THE NORTH   

One to Two Weeks/Huay Xai to Vientiane

Travellers have been following this route since before the 1975 revolution, and it's still one of the best samplers for anyone who wants a good dose of Laos in a relatively short time-span.

Enter Laos via ferry from Chiang Khong in Thailand to HuayXai and get a taste of the country on a local trek. Heading south, board one of the slow boats that ply the Mekong between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang. This two-day voyage requires an overnight in the small riverside district of Pak Beng the scenery along the Mekong River is a terrific mix of villages, limestone cliffs and intermittent forest.

Boats may stop at Pak Ou so that passengers can visit Buddha-filled caves there. Sightseeing in and around Luang Prabang, Laos's atmospheric former royal capital, can easily occupy a week.

From here, continue southward to Vientiane by bus or van along Rte 13, stopping in Vang Vieng, a modern-day travellers centre surrounded by craggy, cave-studded limestone peaks. After a few days of river-tubing and cave hikes, head to Vientiane Laos's semibustling capital city.

THE SOUTH         

One to Three Weeks/Vientiane to Si Phai

This classic route takes you through the heartland of lowland Lao culture world of broad river plains planted with rice and homemade looms shi by wooden houses on stilts.

Start in Vientiane the country's capital, and soak up the food, shopping, historical sights and nightlife (it gets quieter from here). Head soul Tha Khaek), the archetypal sleepy Mekong riverside town, and go east on Rte 12 to explore the caves of Khammuan Limestone or take The Loop all the way around, stopping at the incredible Tham Kong to

Continue south to Savannakhet where you'll get an architectural taste of how postcolonial Vientiane looked before it was gussied up b) Lao PDR government and international aid. Chowhounds can sniff around for the country's best foe (rice noodles) and sin sawan (literally heaven beef; dried beef).

Roll on southward to Pakse and, if you don't have enough to go east, through to tranquil Champasak .This town is the has seeing Laos's most important archaeological site, Wat Phu Champasak, Angkor-style temple ruins stepping up the slopes of sacred Phu Pasak

Make a final short hop to Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands an archipelago of idyllic river islands where the farming and fishing life hasn’t changed much for a century or more. Swing in a hammock and relax before moving on to Cambodia or heading to Thailand via Chong Mek.