Travel Inspiration | Laos

     I feel like Laos is one of the less well-known countries in South East Asia, often overlooked in favour of its neighbours, such as Thailand and Vietnam, but I was glad that I made time to visit in while I was in that area. It’s a country with a fascinating history, having been colonised by the French for a long time, and is now an openly Communist country. It was also caught in the cross-fire during the Vietnam War, so there are still huge areas with unexploded ordnances around the country. It’s a largely Buddhist country, and its language (Lao) bears some similarities to Thai, so you could definitely see comparisons between Laos and Thailand. Unfortunately, during my week there, we started with a cruise along the Mekong River, but then there were terrible storms and flooding, meaning that we had to stay longer in Luang Prabang and skip Vang Vieng, going straight to Vientiane instead. This was disappointing, and my trip only covered a small portion of the whole of Laos, but it was still a good introduction to the country.