while, the rest of the world is starting to agree. Here is some of the recent press on why you should visit Laos.
Forbes Names Laos as SE Asia’s Most Charming Country
Forbes states that while Laos may be a landlocked country without a tropical coastline, but it makes up for it with stunning mountain scenery, lush rice paddies and the mighty Mekong River. Still wild and largely untouched, it offers a fascinating array of cultural attractions, outdoor experiences and timeless charm.
On Luang Prabang, Forbes says with its mix of Buddhist temples, colonial architecture and jungle fauna, Luang Prabang is one of the overlooked jewels of southeast Asia. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, its heritage has been preserved in time and its traditions remain an enduring attraction.
Time Magazine Names Luang Prabang in The World’s 50 Greatest Places in 2023
Identying Luang Prabang has a hidden paradise, Time states that the turquoise waterfalls, Buddhist temples, and sunset boat trips on the Mekong are just a few of Luang Prabang’s highlights. Despite its remote location in the jungled mountains of Laos, the former royal capital is not just for backpackers.
Highlighting the opening of the Lao-China Railway, they note the new $6 billion high-speed railway from China to Thailand now runs from the Chinese city of Kunming to the Laotian capital, Vientiane. The train turns the once 12-hour bus ride from Vientiane to Luang Prabang into a scenic two hour trip.
Conde Naste Names Nam Et-Phou Louey at one of the World’s Top 10 Night Safaris
Up there with the likes of Botswana, Kenya, Ecuador and more, Conde Naste highlight the Nam Et-Phou Louey night safari as one of the best in the world. They highlight that:
“A late-night boat adventure through Laos’ remote Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park provides a first-hand glimpse at the country’s budding conservation success story. The trip starts with an evening boat ride, followed by a hike and dinner by a campfire, then the ultimate twilight treat: floating down the river beneath a blanket of darkness—with only one torchlight per boat to illuminate the potential leopards, porcupines, and gibbons en route. The journey concludes with a night in the park ecolodge’s traditional Lao bungalows. Local guides run the tour with support from partners like the Wildlife Conservation Society; this tourism model encourages park-adjacent communities to protect the region’s endangered species.”
The Telegraph Includes Laos in Top 20 Places to Visit in 2023
The Telegraph are another publication that focuses on the opening of the high speed railway as a development which opens up Laos with much more convenient travel options now available. Read the full article here.
CNN Travel Rates Laos as One of the Best Destinations to Visit in 2023
As part of the list, CNN Travel identify the wealth of opportunities on offer in Laos, including the towering karst peaks await visitors to adventure-haven Vang Vieng, while UNESCO-listed Luang Prabang is filled with French-colonial heritage, Buddhist ritual and natural beauty. The mysterious Plain of Jars, a megalithic archaeological site, can be found in the Xiangkhoang Plateau. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience that makes a difference, head for Bokeo Province and join one of the Gibbon Experience’s overnight treks. Guests of this tourism-based conservation project spend the night in the world’s tallest treehouses – only accessible by zipline – among wild, black-crested gibbons.
Thrillist Names Laos as one of the most overlooked countries you should visit
Laos features in this Thrillist List of the most overlooked countries you should consider visiting. They note that “In Laos, the old-school ’60s backpack culture—when starry-eyed hitchhikers learned to meditate with monks and lived in dollar-a-day beach huts—is alive and well. For proof, look no further than the “4,000 islands” of the Mekong River, and Don Det in particular, where hostels spill out on stilts into the quiet water, or the spectacular limestone mountains around Luang Prabang. Considered by many to be Laos’s cultural (and formerly royal) capital, Luang Prabang is an electric amalgamation of the spiritual, natural, and modern.”
A special passion of ours, we are pleased to see them recognize Lao Food, saying “Laos is home to some of the best food in Asia, drawing similarities to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, but diverging in regional specialties. Lao Coffee, too, is world-class: Many of the plantations around the waterfalls of the verdant Bolaven Plateau offer tastings and overnight stays and make great bases for exploring the plateau’s cave systems and underwater lakes. Laos’s French colonial legacy is obvious in the wide boulevards and chic villas of Mekong-side cities like Savannakhet and the capital Vientiane”
Wanderlust Feature Laos as One of the Ten Best Places to See Elephants
Laos was once known as the ‘land of a million elephants.’ Sadly, that’s not the case today; deforestation, poaching and expanding urban areas means there’s now only an estimated 400 elephants left in the wild and 400 still in captivity. It’s thought, if the problems aren’t solved, Laos’ elephant population could disappear entirely in the coming decades.
Seeking to try and turn the tide is Sayaboury’s Elephant Conservation Centre. The centre supports a handful of retired elephants that travellers can meet, as well as providing veterinary support and care for the animals and employment for the former Mahouts who worked with them. Read the full article.
Conde Naste Features Luang Prabang as 1 of 50 of the Most Beautiful Small Towns
Conde Naste highlight ‘This out-of-time Laotian city is one of the most beautiful places in Southeast Asia, with ancient temples, colorful markets, Mekong River boat rides, and—thanks to its surprisingly small population—a delightful lack of the region’s frantic urban centers.’
