Easy land access from Thailand and Vietnam ; all the charm of the region's Buddhist culture without the touristy crowds of Phuket and Siem Reap ; and endless opportunity for nature-based adventure: these only scratch the surface of what you'll find when you explore Laos for yourself. Produced from rice, Lao Lao is a whisky like spirit that's so good they named it twice and will definitely leave you seeing double (see what I did there?). If you're up for a swill of the local tipple then make sure you try Lao Lao.

One of the main complaints about Vientiane is around its lack of nightlife, but even though it may not have the best nightspots in Asia, there are plenty of bars in Vientiane where you can enjoy a night out. Laos is one of the world's few surviving communist states, and the narrative of the museum is told from that perspective which is eye opening in itself. These are the exact things that make it such a fascinating place to visit.

The guidebooks will tell you that the Laos Tourism Information National Museum is run down, poorly kept and has some sketchy information on the history of Laos But do you know what? And yet before we arrived, we didn't have high expectations of Vientiane. Vientiane turned out to be one of our favourite places in South East Asia, and a city we could have spent a lot more time in. It's super chilled out unlike most of the capitals in this corner of the world, is relatively small with an intimate feel to it, and the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming.

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The waterways of Laos are one of the last refuges of the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, which can be spotted on the Mekong River, particularly around Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands). The most popular starting point for treks to meet tribal people is the sleepy town of Muang Xing in mountainous Luang Namtha province, which is ringed by Akha and Tai Leu hill tribe villages. Like neighbouring Thailand and Myanmar, Laos is home to thousands of tribal people, who live in peaceful isolation in the jungles of the central highlands.