CULTURE &
HISTORY
Laos, with less than 8 million inhabitants, is one of the least populated and least known countries in Southeast Asia. Between its independence in 1975 and the mid-1990s,
Laos was quite isolated and little visited. With the change in political orientation, the country is gradually opening up to the world, seeing its economic situation constantly improving and with better exposure to the media, has more visitors.
From visiting Buddhist temples to spending a night with ethnic minorities to artisan villages, enjoying a meal with a Lao family, attending a social event or contributing to a local development project, we organize it all.
For travellers who want to broaden their horizons and immerse themselves in the culture of this country, you decide how long your trip will be and what you really want to see and do. Laos is a country the size of Great Britain and stretches for almost 2,000 Km in length.
With rivers as a communication system combined with road infrastructure that can sometimes be in difficult conditions for the most remote areas, Laos is a country where we don't talk about "distances", but rather "times" to get from point A to point B.
While Vientiane (the capital) and Luang Prabang attract the largest number of visitors (partly because they are well connected to major regional cities by air and/or land), the rest of Laos is not lacking in interest.
Full immersion
Laos is made up of nearly 50 different ethnic groups living scattered across the country, along waterways, at high altitudes or in the plains. With such an abundance of ethnic groups, Laos is culturally rich in diversity. While it is possible to get a glimpse of some of the most represented groups such as the Akha, the Khamu or the Hmong people residing closer to the main tourist sites such as Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng or Vientiane, the others tend to live in less populated and more remote areas. No matter where you meet, you must be ready to enter worlds with codes, habits and customs that only your hosts and members of the community of local guides will be able to try to introduce you to.
At Laos Mood Travel, we understand that beyond learning about the culture of minority populations, you might also be interested in learning more about what the culture of Laos is today and tomorrow. A good example of this is a visit to the capital. Don't listen to the guidebooks that state that Vientiane is uninteresting! Of course, if you'd rather settle for the handful of temples and "must-do" landmarks, then that's your choice. But for us, the interest of is not limited to that. Lao culture can be experienced with its places for trendy young people, in the night markets, while shopping, at the bend of the small secret places that fill up when night falls where the expatriate communities, the Lao middle classes, students, businessmen crowd with friends. For many of them, on sites outside the city centre. Then, with the accompaniment of a "local friend", new doors will open to you, penetrating atmospheres on unsuspected sites.
Laotians are kind, friendly and approachable (even if they tend to seem a bit shy at first glance, especially in the countryside) and yet not perverted by tourism. You'll find it hard to feel like a walking 'Dollar Machine' and we'll make sure your time spent visiting Laos will remain an authentic experience. With memorable encounters of which only Laos Mood Travel selfishly keeps the secrets. Putting together a program is complex and we work hard to plan the best tours and activities at the best time. You can rest assured that you will spend most of your time feeling like a guest and not a customer