Laos

Long regarded as mysterious and underdeveloped, Laos—surrounded by higher-profile countries on all sides—is fast becoming one of Southeast Asia’s most sought-after destinations. The promise of a less-commercialized look at the region’s tropical splendor, ethnic diversity, and varied lifeways than that available in many parts of Thailand or Vietnam partly explains the appeal. Though tourism is certainly on the rise, Laos still does, in general, deliver a more laidback and uncrowded experience than its neighbors.

For starters, Laos still claims pockets of genuine wilderness—heavily forested hills and mountains still define much of the country—though deforestation is spreading apace. Standout landscapes include the karst tracts and green-robed ranges of the north and east—the Annamite and Luang Prabang. Gentler terrain draped in rice paddies and pastureland defines the alluvial lowlands of the Mekong and its feeder rivers in the south.

Whether you’re tracking down one of the hill tribes of the northern mountains or admiring archaic shrines in a city center, Laos’s well of culture runs deep. Buddhist monasteries, temples, and statues seem to be scattered everywhere, none so celebrated as the golden Pha That Luang stupa in the capital of Vientiane. Lao culture and spirituality are richly displayed in the northern town of Luang Prabang, a mountain-tucked UNESCO World Heritage Site that dazzles with French colonial architecture, Buddhist pagodas, and wooden Lao homes. Luang Prabang’s markets draw craftspeople from near and far, including tribal artisans from the surrounding highlands. Another astonishing destination is the Plain of Jars, where thousands of Iron Age megaliths dot the Xiengkhouang Plateau. It’s worth noting that the Plain of Jars, like much of the Laotian countryside, is riddled in places with mines—one of the many spillover effects of the Vietnam War. (The drill in terms of mine safety is basically: Avoid traipsing willy-nilly off marked roads and paths.)

Alongside all these natural and historical attractions is the much-admired demeanor of the Lao people: relaxed, hospitable, and unhurried, whether they’re Buddhist monks strolling temple-ward or farmers laboring along the Mekong.