Are you looking for your next off-the-beaten-path Asian escape beyond Thailand and Vietnam? Consider a holiday to Laos with Threeland Travel.
As one of Southeast Asia’s best-kept secrets, Laos allows visitors to experience authentic culture and pristine nature. From Luang Prabang to the Mekong, uncover a way of life frozen in time.
Inquire about our flexible Laos travel package crafted by local experts. Threeland Travel promises Laos will surpass expectations as the highlight of your Southeast Asian journey off the beaten path.
1. Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia
Surrounded by mountains and jungle, tiny Laos stands alone as mainland Southeast Asia’s sole landlocked nation. This isolation preserved its natural charm and traditional cultures unspoiled for centuries.
While bringing economic difficulties, isolation also allowed villages to change little for generations. But new infrastructure like high-speed trains are transforming connected Laos. Visitors can now discover Laos’ treasures off the beaten path, from pristine rice fields to secluded jungle ridges.
2. Laotians are some of the shortest people in the world
At an average height of just 155.9 cm, the Lao stand as some of the world’s shortest people. Despite their small stature, the Lao remain hard due to their history of conflicts and poverty.
However, around 70% of the population is under 30, representing youthful energy and hope for future growth.
While maintaining traditions like daily monastic life, the Lao paradoxically possess big hearts. Their warm and welcoming smiles belie strengths developed over millennia in isolated Laos. Despite being physically short, the Lao leave a lasting impression with their gentle and welcoming demeanor.
3. Laos is a socialist state
Laos has been a one-party communist country since becoming independent in 1975. Buildings show this with hammer and sickle signs and old leader pictures.
But ‘socialism’ has a Lao twist as old ways survive. The government keeps control while villages stay much the same. Temple events and monks mix with connected youth in cities.
Below, socialist ideas seem to slowly slip away as priorities turn to business. However, communism still shapes Laos, leaving visitors on holidays to Laos glimpses into this past. Travelers notice its lasting imprint mixed with traditional Lao ways.
4. Dok Champa is Laos’ national flower
The Dok Champa has bright yellow petals circling a vivid heart. This delicate flower is special to Laos. Its heavenly smell comes out at night.
In ceremonies for spirits, Dok Champa’s scent plays a big part. Temples and sacred places wear their garlands too. Folktales say the first flowers came from lovers embracing under the moon, symbolizing purity.
Visiting temples after dark and sensing the flower’s sweet smell gives time to value Laos’ deep connection with nature. The national flower seems to wrap you in this charming land’s spirit through its memorable fragrance.
5. Laos is the most heavily bombed country in history
Despite its present calm, Laos underwent immense bombing during the Vietnam War as planes struck targets along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. With over two million tons of ordnance dropped from 1964-73, Laos endured the most bombings per capita in history.
Decades later, unexploded ordnance continues claiming lives, with roughly 30 million bomblets remaining hidden threats. Clearance teams work to remove this lethal legacy through signage and education.
Remembering its trauma, Laos forges ahead in peace. The resilient people convert scars into fields, ensuring their nation never sees such destruction again.
6. Laos has one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia
Once among Asia’s poorest, Laos now has one of the fastest-growing economies in the region. Average GDP growth has exceeded 6% annually since 2010.
Chinese investment and regional partnerships are fueling infrastructure development like high-speed rail and special economic zones. Hydropower exports also provide a key income source.
Renewed access to global markets presents opportunities for Laos to leverage natural assets into long-term sustainability. Observers remain hopeful this economic acceleration can improve living standards across the country if managed wisely. The nation is well-positioned for continued prosperity.
7. Laos is the world’s largest consumer of sticky rice
Rice forms the core of what Lao people eat. Unlike other places, they mostly eat sticky or glutinous rice. Laos eats more sticky rice per person than any other country.
At every meal, Lao shapes sticky rice into balls with their hands. They dip the rice in soups, curries, and greens. Sticky varieties can also be sweet snacks.
Rice does more than just feed people. Sharing rice at festivals and gatherings brings communities together. Rice paddies also dominate the countryside. For Lao, life revolves around their staple – sticky rice.
8. Laos has the tallest treehouses in the world
Laos has a claim to fame – it has the world’s tallest treehouses. Some towers are over 50 meters high in the forests.
Local ethnic groups like the Hmong and Khmu built these structures long ago. The treehouses served useful purposes, like watching over farm fields. Today some welcome tourists for a unique treetop experience on holidays to Laos.
Guests climb up rickety stairs and ladders through the trees. At the top, they find simple wooden huts, hammocks, and shared areas high above the ground. It’s a nature-connected stay letting visitors see the jungle from new heights. The multi-story treehouses show how Laos celebrates its style.
9. The oldest human fossil in Southeast Asia is from Laos
Scientists made an important discovery in Laos. Skull fragments found in Tam Pa Ling cave date back over 63,000 years, making them the oldest known human remains in Southeast Asia.
Dubbed “Tam Pa Ling Man”, this robust Ice Age male lived more than 10,000 years before other early humans in the region. The discovery shows people have inhabited Laos’ landscape since deep in prehistory.
It underscores Laos’ longstanding ancestral ties to Southeast Asia, with roots stretching back over 60,000 years. The meaningful find spotlights how long humans have shaped the nation.
10. Laotians drink coffee in plastic bags
A unique café culture thrives in Laos. Unlike the customary cup, locals frequently drink coffee on the go contained within plastic bags.
Known as “Lao coffee bags”, the innovative packaging allows vendors to freshly brewed coffee into a clear bag. Drinks come piping hot, sealed with a rubber band. Customers simply puncture a corner to sip the rich brew through a straw.
Bags appeal for their portability, preventing spillage as folks commute. Coffee breaks involve squeezing bags to maintain flow. The quirky custom fascinates travelers, reflecting Laos’ resourceful spin on traditions elsewhere. Coffee bag aficionados prove how this small nation put its unique stamp on the global drink.
11. Laos has a nationwide midnight curfew
All over Laos, things shut down at midnight. A strict curfew makes the streets empty each night.
The government first set the curfew decades ago for safety. Police still drive around enforcing it. People in towns follow it loosely, while villagers observe it closely.
If tourists on Laos travel packages are out late, they could get fined. So foreigners learn to be inside by 11 pm. The quiet nights offer a calm feeling, unlike busy Western cities. Views differ on the rules, but the curfew gives Laos a peaceful nightly vibe across the country.
12. Laos has its beer – Beerlao
The beer everyone drinks in Laos is called Beerlao. It’s a light golden color with bubbles that make it refreshing. Beerlao’s crisp taste has made it very popular at home and worldwide.
First made in 1971, Beerlao captures the easygoing traits of Laos. Where people meet, from bars to family times, Beerlao tubes are there.
Visitors also like Beerlao for its low cost and how it suits the hot weather. Some foreigners even prefer it over other international beers. Beerlao represents Laos’ relaxed lifestyle through the aroma of every drink. It’s spread deep into Lao culture as their iconic beverage.
Laos continues charming visitors with its cultural richness and natural beauty seen through experiences like the Dok Champa flower. Discover more for yourself on your holidays to Laos.
Threeland Travel custom designs affordable Laos travel packages. As a top tour operator in Vietnam, we offer trips that highlight local traditions.
Let our experts plan your perfect Laos travel packages. We’ll arrange all your transport, stays, activities and meals. Contact us now for discounts on our Laos tours mentioned in this article. Threeland Travel will take you on an unforgettable journey off the tourist trail.
