Archives: Places to go

Located southwest of Vang Vieng in Laos, Tham Jang (or Tham Chang) is Vang Vieng’s most famous of the caves. In the early 19th century the cave was used as a bunker during the Chinese-Ho invasion. It was also the residence of migrating people who settled near the town’s southern Meuand Xong Village to plant vegetables.

Located in a scenic karst area to the northeast of Thakaek, Tham Xang (or Elephant Cave) is one of many famous caves known for its remarkable limestone formation and having prominent Buddha statues housed around it.

Located to the northwest of Haw Phra Kaew near the Presidental Palace, Wat Sisaket is considered as Vientiane’s oldest surviving monastery. It is a Buddhist wat and one of most important temples in Laos. Wat Sisaket is famous for its cloister wall on which more than 2000 thousand tiny ceramic and silver Buddha statues in various sizes and postures and rows with hundreds of seated Buddhas from the 16th to the 19th century were situated.

Hongsa is a district of Xayabury province in the northern of Laos. About 130 kilometers far from Luang Prabang, Hongsa is a small valley wrapped around by mountain. Being endowed with beautiful landscape with rice paddy fields, green forest, small streams together with traditional handicraft villages, Hongsa has become a tourism attract in recent years.

Xieng Khouang is located in the Xieng Khouang Plateau in the north-east of Laos. Xieng Khouang in Laos language means ‘Horizontal city’. It is quite small province with the total area of 15,880 square kilometers and population of about 230,000 people. Mountains make up largely part of the total area, however, Xieng Khouang is still one of the main producing areas of Laos thanks to the fertile floodplain.

Wat Phou (or Vat Phu) in Lao language means ‘temple on the mountain’ is one of the oldest archaeological site in Laos. This temple is located in Champassak province along the Mekong River in the Southern-most part of Laos. It is about 670 kilometers far from Vientiane and surrounded by around 4000 islands on Mekong River (Siphandone).

Vientiane – the capital of Laos – is a peaceful city located on the Mekong River. With the total area of 3,920 square kilometers and the population of 610,000 people, Vientiane is quite small as compared to Thailand or Hanoi. Vientiane is old – aged city which has more than 400 years of constructing and developing since 16th century.

Located on the Nam Song River, Vang Vieng is a tourism-oriented town in Laos. It takes about four hours ride to the north from the capital Vientiane to Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng has long-lasting history since 1353 with its original name as Mouang Song and was renamed as Vang Vieng now during French colonial in the 1890s. The most notable feature of the area is the karst hill landscape surrounding the town.

Phongsali is located in the northern most of the country and shares the border with Yunnan province (China) and Dien Bien province (Vietnam). Thanks to the favorable position, Phongsali is an important economic hub in the country in particular and Indochina in general.

Located in the confluence of the Se Done and Mekong Rivers, Pakse is the most important economic and tourism center of the Southern part of Laos. Pakse is the capital city of Champasak province with the population of approximately 70,000 people. Pakse has long history with many political changes.

Nam Ou – in Laos language means Rice Bowl is one of the most important rivers in Laos. As its name ‘Rice Bowl’, Nam Ou plays a vital role in Laotians’ lives. It provide water source for irrigation, transportation as well as tourism. The Ou River is a tributary of the Mekong and its valley has some of the most stunning scenery in the whole of Laos: mountains, the holy Pak Ou Caves and local hill tribe villages.

The town of Muang Ngoi Neua lies 40 km north of Nong Khiaw, along the Nam Ou River. This small town surrounded by ethnic villages has become very popular with backpackers over the last few years. The town is a small slice of utopia, set on a peninsula at the foot of Mount Phaboom, shaded by coconut trees, with the languid river breeze wafting through the town’s small paths.