LAOS ACCOMMODATION: HOTEL, RESORT, GUESTHOUSE
Full country name :
Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)
Area : 236,000 sq km (92,040 sq m)
Population : 5.5 million
Capital city : Vientiane (pop 500,000)
People : 50% Lao Loum (lowland Lao), 30% Lao
Theung (lower-mountain dwellers of mostly proto-Malay or Mon -
Khmer descent), 10-20% Lao Sung (Hmong or Mien high-altitude
hill tribes) and 10-20% tribal Thais
Language : Lao and Lao dialects (closely related
to Thai), French
Religion : 60% Buddhist, 40% animist and spirit
cults
Government : Socialist republic
President : Khamtai Siphandon
Prime Minister : Bounyang Volachit
GDP :
US$9.7 billion
GDP per head : US$1700
Annual growth : 4%
Inflation : 6%
Major products/industries : Rice, tobacco,
coffee, tin mining, timber, and opium
Major trading partners : Thailand, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Japan
Laos has been known since ancient times as Lan
Xang, or Land of the Million Elephants, and offers visitors a
glimpse of old Indochina. It is less developed than its Chinese,
Thai and Vietnamese neighbours, and traditionally the most
reserved, but offers natural beauty and shy hospitality combined
with a mix of original Buddhist culture and French influences.
It also shares its borders with Burma and Cambodia.
A mountainous, landlocked country,
situated at the heart of South East Asia, Laos’ lifeline
is the Mekong River that flows the length of the country,
providing water for agricultural lands and a major means of
transport. Vientiane, the unassuming capital, is situated on its
banks, and the city provides a comfortable introduction to the
charms of the country. Laos's most enticing destination is the
town of Luang Prabang, the former royal kingdom, with a legacy
of splendid golden temples and whitewashed houses.
A troubled history of French colonisation, internal
conflicts and assertive communism chased much of Laos'
population away in the 1970s and isolated the country from the
outside world. Today, though, the doors stand open, and services
for travellers are gradually being instituted so that visitors
can enjoy an unrivalled look at the old-fashioned way of life of
a country still largely unscathed by the harsh effects of mass
tourism. Tourists willing to brave the lack of infrastructure
will discover charming towns and rural villages, smiling,
endearing people, splendid scenery, and a slow, relaxed pace of
life.
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