City: Laos
Top Things to do in Laos
Top Hotels in Laos
10 Things to do Good for Couples in Laos That You Shouldn't Miss
Coordinates: 18°N 105°E / 18°N 105°E / 18; 105
Restaurants in Laos
1. The Living Land Farm
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 884 reviews
This charming community farm just outside of Luang Prabang overlooks wonderful Rice Fields and Mountains. Rice is planted all year round and they welcome guests who want to learn about Rice planting and other farm activities like bamboo weaving, sugar cane pressing, black smithing. Visitors get to try most of the activities or can just watch. Rodolphe and Susan, the two buffaloes help with the ploughing of the rice paddies and guests can have a go too. The half day programme starts at 08.30 and finishes with a tasting of rice based snacks. The farm is shared by 9 families who also grow organic vegetables and flowers. Lunch is available too and includes a selection of typical Luang Prabang dishes and fruit. Proceeds from the Rice Experience go to supporting over 60 students with their studies and they operate free English classes for the whole village. They have a small Homestay unit made from an old granary. Booking is necessary and pick-up and return by tuk-tuk is included.
Reviewed By ashems13 - Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom
From start to finish, this experience was a brilliant one! The staff at the Living Land seem to love their jobs which made it so nice to experience. The process of growing and harvesting rice is so interesting and it was exciting to be able to try it all for ourselves - it’s definitely a hands-on day out!! To top it off, we had the most delicious lunch made from the organic fruits and vegetables from the farm as well as sticky rice. So tasty and impressive!
2. Viewpoint Nong Khiaw/Ban Sop Houn
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 308 reviews
Reviewed By ianx17489 - Inverurie, United Kingdom
This was a really rewarding viewpoint to climb up to. We're both early sixty's and found the climb hard but very doable.. (our mistake was to set off for the climb at about noon when the sun was building up...., however that said there is plenty of shade on the way up). The climb took us almost 1.5 hour, easy pace. Younger fitter people would get up in under an hour. It's a very good path that is maintained very well by the family operating it. We met the son on the way up as he was repairing sections and he was so passionate about maintaining the path. Full credit to him on what he has achieved. There are ropes at some of the tricky parts, which are very useful. As usual, water, sunscreen and mosquitoe repellant recommended... The view from the top is quite stunning and definitely worth all the effort. 360" views. Great photo opportunities. The operators are building a small covered shelter at the top so that apart from shade people can camp up there at night to capture sunrise at no extra charge. In summary a very worthwhile climb, rewarding and best done very early in the morning to catch sunrise and "avoid the afternoon heat"....
3. MandaLao Elephant Conservation
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 498 reviews
We are Luang Prabang's first and only non-riding elephant experience. Please join us for an unforgettable trip that will not only benefit the well being of our elephants but be a highlight to any Southeast Asian adventure.
Reviewed By SophieB179 - Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Sorry to be a bit eco Nazi about things but if you want to ride elephants or have animals take part in your tourism experience in any way - change your mind set. Mandalao are leading the way in Laos in showing that this is how tourism must become. I have read reviews saying but the elephants aren’t free, it’s still cruel. You know what, yes it is that anything has to be kept safely away from humans who want to exploit them in logging industries or other areas. These elephants are kept safe though and that my friends, is a start. For them to be free in the world in 2019 is a death sentence. Rant over. You are taken to the centre from your hotel and met by the owner who gives you a very informative talk about the site and elephant conservation in general. Then you are given bowls of food to make balls of to give the elephants, it’s things like baby banana, sticky rice and tamarind and lots of sea salt. You make the balls then go over on a boat and meet your elephants and mahouts. The elephants eat from your hands and then accompany you on a stroll through the jungle. They stop and mooch around, ours demolished a tree whilst we were there, showing off their strength as they reached for their favourite leaves higher up in the trees. We hugged their trunks and had photos, could touch them and stand with them, sense their individual personalities and get a real sense of the power these animals hold. They are very calm to be around and I was certainly filled with awe from beginning to end. The mahouts are local men employed by the centre. They do not whip or hurt the elephants at all, but they do have a stick of bamboo with them that they gently guide them with. They know people do not want to see cruelty and I was super alert for it but saw absolutely none, the men were to be commended. But to go back to my original point, compared to the life the elephants had before on logging plantations where they were poorly fed, overworked and abused to the life they have now, seeing a man with a stick to guide an elephant to walk with humans is a lot less harsh to accept then the alternative. I have no qualms in saying these elephants were happy, well fed and looked after, and safe. If you are an eco or ethically minded tourist this place is for you. If you’re not - become one! ????
4. Vang Vieng Elephant Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 201 reviews
Reviewed By yatsoony - Acton, United Kingdom
This was a great activity to do with our young kids aged 9 and 7. We were picked up at our hotel in Vang Vieng for a scenic 45 minute drive to get to the sanctuary. When we arrived we had an interesting, informative and entertaining introductory talk by the owner of the sanctuary. This gave a background to the culture, history and threats to elephants in Laos, as well as what he is trying to achieve at the sanctuary. A fairly easy trek (waterproof shoes provided) through a beautiful landscape took us to the elephants’ natural habitat. We were able to feed the elephants with bananas and then bathe them in a nearby river. We then trekked back to the sanctuary buildings with elephants, during which we saw them having a mud bath. Back at the sanctuary buildings we fed them some more and were in turn fed a delicious Lao lunch. It was an amazing privilege to be at such close quarters with these gentle, curious and majestic animals. There are four elephants currently at the sanctuary. Groups of visitors (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) are limited in numbers so as to maintain a good visitor-elephant ratio. I can thoroughly recommend this activity as an inspirational way to spend half a day!
5. Wat Xiengthong
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,268 reviews
Laos' most enchanting temple was built in 1560.
Reviewed By LuizDutraNeto - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In the ancient city of Xien Thong (literally, "The Golden City"), almost at the junction of rivers Mekong and Nam Kham, King Setthathirath ordered, in 1559, the construction of a temple. It was named "Wat Xien Thong", the "Temple of the Golden City". King Setthathirath probably never imagined this would become the city's most beautiful temple, and even maybe of the whole Laos - the "Land of a Million Elephants". Later on, the city of Xien Thong was renamed to Luang Prabang, meaning "The Place of Buddha" and "Wat Xien Thong" became the royal temple, where kings were crowned and holy relics were kept. The temple was built according to the early Lao architecture features, normally referred to as "Luang Prabang Classic Style", with roofs that sweep low to the ground. Just amazing! Visit the temple, its central shrine (the holy "Sim"), side chapels, pavillions, residences and gardens. And before leaving, near its East Gate, do not dare to miss "The Royal Funerary Chapel", where the "Royal Funerary Carriage" and the "Royal Family Funerary Urns" are housed. Unmissable! Enjoy!
6. The Plain of Jars
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 638 reviews
Sousath Phetrasy is the man who helped open the plain of jars to tourist and the trip run by his son, Mr. Nouds Phetrasy is the most informative in town. Extremely knowledgeable about the region, He run daily tours to the plain of jars sites, include site 1, site 2, site 3, site 8, site 12, site 21, site 23, site 25, site 28, site 42, site 52, and he also organize trek to jungle, villages for Camping, for the war obsessives He run trip to Vieng Xai Phathed Lao leader cave and war site as: Lima site 36, LS 85, and LS 20 A Long Tieng the clandestine in the Saisomboun Jungle created by the C.I.A during the secret war 1965.
Reviewed By jodmarshall - Canning, Australia
Visited site 1 & 2 with tour guide. Both sites offered completely different experiences. Site 2 was so green and mainly on the top of a hill, site 1 was more barren and spread out on flat and hillside. We visited around lunch time and surprisingly we had site 2 all to ourselves, at site 1 maybe only 15 visitors. Great photo opportunity and definatley among the best things we did in Laos worth the long drive from Luang Prabang to get there
7. Wat Si Muang
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 257 reviews
Reviewed By vand658
I 1st visited Wat Si Muang a few years back when I visited Vientiane, although it wasn't until I appreciated here did I realise the beauty and history behind the school. We went to Wat Si Muang when I moved in with the house I live in to get numerous blessed water to distribute all around the house. It was then that a buddy clarified the story behind Wat Si Muang. Typically there was a number of attempts at developing a temple in that spot that had been unsuccessful, one day someone (can't remember who) told the people that someone must lose the presence of theirs by shifting in the really effectively therefore the temple may be set up, that specific must be wanting. Which continues to be when a pregnant lady came also and forward after the sacrifice of her, the temple was successfully built. There is a division of the temple which people are in a position to go to offer due to this specific individual, as well as likewise I believe the title of her was Si Muang. Just how accurate would be the story? I couldn't allow you to know, although it'd been told to me by the Lao buddies of mine.
8. Kuang Si Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11,068 reviews
Reviewed By itskathyhere
If you're in Luang Prabang, you can't miss this site. This is the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen, and you can climb up to the top of the waterfall, and take a short bamboo raft ride to the source of the waterfall (it's an underground cave). The only thing to note is near the top of the waterfall, there are signs for a cave, which we followed for a while. I think it's about a 2 mile hike to the cave, which is further than we anticipated, and we decided to turnaround half way through since we didn't have the time to keep exploring. If you're tight for time, enjoy your time at the waterfall and don't get distracted by the cave signs!
9. The Gibbon Experience
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 907 reviews
Reviewed By SvenHakan - Uppsala, Sweden
Yes, the Gibbon experience was really great. We were lucky to see gibbons and also hear them sing, but of course not all are that lucky. But the treehouse, ziplines and trekking would have been great enough. It was all very good organized. We did the Classic tour with two nights in the treehouse and of course you come close to your group, we were six in our house (#4, 42 m above the ground)) and we said we had the "best group in the best treehouse". When we met the other groups they said the same :-), so I suppose most groups work out well. This really was an extraordinary experience!
10. COPE Visitor Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,464 reviews
Reviewed By b3n07l0 - Launceston, Australia
This is a museum dedicated to the legacy of the US bombing campaign in Laos known as the ‘secret war’ of unexploded ordinances and the ongoing human impacts which include maiming and death of farm workers and children and the work of COPE and their partners in UXO clearances and the provision of psycho-physical needs of victims. Profoundly moving. Free entry but donations are graciously received and go to find their work in the field.
