Enjoy your holiday with maximize your
Authentic Lao experience
Eat Lao food - Purchasing fresh foods in the market and eating Lao dishes ensures that your money stays local and supports Lao farmers. When on a tour, request to eat in the village instead of taking food with you from town. This will provide villagers with income and you with an authentic Lao meal and tremendous cultural experience. Purchasing handicrafts in markets or villages directly supports local artisans and their traditional crafts. Taking a village guide and/or a local guide from town will makes your trip more enjoyable and educational, while helping employ local people. Look for packaged tours that include local guides, local food and local accommodation. Staying overnight in a village as part of an organized tour provides a genuine experience with Lao culture and Lao people, Remember to compensate villagers for accommodation and for food and to visit villages with a local guide. Visiting national protected areas help generate income and awareness to support the protection of threatened wildlife and forest ecosystems.
In addition, we recommend that you view the Do’s and Don’ts to learn about what you can do to minimize negative impacts on Lao culture and the environment and maximize your authentic Lao experience.
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Birding
With over 800 species recorded to date and new species being added to the country list regularly.
Ethnic Villages
With 47 recognized ethnic groups, visiting almost any Lao village outside of the main towns will put you in an ethnic minority village! The most diverse collection of ethnic minority villages is in the northern provinces of Luang Namtha, Phongsaly and Bokeo, but there are also quite a few distinct Mon-Khmer groups in living near the Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos . If you are interested in visiting a remote ethnic minority village, it is recommended that you hire a local guide and use a local tour operator or guide service. If you do decide to go to one of the country's more accessible ethnic villages on your own, please first have a look at the do's and don'ts for culturally sensitive in Laos.
Camping
Organized tent camping is available in Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area and through major tour operators in Vang Vieng, If you are interested in staying in a simple bamboo forest camp, try the Nam Ha Forest Camp in Luang Namtha's Nam Ha National Protected Area. There is also combination rafting and camping expeditions available in Luang Prabang Province. Asia Safari offers high-end camping trips in various places throughout the country.
Handicrafts
Textiles, silver, woodcarving, basketry and natural paper are some of the most popular handicrafts in Laos . Lao weavers are know for producing intricate fabrics in home-spun silk and cotton, most notably, complex mut mee (ikot) patterns based on folklore and natural themes.
Caving
Some of the most extensive limestone cave systems in Asia can be found in Laos.
Laos Wildlife
Laos is home to over one hundred species of large mammal. Many of these are familiar Asian species such as Tiger, Asian Elephant and Gaur (a species of wild cattle). Laos is also home to an impressive diversity of primates including five species of gibbon, five species of macaque and fours species of leaf monkey including the incredibly beautiful Douc Langur.
Cycling
A great, ecologically friendly way to get around Lao is by bicycle. With a population of only about 6 million people, Laos has light traffic outside the main towns and biking around the country's green hills is gaining popularity. It is best to bring your own bike if you plan on a longer trip, but for shorter trips, many tour companies and guest houses rent mid-range mountain bikes. There are currently organized bike tours to the mountains and ethnic villages in Luang Namtha. Other great places to rent a bike are Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.
New Activiites
The Khammouane Provincial Tourism Department has begun promoting "The Loop", a flexible 400-plus-km circuits that starts and ends in Thakhaek, and allows you to set the pace when taking in the provincial highlights.
