Laos history is one of colonization and occupation. Some of the earliest conquerors were the mighty Khmer Empire. The nation of’ Lane Xang’, or the Land of a Million Elephants was born with Luang Prabang as its capital. Khmer power yielded to that of the neighboring Thais until towards the end of the 19th century the Thais were forced to give up large parts of their territory to France. Lan Xang was renamed Laos and became part of French Indochina.

Laos is a land-locked nation of stunning natural beauty and strong spiritual tradition and remains relatively unexplored. Roughly the area of Great Britain, Laos has less than 6 million people making it one of the most under-populated countries in the world. Much of the country is comprised of striking mountain ranges, valleys and gorges or thick rainforest. Laos’ principal charm lies in this abundance of nature. And then there are the cities. Vientiane has a relaxed atmosphere whilst Luang Prabang, a former royal capital and now a World Heritage Site is an enchanting city dominated by golden-roofed temples and bright saffron-robed monks exuding a spiritual essence that will surely capture your soul.