Laos guide

Hidden away and landlocked into Southeast Asia's inaccessible mountains is one of Asia's forgotten lands. Quiet Laos has very few visitors and refreshingly low-key tourism. Unlike other Asian Third World countries, you will not be hassled by vendors, or feel a financial target. With a population of only six million chiefly involved in agriculture, there is little industry and consequently few hotels, which for the most part are basic and rudimentary.

The restful capital Vientiane, with its population of only 100,000, feels like an escape in its own right. This is about as busy as it gets in dormant Laos, a country where the tallest building is only seven storeys. There can be few capitals with cabbage patches lining the busiest districts. Up country is the magical Luang Prabang, officially designated as the best preserved "city" in Southeast Asia by UNESCO. The streets are mainly dotted with quaint French colonial houses and the famed temples are ornate and absolutely spectacular. The gentle Mekong winds its way through and the rush hour is an orange tide of monks.

Infrastructure beyond the threads connecting these two is virtually non-existent. The mountains have never really been tamed and are controlled by rebel forces. Even if it was safe, such is the state of the roads that it would take several days to navigate through the northern regions. Flying or boating down the languid Mekong is the only way.

Patuxai, Vientiane

Poor old Laos is the most bombed country in the history of warfare. Around the barren and remote cowboy town of Phonsavan the sad legacy of Agent Orange is visible in the useless soils. Farmers try to make the best of it in the bomb-littered fields. Many deal in scrap metal, with shell casings forming props for huts or troughs for pigs. The main reason to come this far out is to scratch your head over the mysterious Plain Of Jars. Hundreds of ancient stone jars are strewn across the hilltops and no one has quite worked out what they were. In the Vietnam War these drum-sized oddities were used as bomb shelters and many have been raked with gunfire.

The lazy pace, absence of materialism and strong culture is a breath of fresh air. Higher elevations are cool all year round. Laos undergoes a tropical monsoon and is best visited in the dry season, December to April. It is still quite tough to get around, but the challenge is well rewarded for those who take the time.

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