Highlights of Laos

Apologies for this belated review. The Laos trip was led by the attentive, convivial and competent Quang. It's great to have someone else keep an eye on everything! The three key destinations gave us a bird's eye view of this diverse country. The optional tours were a great idea as it left scope for personal needs and interests. I loved the walks via villages; was moved by the visit to the landmine agency; sparked by the differences in the locations e.g. Luang Prabang sunset and (not all) older tourist hospitality (visited Ikon Bar); the age-old caves and Buddhist temples.

I booked this trip last minute and wasn't disappointed. Highlights of Laos is an unhurried, relaxed trip. Pavements, like in Vietnam and Cambodia, are uneven and could be tricky for those unsteady on their feet; however, unlike those countries, the traffic is very light and easy to negotiate. Taxis to/ from airports are cheap. The Buddha park was great and COPE museum thought provoking. The rail journeys are smooth and comfortable with lots to look at. Limestone cliffs are dramatic and the hot air ballooning worth it. The walks and steps are relatively easy. Early March was hot. Take easy slip on/off shoes for the many varied and interesting temples along with shoulder coverings and below the knee shorts. Our guide, Quang, was lovely but what really made this trip for me was the fabulous bunch of fellow travellers.

Very relaxing trip. Although very hot over 36 degrees and afternoon walks should be avoided.

Nice short trip with a taste of laos

A busy but unhurried trip through some of the highlights of this country. Well organised with an excellent tour leader, and a great group of fellow travellers. Really enjoyed the visits to some of the places of natural beauty, for example the Blue Lagoon and Kuangsi Waterfalls, plus the old town of Luang Probang with it's colonial buildings and many monasteries.

Quang was great , very caring and pleasant. There were a couple of issues with local knowledge as follows:- Got Luang Prabang to go to mueseum and the local guide could get a ticket as it had closed. Really this should have been bought on the day and we were then shown other. temples nice as they were it was just like it was being dragged out with repetitive information about history in Laos. Then this part was squeezed in early the next day before we went off to the caves , some of us had to miss it because it meant getting up a lot earlier to cram it in. Additional a la k of local knowledge around the Monks alms morning ritual being told you need to get up at 5 am to see this, however, this was not accurate as they do not start walking in the area for alms until sunrise which was 6.15am so an unnecessary early rise and in fact was the day i was flying out so had to leave and missed it, had i had correct info I and many others would have been able to see this ritual which is a key part of the history there. Also, one of our group was fined 300 dollars for having a vape on him at the train station which had not been clarified by Explore staff and actually happened without the leader realising he’d been taken away by security. It is explore’s responsibility to make sure clients and staff have this information made very clear to them. we knew about flammable liquids but not about capes being illegal in laos. You need to ensure information is provided in a clear and written manner as part of the itinerary in future

We thoroughly enjoyed our week in Laos. Our group was great fun and the guides did a good job, although sometimes it was confusing having a local guide and a lead guide. The itinerary was good and varied. Hotels were OK given standards in Laos, although the one in Vang Vieng was less good. Packing advice from Explore was somewhat bewildering. Never did work out why suitcases were not recommended. We did take our bicycle helmets but nobody else did!

It was a short introduction to Laos. Some days were busier than others, but altogether it was a nice trip to a not well known small and poor country.

Our trip leader Quang was awesome. Local guides also good. Accomodation was charming and very well located. One thing is that rooms at Sala Prabang are varied. Hotel is charming and comfortable EXCEPT for my first room 101 which was on the front of the hotel. Dark and noisy. I was moved to cottage 101 further back in the hotel the second night which was lovely. Since all guests are paying same price, I would avoid placing anyone from the group in that room. That is my only criticism. Great trip!