Laos

Laos is the quietest country in mainland Southeast Asia, built around the Mekong, limestone karst valleys and a slow pace that suits longer stays. A fast railway now links Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, cutting journeys that used to take a full day. Costs are low and infrastructure outside the main towns is basic.

Cities

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO-listed town on a Mekong peninsula, with gilded monasteries, French colonial shophouses and a dawn alms procession of monks. It is small, walkable and deliberately low-rise. Kuang Si waterfall and Mekong boat trips fill the days around the town itself.

Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng lies in a bend of the Nam Song under limestone karsts, and is now an outdoor centre for kayaking, caving, ballooning and rock climbing rather than the party town it was in the 2000s. Sunrise hot-air balloons over the karst are the signature image. It is an hour from Vientiane on the fast train.

Vientiane

Vientiane is a low-key riverside capital with French-era avenues, the gilded That Luang stupa and the COPE centre explaining the country's unexploded ordnance legacy. A day is enough for the sights, but the café and restaurant scene is the best in Laos. It is the southern end of the railway.

When to go

See all seasons

• Hot dry: Very hot, with agricultural burning haze in March and April.
• Green season: Afternoon rain, full waterfalls, lush landscapes, fewest visitors.
• Cool dry: The best months: dry, cooler, clear river and karst views.

Entry & visas

Entry rules for this country aren't published here yet.

Always confirm entry rules with the official source before you book.