Laos.
Bite-sized and landlocked, Laos is often totally overlooked by travellers on the Southeast Asian travel trail in favour of its bigger, flashier neighbours.
We're here to tell you those travellers are wrong.
Laos: the land of a million elephants
The land of a million elephants and total blissful zen: Laos is a strong contender for our favourite country in Southeast Asia.
Our travels first took us from the sleepy streets of Vientiane to the jungle-clad limestone karsts of Vang Vieng and the Nam Song river. Once infamous as a wild backpacker party town, the vibe here is more chilled now, and our days were spent hiking, biking, and zip-lining.
Way down south, we kayaked, swung in hammocks, and drank coconut shakes on the 4,000 islands, the Mekong's river archipelago. To the north, we fell in love with Luang Prabang, an enchanting city full of colonial buildings, unbelievable sunsets, saffron monks robes, and the nearby Kuang Si waterfall, that still makes our hearts flutter years later.
What this sleepy country lacks on a map it definitely makes up for in striking beauty and charm. In fact, we'd say it's one of Southeast Asia's best.
Life along the Mekong is more chilled out, and less affected by the rapid modern development the rest of Southeast Asia has seen. Life amongst the rice paddies here exists today much as it always has; simply, happily, and authentically.
From the sleepy capital Vientiane to the scenic, adrenalin-fuelled Vang Vieng, the peaceful vibes of Heritage-listed Luang Prabang to the supremely chill archipelago of Don Det (4,000 islands), you'll soon realise that Laos has it all. The only thing it doesn't have are the infamous Golden Arches of McDonalds, which in our view, only makes it more awesome.
