Landlocked and mountainous, Laos lacks the bustling nature of neighbouring countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. But that’s also what makes Laos so appealing. The country is a whole different vibe, offering a stark change of pace and a refreshingly unhurried rhythm.

“What’s kept Laos intact is also why not many get to experience it,” says Jason Rolan, a longtime resident and tourism specialist. For Rolan, whose company, RDK Group, advises the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, what’s been kept intact includes the country’s unspoilt natural landscapes.

The Laos-China railway sparks a new era for tourism. To build on that momentum, Rolan and other tourism stakeholders are working with Laos tourism officials on Visit Laos 2024, a national campaign designed to attract 4.6 million visitors next year. This includes building on marketing, training, and nature-focused products.

Nature, culture, adventure abound

“Laos’ rugged landscapes are perfect for adventure,” says Rolan. “It would be ideal for visitors to stay for at least two weeks because there’s a lot of ground to explore.”

Even around Vientiane, a quick drive out will enable travallers access to opportunities for outdoor adventures, from hiking and kayaking to caving.

Zipline At Tad Fane, Champasack province

However, if visitors venture forth, rewards multiply. Just four to five hours from Vientiane lies the Rock Viewpoint in Khammouane province. The route to the top, featuring a zipline, wobbly rope bridges, and a via ferrata, offers an unforgettable, heart-stopping experience of the unique karst formations within Phou Hin Boun National Protected Area.

Green tour operators

Several companies, including Green Discovery, an adventure travel and ecotourism provider behind the Rock Viewpoint, curate sustainable tours across Laos. Amidst picturesque landscapes, activities like trekking, rafting, and cycling thrive.

Green Discovery offers other diverse packages, like excursions to the 4,000 Islands, a tranquil riverine archipelago near Cambodia, for cycling and glimpses of colonial history, plus a chance to spot rare Irrawaddy dolphins. A day in Vang Vieng features mountain exploration, trekking, and kayaking.

Kuang Si Waterfall Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Madrugada Verde

Likewise, Luang Prabang-based Tiger Trail Travel offers day hikes and multi-day cycling adventures blending nature and cultural gems. Led by local Hmong guides, these trails reveal Laos’ countryside diversity and hill tribe village life. One favourite is a day trip to Kuang Si Waterfall, taking visitors through a Hmong village, grasslands, teak forests, before ending at the hissing waterfall.

At the trail’s opposite end lies the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre, a collaborative effort between Australian NGO Free the Bears and the Laos Department of Forestry. This sanctuary safeguards Malayan sun bears and Asiatic black bears, known as moon bears, both vulnerable to extinction. Many of the centre’s bears are orphaned. A related site, Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, shelters other endangered species, including leopards, tortoises, and illegally smuggled red pandas from China.

A timeless land

But the country’s most heralded charm is its particular locked-in-time, unspoiled atmosphere. This is especially true of the former royal capital of Luang Prabang, the country’s UNESCO-listed old town set on a hairpin turn along the Mekong where it meets the Nam Khan river.

That Luang Festival in Vientiane

The Old Town’s main street, Sisavangvong Road, is lined with restaurants and cafés featuring outdoor terrace seats facing the street. As the sun sets, sailing the river aboard Khopfa Mekong Cruise or climbing atop Mount Phousi are is hot favourite for visitors alike.

“This is Southeast Asia as it was a hundred years ago,” says Adrien Pons, Rosewood Luang Prabang’s resort manager.

“Many of our guests are weekenders from Bangkok on mother-daughter trips, girlfriend getaways, or on a honeymoon,” says Pons. “They come because it’s peaceful, they’re not rushing to do anything.”

Heritage charm

Among Rosewood Luang Prabang’s signature experiences is a walking tour around the Old Town led by none other than Francis Engelmann, who advised UNESCO for 20 years, to learn of its history through the heritage architecture in town.

Khopfa Mekong Cruise

There’s plenty to explore on foot. There are quiet laneways that lead to the riverside promenades, where wooden cruise boats of varying degrees of luxury are docked. There are gilded centuries-old pagodas, pitched-roof merchant houses and squat colonial-era bungalows converted into boutique hotels. Under UNESCO protections, neon is not allowed, and all signages – for restaurants, ATM markers, artisan boutiques – are carved on wood. There are no traffic lights.

Rosewood is just one of several luxury hotel brands – including MGallery, Belmond and Aman – that cater to an affluent set of travellers who crave off-the-usual-tourist map destinations and that recognise Luang Prabang’s transportive appeal.

Travellers who are ready to press pause and return to a slower pace, Luang Prabang and much of the rest of Laos offer something akin to travelling back in time. For now.

3 Cities, 3 styles

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La Folie Lodge, Champasak

At La Folie Lodge, you can opt for Ban Lao, a traditional wooden house rescued from a neighbouring village on the brink of demolition and now relocated within the resort.

This charming boutique property is located on Don Daeng, an island in the Mekong River facing Champasak Town in southern Laos. Each of the 26 wooden room has a private terrace overseeing the Mekong River, its sandy beaches and the sacred mountains of Champasak.

Rosewood Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang resort reflect the influences of ancient temples.

In the outskirts of Luang Prabang old town, the 23-key, Bill Bensley-designed retreat takes full advantage of its location – forest-draped hills, a gurgling river and a gushing waterfall – and the town’s retro vibe to give guests an experience that’s akin to travelling back in time, in style.

SureStay Hotel by Best Western Vientiane

SureStay Hotel by Best Western Vientiane offers 68 well-appointed, modern rooms in the city centre, categorised into four room types.

In the capital city, this 68-room hotel’s central location – just steps away from the Mekong River and the lively Quai Fa Ngum Road – and contemporary aesthetic make it a popular base among business and leisure travellers keen on exploring the city’s cultural spots and night markets.