Backpacking Information on Laos

LAOSadd very low maintenance- could have just described
Population: 5.9 million (UN, 2005)the "ideal" girl, but this is Laos. So if you want to keep
Capital: Vientianecoming home to this kind of girl, then Laos is the place
Area: 236,800 sq km (91,400 sq miles)for you.
Major languages: Lao, French (for diplomatic purposes)The Lao culture is rooted on immense spirituality,
Major religion: Buddhismparticularly Theravada Buddhism with influences
Life expectancy: 53 years (men), 56 years (women)extending from architecture to daily living, as goes with
(UN)the communal practice of alms giving every morning
Monetary unit: 1 new kip = 100 athupon sunrise. But Laos, with its recently acquired
The Lao People's Republic is one of the, if not theaccolade as the Ney York Time's best tourist
least modernized countries of the Southeast Asiadestination in the World, a slow modernization is taking
region isolated by the communist government, so poorplace posing great danger to the solemnity of some
it makes Cambodia look industrialized. As such, therituals such as the aforementioned daily alms giving to
small country prides on rich culture and heritage asmonks. For now, the Laotians' simple life is in control, in
much as its pristine surroundings and solemn traditions.balance with the times in absolute no hurry to match
Why Laos? Why now? Why not? This is a place sothe pace of its SEA neighbours.
mysterious, outsiders know next to nothing about it,ATTRACTIONS
and it is this potential that makes it so alluring. TravellersComing to Laos, no travel experience is complete
who have the privilege to explore this exotic andwithout spending ample to excessive times in historical
generally unexplored frontier enjoy this simplicity andand sacred edifices. Not to be redundant or cheesy,
solemnity while it lasts until the waves ofLaos prides on these imperial and colossal structures
industrialization taints the truth and ingenuity that is Lao,that tell the great Lao tale of how it has become. The
as it slowly becomes a sought-after tourist destinationPha That Luang, the Great Stupa, the national
for the backpacker culture- the details will come soon.monument of Laos covered in gold is unprecedented
GEOGRAPHYand truly royal. The Buddha Park is also breath-taking
Laos (18 00 N, 105 00 E) is a 236,800 km2 smalland magical with but one phrase to describe it,
landlocked nation sandwiched between Thailand and"out-of-this-world". Hoi An is perhaps one of the places
Vietnam. The country is the mountainous formerwith the strongest resistance to change, thus its appeal
Kingdom with thick, plush, and high forests and junglesto travellers with the taste for the old and authentic.
that shroud the majority of the land. Laos is mostlyLuang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage City, has
rugged mountains with the Phou Bia standing atopmore adventures in store with tremendous alternatives
Laos at an altitude of 2,817 metres above sea level,for fun and information for the independent traveller.
while the Mekong River, the artery, the lifeline of LaosThe Plain of Jars are also a sought after place,
and of the greater SEA region, sits as the lowest pointesteemed to be as enigmatic as it is dangerous, for it
of the Lao terrain at 70 metres above sea. Lao alsois a site of undetonated bombs. River Mekong is a
comes with only a few plains and plateaus, hence thenatural wonder beyond necessity and importance, it's
serpentine rice paddies all across the land hill side.downright fun. Lastly, home and paradise to the
CLIMATEbackpacker culture, there is Vang Vieng, so
The climate here is generally tropical monsoon withphenomenal, this, for many, can be the place they see
three seasons: hot from March to May, rainy fromon earth, and to some it happens, for it is the land
June through October, and dry from Decemberwhere the waters are high, and the alcohol flows free.
through February. The dry season is the high seasonTubing is, to many travellers one of the ultimate
for travel to Laos simply for the absence of extremeadventures in Laos, and is ultimately dangerous as well
heat or precipitation that can obstruct whatever thewith 2 deaths reported and several other casualties
traveller's plans. The extreme heat on April spirals thefrom a simple gash to broken skulls- doesn't make the
beyond tolerable temperature to 104 °F, unless theexperience any less unless of course it happens to
traveler will head up to the mountains.you.
PEOPLEFOOD
Laotian or Lao people are good-natured and generousFood, food, Lao food- this is cuisine for foodies in
people who are nice to foreigners for no apparentsearch of new flavours. To a lot of insiders looking in,
reason, it is an eye opener, even to, say AmericansLao or Khmer food is much a mystery as this whole
who are responsible for the 266 million bombs thatcountry has been. Although its relatives are Thai,
have taken lives in this war-neutral country over theChinese and Vietnamese food, imagine these marrying
past 30 or so years. There are around 78 milliontogether. Lao or Khmer cuisine is perhaps the best
bombs left unexploded that continue to threaten thevehicle to establish Lao connection. Lucky enough, Lao
lives of locals, where only 400,000 were found andcuisine has not been side-swept by the wave of
detonated in the last 10 years. That is enough bombsWestern food chains, but to be sure, the streets will
to consistently explode every 9 minutes in 24 hoursoffer that most authentic Khmer cuisine from the
for 10 years. As an especially peaceful Buddhist nation,Kingdom. A bowl of Kao Piak off the Daily Market,
none can vex them. Kindness is a more familiar feelingwhich is a bowl of steaming noodle goodness
than anger for these people, no BS. The kind ofcomplimented by chicken, duck, and pork and
Buddhism in this country which accounts for the religioncondiments...lots of it from ginger paste, chilli, fish sauce,
of 67% of the 6,834,345 population is Theravada, whilelemon, pepper, sugar, etc, is reminiscent of Pho. Khao jii
Christianity is but an incomparable minority with lesspat-te is Laos' Bahn Mi, and tam maak hung is a
than 2% of the Laotians. In over 100 ethnic groups, thedoppelganger to Thailand's som tam. The fundamental
Lao have the most sizeable 55% or so demographic,characteristics of the cuisine are meat and fish are
then the Khmous and Hmongs, and de facto, LAO isused sparingly, at least in contrast to the liberal use of
the official language of the state. ENGLISH is growingfruits and vegetables. The use of coconut milk in
more priority than the colonial language, FRENCH atcooking is adopted from Thai and Cambodian
the same, a few too many ethnic languages orinfluences. Desiring something authentic? You want
dialects.some Lao lao, that traditional home brewed rice
CULTUREwhiskey? How about a little exotica- some crispy ant
Situated and locked in the middle of the Indochinaegg omelettes perhaps?
peninsula, Laos has beheld "crossroads" status.This place is a beautiful secret gem, which won't stay
Romantic and mysterious, nice and cool, pristine butthat hidden too long. Laos amongst all is a country the
very adaptable, terrible past but bright future, simplytraveller will love for the sights and more so the smell
breathtaking and gets more beautiful by the second,that says "home".