The Gentle Art Of Slowing Down

The only land-locked country in Southeast Asia, Laos is used to being overshadowed by its cousins—mighty China, historically-strong Vietnam and culturally-rich Thailand and Myanmar. Yet cocooned within these giants, lies this fascinating land that is rarely spoken about.

- Harnoor Channi-Tiwary

Laos is like a languid lover. You need to step off the treadmill and rearrange your travel expectations when you come here. There’s no need to hurry. Slow down, take your time. Wander, explore, discover, marvel. Travel writers often joke that Lao PDR (People’s Democratic Republic) is actually an acronym for Lao - Please Don’t Rush. Truer words were never said.

“Laos is not as visited by tourists as its famous neighbors, with the exception of Myanmar. And I must admit, I hope that doesn’t change. ”

A tumultuous past

To know Laos, it is important to understand its history. Luck hasn’t always favored this land. The Lao people originally came from China when they migrated southward from the 8th Century onwards. But the first Lao kingdom wasn’t formed until 1353, when Fa Ngum, an exiled prince from the region who grew up in the lap of the Khmer empire returned to his homeland and founded Lan Xang, or the ‘land of a million elephants’.

In an attempt to unify the kingdom, he brought in the beliefs of Theravada Buddhism, and his dynasty ruled from Luang Prabang for the next 200 years. It was only in the 17th Century that this kingdom began to crumble and eventually split into three parts—Luang Prabang to the north, Vientiane in the center, and Champassak in the south. The three kingdoms could never see eye to eye and it wasn’t long before the Siamese kings seized control.