Browse listings of B&B, Home Exchange, Vacation Rentals (furnished apartments, villas, cottages, condos, farmhouses and other types of accommodations) of Laos:
Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Laos
- Time Zone: GMT/UTC +7
- Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellullar phone etc.)
- Currency: Kip (KN)
- Country Dialing Code: 856
Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List by
- Town of Luang Prabang
- Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape
Laos
Location
Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Capital
Vientiane
Population
6,217,141 (July 2005 est.)
Regions
16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural), 1 municipality* (kampheng nakhon, singular and plural), and 1 special zone** (khetphiset, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xaisomboun**, Xekong, Xiangkhoang
Climate
tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April)
Ethnic groups
Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1%
Religions
Buddhist 60%, animist and other 40% (including various Christian denominations 1.5%)
Languages
Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages
Government type
Communist state
Background
Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three hundred years Lan Xang included large parts of present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closly aligned to Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997.
Visitor's Impressions
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