Top highlights of Laos

Editor's Choice: Laos

This selection covers Laos' diverse heritage and natural landscapes. It includes the 10th-century Khmer temple complex of Vat Phou and the Iron Age megalithic jars of Xiangkhoang. Natural highlights feature the multi-tiered Kuang Si Falls and Khone Phapheng, the largest waterfall by volume in Southeast Asia. Cultural landmarks range from the royal Haw Pha Bang temple in Luang Prabang to the Patuxai victory gate in Vientiane, alongside spiritual sites like the Buddha-filled Pak Ou Caves.

Mattun0211 / CC0

Vat Phou

Vat Phou is a ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex in southern Laos. It is at the base of mount Phou Khao, some 6 kilometres from the Mekong in…

Mattun0211 / Public domain

Plain of Jars - Site 1

The Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. It consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland…

Isderion / CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Kuang Si Large Waterfall

The Kuang Si Falls or Kuang Xi Falls, alternatively known as the Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls, is a three-tiered waterfall about 29 kilometers…

Jean-Pierre Dalbéra / CC BY 2.0

Pak Ou Cave

Near Pak Ou the Tham Ting and the Tham Theung are caves overlooking the Mekong River, 25 km to the north of Luang Prabang, Laos.

Jakub Hałun / CC BY-SA 4.0

Haw Pha Bang

The Royal Palace in Luang Prabang, Laos, was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family.

Ondřej Žváček / CC BY 2.5

Wat Si Muang

Wat Si Muang or Simuong is a Buddhist temple in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

Allie Caulfield / CC BY 2.0

Mount Phousi

Mount Phou Si, also written Mount Phu Si, is a 100 m high hill in the centre of the old town of Luang Prabang in Laos.

Gorgo / Public domain

Patuxai

Patuxai is a war monument in Downtown Vientiane, Laos, built between 1957 and 1968.

Hiroo Yamagata / CC BY-SA 2.0

Khone Phapheng Falls

The Khone Falls and Pha Pheng Falls together form a waterfall located in Champasak Province on the Mekong River in southern Laos, near the…

Nick Hubbard / CC BY 2.0

Tham Chang Cave

This limestone cave served as a bunker against Yunnanese invaders in the 19th century. Located near Vang Vieng, it features stalactites and stalagmites, reachable via a bridge over the Nam Song River and a steep staircase leading to several viewing galleries.