Laos

Cut off from the outside world for decades, Laos is one of Southeast Asia’s most intriguing destinations. Whether you feel like trekking through little-visited hill-tribe villages, or finding your own slice of paradise on one of thousands of tropical islands, let our map of Laos below guide you through this beguiling country.

Float down the Mekong River by slow boat to Luang Prabang, the former royal capital, where you can eat like a king at the city’s vast array of restaurants, which showcase the richness and diversity of the country’s cuisine.

Travel along misty mountain roads to glittering temples, plunging waterfalls and remote towns that still bear the scars of the country’s troubled past. At Wat Phou, the ‘Mountain Monastery’, marvel at Khmer ruins set amid lush scenery; this UNESCO World Heritage Site offers an insight into Laos’s fascinating history against a backdrop of stunning countryside.