Laos

Although Laos is a small country, each part of part the country can provide tourists with a variety of different unique kinds of feeling and unspoiled the sense of the real Lao culture. When travelling with in Laos from the north to the south you will never find two places that have the same environment and style. Laos used to be called Lane Xang, "The Land of A Million Elephants". It was the name given to the country by King Fa Ngum when he reunified the country in 1353 A.D.

The cultural history of Laos has been shaped by a blend of three religions. The early Lao were animists, believers in spirits, and many of these traditions still prevail; then Brahmanism spread eastward from the Indian subcontinent, and finally Buddhism, the most obvious influence on Lao culture today. Many Lao males choose to be ordained as monks temporarily, normally spending anywhere from a few days to three months at a wat or temple. Most tourists will visit a wat or temple during their visit and see the traditional turned-up roofs of the wat. Laos is the least populated of the Indochinese countries, and perhaps the most beautiful.

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