Laos

Laos is a landlocked Southeast Asian nation with a quietly growing economy built on hydropower, mining, agriculture, and expanding tourism. Vientiane, the unhurried capital, rewards visitors with the gilded That Luang stupa, the morning alms-giving rituals along the Mekong riverfront, and the colonial-era lanes of the city centre. The ancient royal town of Luang Prabang draws travellers seeking Buddhist temples and forested mountain scenery. Shoppers seek out hand-woven silk textiles, indigo-dyed fabrics, and carved wood crafts at Vientiane's Talat Sao morning market and Luang Prabang's famous night market.