Laos

Life in Laos is famously languid. The gentle flow of the wide waters of the Mekong seems to set the pace to “slow and easy”. This is an occasional frustration for foreign businesses, but a constant source of delight for travellers, who adapt easily to the rhythm of the lazy days here.

Vientiane is not the kind of town with grand attractions or major sightseeing on offer, but a cold Lao Beer, supped in a shack on the banks of the Mekong at sunset may well rank as one of the Wonders of the Ancient World!

Having said that, Vientiane does have plenty to entertain and occupy visitors while they are waiting for that magical part of the day – some fine old temples, a royal heritage and some grandiose faded colonial architecture.

The town of Luang Prabang, nestled on the banks of the Mekong River in Northern Laos is quite simply, charming. From the early dawn hours when silent ranks of saffron-clad Buddhist monks pad through the streets collecting alms to the cool of the evening when the sun sets over the mountains and the lazy river, this place is endlessly pleasing to the eye and to the soul.

The Lanna temples of northern Laos are some of the most beautiful in all of Asia, and almost all are working temples to this day, indeed the entire town has been protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It’s amazing how many people lament the disappearance of “untouched Asia” and yet how few people visit the beautiful southern reaches of the Mekong in Laos. From the vast Khong Phapeng Waterfall (where critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphins frolic in the water) to the most remote and little-visited of the major Angkor temples – Wat Phou there is much to reward travellers who choose to venture into this charming region.