Laos is for travelers who like to get to a place before it has been ‘discovered’. Completely closed to tourists until 1988, Laos is just beginning to gain a reputation as an ecotourist destination, with its many rivers criss-crossing the countryside and its unspoilt national parks. It offers a unique opportunity for trekking and kayaking, at one with nature. The landscape is thickly forested with rugged mountains and many waterfalls. It has a tropical monsoon climate so the driest months to visit are from December to April.

The land-locked south-east Asian country of Laos is bordered by Burma and China to the north, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west, and its culture reflects these influences. From the 14^th to the 18^th centuries it was known as the Kingdom of Lan Xang, which means ‘Land of a Million Elephants’, which exactly portrays its remote, natural individuality.

The infrastructure in Laos is primitive with no railway, most villages being linked by unpaved roads. Roosters strut, children play and cell phones have yet to be introduced to the rural population, but this is what makes Laos such a unique laid-back place to visit. To visit Laos is to step back in time and appreciate a life without the stresses of the 21^st century. Although the capital, Vientiane, is more developed, it has so far avoided major modern developments and traditional and Colonial architecture are still prevalent.

Despite its primitive development, or maybe because of it, Laos has two World Heritage Sites: Luang Prabang and Wat Phou. The Plain of Jars is also worth a visit as it is a landscape strewn with hundreds of stone jars, some weighing up to 6 tonnes. It is a site which raises more questions than answers. Those who venture beyond the main tourist trail will find stunning landscapes, friendly people and glimpses of a rural village lifestyle which most of the world can barely remember. A taste of the ancient Imperial court can be experienced at the temple-filled Luang Prabang in the mountainous north. This was the  former royal capital and center of Laotian Buddhism Now more than 600 saffron-robed monks live in the thirty magnificent pagodas here. The piéce de Resistance is the 16^th century Wat Xieng Thong, the Golden City Temple.

Older even than Angkor Wat in Cambodia is the extensive Wat Phou. Built between the 6^th and 14^th centuries, few buildings are left intact but they contain some of the best Khmer art in southeast Asia. Climb the massive steps to the 9^th century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and view the magnificent landscape below, as far as Vietnam and Cambodia on a clear day. Below is the mighty Mekong River, another wonder of Laos to be explored, perhaps cruising aboard a refurbished barge which visits many of Laos’s most important heritage sites.

Whether you want to join an organized tour with a guide or set off independently, Laos is a wonderful as-yet unspoilt country. It offers some unique experiences – for those brave enough to step out into the unknown.