Travel in Laos is only for those with patience and a laid back attitude. For those people, the rewards are as good as it gets. Heritage-listed Luang Prabang is a world-class travel destination alone. Here is a guide to a well thought out route you could take to travel the beautiful scenic country that is Laos. Get off the beaten track…
Vientiane is without out a doubt the most laid back capital in S.E. Asia and possible anywhere else even.
But let’s start this quick guide by going against the tourist flow by travelling the Baktrax clever Laos way from south to north so we can see it all in an even better way than the hordes who start in the north.
Pakse has the heritage-listed Wat Phu Champasak as well as the claim to being the chill out capital of Laos and possibly the best restaurant in all Laos. what’s not to love?
Heading north to Savannakhet which also has chilled out wide streets & French colonial architecture to explore. BUT! it will be the bus trip with the locals between the two that will really capture your memory as it passes through many small villages stopping for every waving hand. This is the bus trip also for those who want to see and maybe taste B.B.Q chicken on a stick.
Tha Kaek, the next stop north is another chill out town beside the Mekong with even fewer tourists again so makes for a great stop to break the long journey from Savan to the capital.
After leisurely exploring the capital Vientiane on foot we head to the mini Halong Bay on the land of the small town of Vang Vieng amid the limestone Kaarst scenery. Then heading towards Luang Prabang is some of the best bus riding scenery in all S.E. Asia.
Everyone is enchanted by Luang Prabang. All preserved as it was from the beginning only with modern accommodation and restaurants blending in within these old buildings. A world hotspot but get there now as word gets out and it may lose its chill-out factor
Then onto far less-visited Udomxai for yet another amazing local bus adventure on the much-improved roads and buses alike. A similar trip as that between Pakse and Savannakhet only with a better bus perhaps & minus the chicken on sticks.
Then a shorter ride to the scenic riverside town of Pakbeng for perhaps one of the biggest croissants on earth.
Lastly, go in the clever direction of upriver rather than down for the as good as it gets river scenery on the mighty Mekong before arriving in little Huay Xai for a final laid back Laos experience.
Travel has only started in Laos in the last two decades after years of war and misery and will only increase as it punches above its weight in attractions. So as the infrastructure continues to improve on the back of tourism it will soon end up like other pack em in like sardines destinations and the laid back charm may be lost. Go now to see it at its finest. But staying chilled is the only way to approach it. Be like the locals and do not ask what time is the bus leaving let alone arriving.
