Laos

The Lao people were a tribe originally from Yunnan, China, who were pushed south to the border of the Khmer empire in the 13th century. The first Lao kingdom, called Lan Xang or “land of the million elephants,” was founded by Fa Ngum in 1353. The modern nation-state Laos emerged from the French Colonial Empire as an independent country in 1953. Laos exists in truncated form from the thirteenth century Lao kingdom of Lan Xang.

Laos is called the “Land of a Million Elephants,” and is famous for its amazing scenery, ethnic villages, and unexplored lands. It is best known for some of Southeast Asia's most spectacular waterfalls, including Tad Fane and Dong Hua Sao.

From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 2.5M tons of ordnance on Laos during 580,000 bombing sorties equal to a planeload of bombs every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years – making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. Laos is a charming place, where the people are friendly and welcoming. It is very traditional and can feel like stepping into another time.