Laos is an enchanting place to be. Even though it’s a small country stuck in-between five countries in the centre of South-East Asia, it never fails to create a beautiful impression. Inside its landlocked borders, you’ll find an amazing natural scenery that will fascinate you. So if you intend to visit Laos anytime soon, make sure you’re prepared for a mind blowing experience.
Just like the other parts of South-East Asia, Laos is not new to visitors. Thousands of people explore its tropical forests, cave, lakes and rivers, walking through a well-worn path. Majority of the people travelling alone will enter Laos from northern Thailand, embark on a two-day boat trip to Luang Prabang, make a quick short journey to Vang Vieng for some river tubing and arrive finally at Vientiane. People who are not in a hurry might add a visit to the Plain of Jars and the 4,000 islands. Even though the aforementioned places are all great destinations, they barely paint a clear picture of the real Laos.
The inhabitants are kind-hearted and welcoming, the natural scenery is mind-boggling and the pace of life is slow in a pleasant way. So, if you can easily make some changes to your plan, spend some extra time to get a thrilling experience in the backwaters of Laos. You won’t regret it.
When getting to know the rural setting in Laos, begin with these too regions:
#Nong Kiaow
Nong Kiaow village area is encompassed by magnificent limestone mountains with twisting river views, and it has a very bohemian rural environment. The region is an excellent place to take a break and relax, during a hectic South-East Asia tour. Nong Kiaow is located on the banks of the Nam Ou River, deep in the countryside of Northern Laos. It is a fascinating, quiet little spot.
The village is welcoming; it accommodates tourists in a lovely way. Also, It’s perfect for serene river tubing, asides from the raucous party scene of Vang Vieng. Exploring Nong Kiaow involves trekking, canyoning, boat trips and rock-climbing, and all these activities makes Nong Kiaow an outstanding base to tour Laos.
How To Get There: Even though it’s usually bumpy, the bus journey from Luang Prabang to Nong Kiaow is a splendid one. You can also hire a personal driver, to make you a bit more comfortable throughout the three hours journey. On the other hand, you can choose to embark on a six to seven hour beautiful boat-trip along the Nam Ou river, which is absolutely the best way to arrive.
#Tad Lo
Tad Lo is perfectly hidden amongst three forest waterfalls on the edge of the Boloven Plateau. It is a remote, friendly area filled with very affordable bamboo shacks. Spend your days in leisure; taking waterfall dips, long walks and swinging hammocks. Usually, most of the people who visit South-East are young, but you’ll find unique mix of ages in Tad Lo.
Tad Lo has three waterfalls which can be explored; Tad Hang, Tad Suong and Tad Lo. These waterfalls are uniquely beautiful, and they all have safe swimming spots where you can cool off after a long walk. Out of the three waterfalls, Tad Suong is the absolutely the tallest and arguably the most magnificent. This makes the 10km trek to the waterfall worthwhile. However, if you feel tired, just hop on a motorbike instead.
How To Get There: You can get to Tad Lo by boarding bus or car heading to Salavan from Pakse. Usually the journey takes around two hours, but sometimes, it may be less or more. That’s just how it works in Laos.
#Traveling to Laos
If you’re interested in visiting Laos, you can get your visa at Visalaos.com. The website belongs to Media Lead Society Limited, and since 2014, it has offered specialized online visa application services to help travellers during the visa application process. Their agents assist travellers to obtain travel authorizations from governments. Their services include the proper review of all answers, assistance with completing the application, review of the application for accuracy, completeness, spelling, and grammar; their services also include the translation of information. Visalaos.com help you with Laos eVisa renewal and extension too. They may also contact their clients via phone or email if they require additional information to complete the request.
Once the application on their website is complete, an immigration expert reviews it and will submit an eVisa Laos request to the Government of Laos. eVisa Laos applications are subject to approval by the Government of Laos, but their expertise ensures an application that is 100% free of errors. In most cases, applications are processed and approved within 3 business days. Please note that incomplete or incorrect applications may be delayed. Their experts follow up with applications, and approved Laos eVisas are sent via email with detailed information and tips on how to use the eVisa Laos to enter Laos.