Peaceful Vientiane, ancient Luang Prabang and the curious Plain of Jars

Laos is sparsely populated: only about five million people in a country the size of Britain. Roughly half belong to one of sixty ethnic minorities, or come from other Asian countries. It began as Lan Xang, a loose confederation of vassal states. Its borders were only determined at the end of the 19th century by the French, who gave the country its present name. It is now a communist state ruled by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.

The main religion is Theravada Buddhism, but animism and shamanism is practised by many ethnic minority groups. Roads are generally poor – air travel is the only practical way to visit the northern area where most of the main attractions are to be found. The south is heavily forested, and of interest mainly to visitors who have a particular interest in flora and fauna, or ethnic culture.

Vientiane
Its capital, Vientiane, is a small city with a population of about 150,000 people. It is located on a bend in the Mekong River, which forms Laos’ border with Thailand. It is a pleasant, relaxed city, but lacks the heritage sites that are a feature of most Asian capitals: most were destroyed by the Thais in 1827.

Vientiane can easily be explored on foot or by bicycle to visit its Wats, museums, colonial architecture and ‘Buddha Park’. Pha That Luang, 4km from the city centre, is Laos’ most sacred shrine. Built in the 16th century, sacked by the Thais in 1827 and restored (badly) by the French in 1900 (they did a better job in a further restoration completed in 1935), it is interesting rather than spectacular.

A day, or two at the most, is adequate to look around Vientiane, but the relaxing atmosphere of the city often lures people to stay longer. There are several good hotels and a range of international and Laotian restaurants. Food in Laos is similar to Thai cuisine: Vietnamese and Chinese dishes are also common. Laotian coffee is very good.

Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, in northern Laos, is the country’s ancient capital and a very different proposition. Its UNESCO World heritage listing describes it as Southeast Asia’s ‘best preserved city’. A stroll around the centre to visit some of its thirty-odd assorted Wats and the Royal Palace Museum, culminating in a gentle climb up Mount Phuosi to enjoy the sunset and the spectacular view of the town and river, is a delight. A boat cruise on the Mekong, or hiking to the abandoned Wats and caves on the opposite bank, are other attractions.

Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars
Xieng Khuang Province, a mountainous limestone ‘karst’ area lying midway between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, suffered badly from US saturation bombing. Most of its towns and its capital were flattened, and large craters are still to be seen. The new provincial capital, Phonsavan, is the stopping-off point for the Plain of Jars.

This enigmatic attraction is exactly what its name describes – a large plain dotted with massive stone jars weighing up to six tonnes, some with lids. Their origins and purpose are a mystery: theories range from extraterrestrial visitors to a now extinct race of giants. The jars are estimated to be around 2,000 years old, but there is no organic material to enable carbon dating. Even their composition is not clear. Some jars are made from limestone, others from granite, but some appear to consist of a grey conglomerate that has led some experts to surmise that it might be a sort of ancient 'concrete' that closely resembles stone.