The countries located in the southeastern part of Asia are of great interest to Russian tourists. Stunning landscapes, exotic nature and food, ancient religions and mysterious culture - all together are a guarantee of a full-fledged holiday full of events, facts and emotions. Excursions in Laos, like other types of tourist recreation, are only gaining momentum in this country.
Although the tourism potential of the country is huge - ancient cities included in the lists of world cultural monuments by UNESCO, Buddhist monasteries that have been operating for many centuries, amazing pagodas and other architectural masterpieces. In terms of tourism, Laos has a great future.
Capital excursions in Laos
Almost all tourists get to Laos through the capital, a very cozy, picturesque town that surprises with a large number of traditional markets and beautiful temple complexes. A walk in Vientiane will take 3-4 hours of time, but will give only positive emotions and vivid impressions. It is difficult to say how much a walk through the main city of the country will cost, since there are a lot of offers with a large gap in price.
The main emphasis is on local temples and places of worship, the story is about the history of the country, and about the construction of this or that object, about the methods of exterior decoration and interior decoration, the symbolic meaning of certain objects in the temple and the rules of behavior. During the walk, guests will be able to see the following places of worship and temples: Ho Pha Kao; Pha Thatluang (Buddhist stupa); Wat Sisaket; Wat Simiang.
This is just a small list, there are other religious and cultural attractions in the city. The Ho Pha Kao temple has a very long and sad history; it was destroyed twice before the French colonialists rebuilt it a third time. In the 16th century, there was a statue of the Emerald Buddha, one of the most beautiful in the East. Today it is kept in Bangkok, but the Thai authorities have transferred a copy of this statue to the Lao temple.
The symbol of the country and Vientiane is considered That Luang (translated as "Great Stupa"), its image is adorned with the state emblem of Laos. The construction consists of three stages, which differ from each other and symbolize different levels of Buddhist teachings. Tourists are allowed to enter the courtyard of the stupa, where a variety of Lao and Khmer sculptures are located.
Travel to the ancient capital of Laos
The second interesting excursion route is Luang Prabang, the main city of the ancient state, located on the site of modern Laos. Like Vientiane, this city is also under the protection of UNESCO as one of the iconic monuments of the world cultural heritage. In total, 32 temple complexes were built in the city, it is clear that not all of them are included in the tour. The guides try to acquaint the guests of the old capital with the most beautiful pagodas and temples.
An impressive sight is the Royal Temple, it is decorated with colored glass and gold. One of the central religious buildings of the old capital is the Wat Xieng Thong temple, erected in 1560. Its main rarity is a statue of a reclining Buddha; there are only a few such sculptures in the world.
A trip to Luang Prabang is usually combined with a visit to natural attractions, since there are plenty of beautiful places in the vicinity of the former capital. Most often, tourists are taken to the Kuang Si waterfall, located south of the city. Its height is more than 50 meters, the water passes through four steps, forming beautiful cascades.
Not far from the waterfall, there is one of the traditional pile settlements, the inhabitants of which are representatives of the Khmu and Hmong peoples. The excursion will tell about the life of the ancient and modern inhabitants of these territories. The second point of interest for tourists will be the center where black Himalayan bears are rescued, you can see formidable animals, make a photo or video.
Cities and nature
The city of Phonsovan is the center of Siengkhuang province, it is located at an altitude of 1200 meters, and has a mild, healing climate. But this is not what attracts tourists here from different parts of the world. The main attraction located here is the Valley of the Pitchers, one of the most mysterious monuments in the history of mankind.
At the foot of the Annam ridge that separates Vietnam and Laos, there is a valley in which there are about 1,000 stone jugs (or pots). The smallest vessel is 0.5 meters wide, the largest ones reach 3 meters. Scientists estimate their age at 1500-2000 years. The guides will tell many legends related to these places and unique objects. One of them says that giants lived in this valley, and the local rice wine Lao Lao was kept in jugs.
