Laos

One of my favourite countries in SE Asia. It’s cheap, beautiful easy to travel to (from within Asia) and still not so affected by tourism that the locals have turned sour. The people are the most beautiful people I’ve met in Asia.

Food is pretty good, and dirt cheap. As is beer. There’s enough transport to get around adequately, not necessarily comfortably. Definitely an amazing place for a backpacked who loves any kind of outdoor activities.

Wish I could have spend a month here.

‘nuff said.

Laus is unbelievably beautiful, and the people are too. I’d love to go back.

We went Huay Xai -> Pak Beng -> Luang Prabang -> Vientiane (passing through).

I toured SE Asia, from Indonesia and Singapore thru Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Guess what!? laos was my favorite! Its so much more ‘real’ and low-key with less tourists (still plenty and you can get around) Its really a very special place if you appreciate culture, nature, and adventure. FYI the food is nothing special, but everything else is spectacular

Lao is beautiful country and I have brought home some very fond memories of my time there – can’t wait to go back and see more. The people are friendly, the food is excellent and the scenery just has to be seen to be believed. Be sure to take a slow boat rather than the fast boat – in my opinion the slow boat is possibly the best way to take in the vast beauty of the countryside. Make sure to bring a jacket in winter, it can get quite chilly, even in Vientiane!

Oh, how we loved it! What a wonderful place. What nice people and relaxed feeling. I can’t wait to return someday.

Friends who’ve been there talk of how wonderful a place it is, and how they’d like to retire there one day. I’m going this November, 2007, to see for myself.

My old French teacher is getting married here next Feb (2008) Her husband to be is Laoation and we have been invited to the wedding. I would love to go. It would be wonderful to celebrate such a happy occassion and also to see this beautiful country.

We went to the Golden Triangle for the day and had the option of a boat trip across to Laos where we could go round a market and not have to go through customs. Biggest difference here was the things they sell, from Thailand where things are all pretty normal there were suddenly bottles of moonshine whisky with snakes and scorpions inside as well as a variety of other oddities. We also saw a strange bear like animal and a lively monkey. Then it poured down and we had to wait out the rain before going back.

I am stuck on Laos. It’s quite possibly one of the nicest countries I’ve ever been to. The people are friendly and hospitable. The scenery is untouched and unspoiled. The never-ending range of activities will keep you occupied for weeks. We’re both itching to go back to this captivating country.

We have been told by several travelers on every trip we’ve embarked on over the past two years that Vang Vieng is a MUST if you are traveling to Laos. Naturally, I was captivated by the idea of spending my time in this small riverside village, where, I was told, there would be a barrage of daily eco-friendly tours and activities all waiting for me.

And it was everything we thought it would be. We went caving and hiking. We rented motorbikes and hunted for fresh water pools to swim in. We indulged in mouth-watering dishes and sucked back giant bottles of BeerLao, but the absolute best part of Vang Vieng, and I’m sure any traveler will agree, is the river tubing.

Seven dollars can take you a long way for the day in Laos. We rented our inner tubes in town and were taken to the mouth of a swift moving river several kilometers outside of town. The fast moving currents swept us downstream and once we rounded our first bend, we were in heaven.

It took us six hours to make our way down river. We couldn’t help stopping at all the mini-bars set up on the riverbanks. Each bar had zip-lines, trapeze bars and swings that released far out over the river. We stopped at each one. We swam, had a dunk and washed it all away with beers. By the time we arrived back in town, we were tired, but deliriously happy. So happy in fact, we did the same thing three days in a row.

Traveling is what you make it. We spent six weeks on the road in Asia. Some of that time was really harsh and some of it was a blast. I think every traveler needs a mix of good and bad experiences to really make a journey worthwhile. Cambodia was completely off the rails. Vietnam was an intriguing mix of old and new worlds colliding. Loas was relaxed, upbeat and completely out of this world. Asia is a diverse, wonderfully challenging and completely captivating experience. Don’t miss it.