I recently returned from South East Asia and my highlight was visiting Laos. Laos is way off the beaten path yet so worthy of a visit.

Here are 8 pictures (all photos taken by or of me) which give you a taste of why I liked Laos so much:

Natural Beauty

Laos is full of natural beauty, ranging from waterfalls to meandering rivers to limestone karst with overlooks.

Kuang Si Waterfalls
Kuang Si Waterfalls
Nong Khiaw Viewpoint
Atop the Phadeng Peak in Nong Khiaw

People, Culture, and Food

In spite of Laos being a communist state and one of the poorest countries in South East Asia, the Laotian people have a resilient warmth and the family units are strong.  They hold sincere pride in their culture.

Laotian Man weaving basket
This man started making the basket by hand that morning.
People of Laos
In a small village south of Nong Khiaw
Luang Prabang Dance
After a cultural dance show which told stories based on Buddhism (I think)
Laotian Dinner

Dinner time – starting on top and going clockwise:  Lemongrass stuffed with chicken and fried, minced chicken and bamboo, fried spring rolls, bamboo salad, (in the center) cut green beans.

Faith

There is a peace in the land from the stunning temples, orange-robed monks, and Buddhist stories and icons.

Temples
A temple in Luang Prabang
Budda Pak Ou Caves
Pak Ou caves hold over 4000 Buddhas.  This is just a very few of them.

History

Although Laos has been stable over the last 20 year, it had a tumultuous and unfortunate history from the 50s through 90s. The low point was probably the United States bombing the living hell out of Laos in the “secret war” of the 1960s and 70s.  Hearing about this history from Laotians certainly gives a different perspective.

History of Laos
Atop a hill in Luang Prabang – I was told this belonged to the CIA.

Over the coming month I will share a few more perspectives of Laos.

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