Traveling around the world is one of the things that we all put on our “to-do” list. Yet, different factors distract us from that goal. One of the goals is a lack of money.
Indeed, traveling in different places each year is not affordable for everyone. Yet, even when you have enough money, that doesn’t mean you will have time to travel a lot.
Because of that, many people rather choose some of the most attractive destinations. For instance, tourists usually go to France, the USA, Spain, Saudi Arabia, etc.
Yet, we believe that there are small countries across the world that deserve the attention of tourists. One of them we want to analyze in this article – Laos!
Well, we won’t get surprised if you tell us that you don’t even know where Laos exactly is. Because of that, we will start with the basic facts about Laos that every tourist should know.
1Where is Laos?
First of all, the full name of this country is La People’s Democratic Republic. Yet, it is good to mention that this country is one of five remaining socialist states. It is located in the Southeast part of Asia.
It is bordered by China and Myanmar to the northwest, Cambodia to the southeast, Vietnam to the east, and Thailand to the west. It has around 7 million citizens. As you can see, this is not a large country. Yet, there are many interesting facts and entertaining things to do here.
Still, if you are planning to visit sea beaches, then that is not something you will be able. Yet, there is an alternative to that as well and we will analyze it later.
2Facts about History
Laos was a French colony between 1893 and 1953. However, you won’t be able to find a lot of people speaking French here. Older people know this language, but younger generations mostly speak Lao.
Yet, there is one sad fact about this country. Believe it or not, Laos is the most bombed place in the world. During the nine years of the Vietnam War, more than 2 million tons of bombs were dropped across Laos.
We are telling you this because local appreciate when the tourists know something about their history. There is a big chance they will act more kindly if you say that you know these facts.
3No Ocean, but Thousands of Islands
As we previously said, Laos is a completely landlocked country. Yet, the south of the country contains one of the most amazing natural attractions – Si Phan Don. You will find it en route of the powerful Mekong River. Maybe you heard about it. In English, this place is known under the name – The 4000 Islands.
These islands are simply spectacular. You will be able to see Turquoise waves and powdery shores. So, if you plan to visit this place during the summer, then you will be able to find tropical beaches in a landlocked country.
These islands were created thanks to 4350-kilometers long Mekong River. This river separated the land of this country into 4 thousand parts. Imagine how attractive this looks!
4Magical “Crater” Lake
Have you ever heard about Nong Fa Lake? Well, this is a volcanic lake that is located in the mountains in the southeast part of Laos.
Despite an amazing view, this place is interesting for many reasons. You will be able to hear many fears, legends, and respect about this place from the locals.
Believe it or not, the Laos citizens do not want to bathe and swim in this lake. They believe it is a home of giant snake-pig. Legend says that this creature eats everyone who dares to get into it.
Finally, the most amazing fact about this lake is that no one exactly knows how deep it is. Experts assume that Nong Fa is around 78 meters deep. No one has ever been able to successfully attempt to measure the depths.
5Country of Wild Animals
We already said that Laos has around 7 million citizens. Yet, the number of wild animals in this country is also huge. The part of the country is covered by jungles where you can find many types of animals.
For instance, Asian black bears, King Cobras, white-cheeked gibbons, and tigers are some of the animals that live there.
64-Day Thakhek Loop Motorbike Journey
If you are a biker, then you have heard about this event under the name “The Loop”. This is truly an amazing open road journey that is 440-kilometers long. It goes through Kong Lor Cave and Thalang.
The people that are involved in the journey use different types of vehicles during these four days. Some of them use a bike while others drive scooters.
Things that you will see here are rural villages, looming limestone cliffs, cascading waterfalls, etc. So, if you are planning to have an adventure in this country, put this event on your “must-do” lists.
7Gambling
This is quite an interesting and taboo subject at the same time in Laos. Believe it or not, gambling is forbidden in Laos by law. Yet, people from Laos have the right to gamble in international online casinos.
Of course, if those online casinos itself allow them to do that.
Anyway, tourists do not have to worry about that. Gambling for tourists is completely legal. Still, it is important to find casinos that have a good reputation. We can’t guarantee that all of them that you find are completely safe.
So, if you plan to gamble online, then our recommendation is to visit gclub4laos.com and see which games they offer.
8Do Locals Speak English?
Well, we can’t give you a precise answer. Most of them do not speak English fluently. This especially counts when we talk about older people. Yet, many of them know some basic words and you will be able to understand them.
For instance, if you go to a grocery store, they will know how to explain to you certain things.
9Is It Safe?
This is the question that we constantly hear from the tourists. Many of us have heard about the Vietnam War and that’s why many people are afraid. Yet, there is no reason for that because Laos is relatively safe in all parts of the country.
Our only recommendation is not to go into the poorest parts of the state. That is the only place where some problems could happen. Yet, the capital of the country is completely safe.
