Laos
_{December 2006 / January 2007 - Laos, Thailand and Cambodia}

_Capital

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Vientiane

_Area

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236,800 km²
(5.7x the Netherlands)

_Time

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UTC +7

_Language

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Lao, French, Chinese, Vietnamese

_{Highest point}

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Phou Bia - 2,817 m

_Flag

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A red flag with a three-headed elephant was used from 1952 until 1975. The current flag was adopted in 1975. Red represents the blood that was spilled during the struggle for independence, blue represents the richness of the land and the white circle represents the moon shining over the Mekong.

_Itinerary

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_Currency

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After independence in 1952, the Kip became the currency of Laos. Depicted on the banknote is Kaysone Phomvihane, Prime Minister from 1975 to 1991 and President from 1991 to his dead in 1992. The other image is the main shrine of Laos, the Buddhist That Luang stupa in Vientiane.

_Highlights

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Vientiane is the capital of Laos. The city is located on the bank of the Mekong which forms the border with Thailand. There are very few ancient temples in the city. Most temples were razed to the ground during a war with Thailand in 1828. The temple Wat Si Saket, built 1818, is the oldest in Vientiane. There are hundreds of buddha statues. The Xiang Khouane Buddha park is located outside the city. It is extremely kitsch and perhaps therefore fun.

At the border with Cambodia, the Mekong spreads its tentacles and embraces numerous islands before returning to a single river. The largest of these islands is called Don Khong. Walk along the many farms along the bank of the Mekong. Visit the Li Phi waterfall. You moor in Don Khone and then walk to the waterfall. In January, the waterfall is less impressive than just after the monsoon season.

From Luang Prabang make an excursion to the Kuang Si waterfall. You will visit a Kamu village and a Hmong village and then walk to the waterfall. approximately December 21 is Hmong New Year. Hmong women are beautifully dressed and throw balls with the men to find a suitable husband. Children also already practice a lot.

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The atmospheric Luang Prabang was the royal capitol of Laos until 1975. It is located on a peninsula between the rivers Mekong and Nam Khan. It has been on the World Heritage List of Unesco since 1995. It is a relaxed small town where you can stroll on the market in the main street every night. Climb the Phousi hill in the city for a sunset with the Mekong and the hills in the foreground. There are many beautifully decorated temples in Luang Prabang like the Wat Tat and the Wat Mai. At the very tip of the town where the two rivers meet is the very beautiful temple, Wat Xieng Thong, built in 1560. The walls are decorated with carvings, paintings and mosaics. There's a large hearse of the penultimate king, Sisavang Vong.

In the south of Laos is a temple which is built in the style of Angkor. Wat Phu was built in the 10th century by Jayavarman IV who built it against the side of a hill. A path leads past a large dry water basin (Baray) between temple ruins to a staircase at the foot of the hill that goes up to the small main temple with three large Buddha statues.

At Phonsavan, the plains are dotted with jars that measure in size from 40 cm to 3 meters in height. It is assumed they have been used for funerals. The way there and back to Phonsavan is the same long winding road. Not suitable for those who get car sick. If you find a possibility to fly ... It also saves a lot of time.