Laos, which stretches for over 1 000km and offers a wealth of tourist opportunities, is the only nation in Asia not to enjoy access to the sea. It offers the opportunity to explore, from the Mekong right to the frontier with China, both mountains and traditions.

Laos is surrounded by extremely popular tourist destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, and remains the exception, having managed to hold on to its privacy. The country has been isolated by its mountain ranges less easy access than that of its neighbours. It does not offer seaside resorts but rather concentrates on two prime attractions: the Mekong and the mountains. The Mekong River, which flows for over 1 800 km through the country, now peacefully now tumultuously, as it moves between wild gorges and cultivated plains, with their terraced rice paddies and stilt villages. The capital, Vientiane, on the river plain, is well worth a visit. It is home to Pha That Luang, a 16th century monument, which is said to hold the relic of the Buddha and the former royal monastery, Ho Phra Keo, now a museum of religious art.

To the south, most tourism is still by water and the river, and visitors can discover the exotic charm of the town of Savannakhet, the grandeur of the Khone Falls and the extraordinary sight of the Mekong dolphins, on the frontier with Cambodia.

To the north, the tourist trail generally passes through Luang Prabang, the Plain of Jars, Bokeo province (part of the Golden Triangle) and the hills of Oudomsay, home to large numbers of ethnic minorities, including the H’mong. Muang Say province offers mountain