TOP TIP Pakse is a horrible industrial town, but you can base yourself there and visit some great places nearby. A nice day trip is to take a local boat down the Mekong River (bring a cushion) to Wat Phu in Champasak where there are sixth-century Khmer ruins to explore. Or you can take a two-hour bus trip to Bolaven Plateau and spend a couple of days at Tadlo Resort. It's a relaxing, picturesque spot by a waterfall, with interesting walks and villages to visit. There's no phone, so you can't book, but most travellers seem to stay at the cheaper resorts nearby. Try to get a hut overlooking the waterfall.
Bring lots of books. Even in the capital there's next to no nightlife so the country seems to completely shut down after dinner. And unless you love temples, there are not many 'sights' to see. It's a terrific chance to catch up on your reading - my husband and I got through 10 books each in a fortnight.
The capital Vientiane is pretty grim and not worth spending more than a couple of days in. However, if you plan to travel around Laos you'll see a lot of Vientiane as domestic flights only fly to and from the capital. Try to avoid bus journeys, which are uncomfortable and take an eternity. Some friends spent three days on a bus trying to get to a town in the north.
In Vientiane, one of the best places for breakfast or lunch is the Scandinavian Bakery at Nam Phu Circle. It does great daily soups (such as pumpkin), decent fresh pastries and sandwiches, and is one of the few places with English-language papers and magazines to browse through [74/1 Pangkham Road, PO Box 6310, Vientiane, Laos. Tel: 856 2121 5199].
Luang Prabang, the ancient royal capital, was our favourite destination in Laos. It's a little touristy but has a lovely relaxed atmosphere. In Luang Prabang it's good to climb up to the Wat Phou Si Temple and watch the sunset. You can hire a speedboat to visit the Pak Ou caves, too. Unlike elsewhere in Laos, the food is fairly good, there are lots of Internet cafes and things to buy. An absolute must are the superb fresh-fruit punches, which cost next to nothing, in all the cafes along Sakkarine Road.
From Luang Prabang, I'd highly recommend an excursion to the Kuang Si Falls. When I hiked up the path on the right of the falls, a local man offered to guide me to the top - this hike was the highlight of my visit to Laos. He led me through the river so I was literally standing at the top of the falls (the current isn't swift so there seemed to be no real danger, but beware of slippery rocks). Once I'd had my fill of the views, he led me down by another path to the pool at the next level. Here you can either swim or simply stand in the middle of the waterfall with water crashing down behind and in front of you. Truly awesome and well worth the US$1 (HK$7.80) I tipped him.
