Laos is the highlight of Southeast Asia.as it offers
travellers an unparalleled glimpse of traditional Southeast
Asian life. From the fertile lowlands of the Mekong
River valley to the rugged Annamite highlands,
The Mekong River forms a large part of the western
boundary with Thailand, whereas the mountains of the
Annamite Chain form most of the eastern border with
Vietnam
Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang,
founded in the fourteenth century by Fa Ngum, himself
descended from a long line of Lao kings, tracking
back to Khoun Boulom. Lan-Xang prospered until the
eighteenth century, when the kingdom was divided into
three principalities, which eventually came under
Siamese suzerainty
By the late 19th century, France had established
French Indochina in the Vietnamese provinces of Tonkin
and Annam. The Thais eventually ceded all of Laos
to the French, who were content to use the territory
merely as a buffer between its colonial ho ldings
and Siam.
Upon Fa Ngum’s marriage to a Cambodian princess,
the Khmer court gave the Lao king a sacred gold Buddha
called Pra Bang. Fa Ngum made Buddhism the state religion,
and Pra Bang became the protector of the Lao kingdom.
Nobility pledged allegiance to the king before the
statue. Named after Pra Bang was the city of Luang
Prabang, the cradle of Lao culture and the centre
of the Lao state for the next 200 years.
The pace of Laos is slow, its people are relaxed
and friendly There are 68 official ethnic groups in
Laos, belonging to three main groups., Lao Loum -
Lao, or Lao Loum consists of about half of the poulation.
The Lao Loum or lowland lao people live in the Mekong
river valley and its tributaries
Lao Theung are the largest hilltribe group, with
45 subgroups. The Lao Theeung are semi nomadic and
of Mon-Khmer origin. They live on mountain slopes,
between 300 and 900m altitude and practice slas
Lao Sung or High Lao live in the high mountains
of the north. Main groups are the Hmong and the Mien.
Hmong are divided into Black, Red, White and Striped,
according to their clothing. The Hmong raise cattle,
pigs and chickens and generally survive on a barter
economy and burn griculture
As well as the four main groups, Laos also has a
number of Chinese, mainly living in the cities as
well as ethnic Vietnamese, Cambodians, Burmese and
Thai, In Vientiane there are also a small number of
southern Asians
The international airports at Vientiane and Luang
Prabang are served by national carrier Lao Airlines
and a few others, including Thai Airways, Bangkok
Airways (Luang Prabang only) and Vietnam Airlines
It's possible to enter Laos by land or air from
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam or China. Land borders
are often remote and the travelling can be tough either
side, but the actual frontier crossing is usually
pretty simple
Vientiane - the capital on the
banks of the Mekong River (rapidly losing much of
its "sleepiness")
Huay Xai - in the north, on the
Mekong and the border with Thailand
Luang Prabang - a UNESCO World
Heritage City known for its numerous temples
Luang Namtha - capital of the
north, known for its trekking.
Muang Xay - also known as Oudomxay,
the capital of the multiethnic province of Oudomxay.
Pakbeng - halfway point on the
overnight slow boat between Huay Xai & Luang
Prabang
Pakse - gateway to the Wat Phu
ruins and the "four thousand islands"
(Si Phan Don)
Savannakhet - in the south, on
the Mekong, connected by bridge to Mukdahan, Thailand
Tha Khaek - south of Vientiane
on the banks of the Mekong, Tha Khaek is a popular
base for exploring the Phou Hin Boun National Park
including the famous Konglor Cave
Ban Nalan trail - a 2 days ecotourism
trekking in the north of Laos.
Plain of Jars - just what the
name says, but nobody knows what they are or why
they are there
Si Phan Don - the "four
thousand islands" are nestled within the Mekong
near the Cambodian border
Vang Vieng - backpacker hangout
for spelunking in limestone caves and tubing on
the Nam Song river
Tham Nong Pafa Cave - a cave
discovered in Khammouan Province in 2004; as many
as 200 Buddha statues of all sizes have been found
inside
Vieng Xai
Nong Khiaw - North of Luang Prabang
by 4 hour bus ride or 7 hour slow boat ride, this
area is between beautiful Karst cliffs where you
can discover hilltribe villages, kayak, bike ride,
or just hang out in a relaxing town
Laos has three distinct seasons.
The hot season is from March to May, when temperatures
can soar as high as 40°C. The slightly cooler
wet season is from May to October, when temperatures
are around 30°C, tropical downpours are frequent,
and some years the Mekong floods. The dry season
from November to March, which has low rainfall and
temperatures as low as 15°C (or even to zero
in the mountains at night), is "high season"
|
