Travellers, too, are becoming increasingly aware of Laos and its allure.
Like Lau, the retiree from Honolulu, most travellers I encountered weren’t only targeting Laos (Lau was also visiting Thailand on her trip). This phenomenon is likely driven in part by the country’s lesser-known reputation and the fact that international travellers from outside the region must first connect at airports in cities like Bangkok and Hanoi.
And those flights to Laos are limited. In 2024, there were fewer than 1.8 million airline seats to Laos, most of them offered by Chinese and Thai airlines, according to Cirium, an aviation data company. By comparison, more than 46 million seats were available to Thailand.
“Laos has always been a ‘plus-one’ country,” said Jason Rolan, a tourism expert who lives in Vientiane. “Its remoteness has kept it sort of preserved as something tourists want to see, but they don’t know about it.”
ON THE BUS TO NONG KHIAW
With just two days remaining, Eli and I visited Nong Khiaw, a rural town that was a three-hour drive from Luang Prabang. Enticed by pictures and reviews online, we decided to spend a night there. The journey was deeply uncomfortable. We were crammed in a small van with about a dozen sweaty people sitting thigh to thigh. There was no air conditioning and only the suggestion of a breeze. Portions of the roads were unpaved and filled with ditches. I really missed the train.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/laos-vientiane-luang-prabang-train-4834806
