Best of Luxury Laos Travel
Photos
Best Time to Visit Laos
The best time to visit Laos is between November and February, when it rains the least and it’s not too hot. If you plan to visit Luang Prabang in December and January, you need to book both the accommodations and good tours at least 3 months ahead. Despite its recent tourism boom and mushrooming of new guest houses, good accommodations and good tour guides are scarce. During this busy season, some famous restaurants even get booked ahead, so make your dinner reservations at least two days ahead.
The mountain areas are general pleasant in temperature all year around. However, during the heavy rainy season (July to October), roads can be washed away. Well… you can always use boats and rivers to get around the country.
Laos Highlights
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Burma (Myanmar) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century. After a period as a French protectorate, it gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975 but the protesting between factions continued for several years.
Private enterprise has increased since t
he late 1990s when economic reforms including rapid business licensing were introduced. Laos is still ranked among the lowest countries in terms of economic and political freedom. The economy of Laos grew at 7.2% in 2006, 35th fastest in the world. Eighty percent of the employed practice subsistence agriculture. The country's ethnic make-up is diverse, with around 70% belonging to the largest ethnic group, the Lao.