Laos is an exceptional quiet and peaceful country situated in the Indochina Peninsula, surrounded by China, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. This old French Colony is one of the poorest in the region, and rarely makes the news headlines. The capital city of Vientiane is like no other, with an unmatchable peace and quiet in all the streets! From Singapore, the best is to fly through Bangkok, or, fly to Bangkok, take an overnight train to Vientiane and cross the border by foot. This solution is very easy, cheap, and the train ride at night is very comfortable! Crossing the border between Thailand and Laos is a very enjoyable experience, and lets you witness the change of pace between the two countries.
The capital city of Laos, Vientiane, is a laid-back city with clear architecture and planning from the French-Colonial Era. Wide 'Boulevards', Roundabouts, and most strikingly, terrific French Bakery! There are a couple of museums and sights in Vientiane, but the core of the activity is towards the north. To go To VangVieng and Luang Prabang, the most convenient is to take the bus, and enjoy the beautiful scenery during the trip which is a bit long!
Vang Vieng is a small village, located in the middle of impressive Limestones mountains very similar to those in Vietnam's Halong Bay or China's Guilin. The sleepy little town is a great base for Trekking, Cave exploration, Climbing and so on.
Luang Prabang is the most touristy town of Laos, (but by 'touristy, we are not talking about Bangkok or Bali 'touristy', the place is very quiet!), and has a very nice setup along the Mekong river with little shops, night markets, and temples.
Luang Prabang is also a fantastic place to organise 2 or 3 days treks to the mountains to the north, and meet Hmong or Khamu Tribes. We easily organized a trip on the spot, met a very nice guide, and trekked for 2 days into very remote landscapes, meeting very nice and welcoming local families. Our trip also included an Elephant ride, and a couple of hours of Kayak on the Mekong River to get back to Luang Prabang, an unforgettable experience!
