Undiscovered World Of Laos

A country largely left alone but a most storied past, brings a new game to the fold.

- Benny Teo

Landlocked Laos, with a rich history stretching back 10,000 years and bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, is not an obvious destination on golfers’ itineraries. Yet the reality is that there are a handful of first-class courses in the capital of Vientiane and former royal capital, Luang Prabang, which is now designated as an UNESCO World Heritage town.

Vientiane is worth traipsing around for a couple of days and most sights can be visited on foot - it’s an easy city to walk around so long as you pack a map and plenty of water. The three-layered gilded stupa of Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument in the country, dating from the 16th century.

Other popular landmarks include the Wat Si Saket and the Patouxay monument. Climb up the various levels packed with little stalls selling trinkets and souvenirs to the rooftop where you can gaze across the city and down the Avenue Lanexang (similar to Paris’ Champs Elysée) to the Presidential Palace, which is a rather magnificent structure that used to house the royal family and is now used by the government for functions and ceremonies.

Ho Phra Keo, a former temple that housed the Emerald Buddha figurine is now a museum. Built in the 16th century, it was destroyed and rebuilt three times, the last by the French between 1936 and 1942. The revered Buddha now resides in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, but the beautiful structure and its statues remain an alluring destination for visitors today.