Like many places in Southeast Asia, travel­ling with children in Laos can be a lot of fun as long as you come prepared with the right attitudes, physical requirements and the usual parental patience. Lonely Plan­et's Travel with Children by Cathy Lanigan contains useful advice on how to cope with kids on the road and what to bring along to make things go more smoothly.

Practicalities

Amenities geared towards children - such as high chairs in restaurants, child safety seats for vehicles, or nappy-changing facilities in public restrooms - are virtually unknown in Laos. Thus parents will have to be extra resourceful in seeking out substitutes or follow the example of Lao families (which means holding smaller children on their laps much of the time).

Outside of Vientiane day-care center are likewise unknown, though this is rarely a problem. The Lao adore children and in many instances will shower attention on your off­ spring, who will readily find playmates among their Lao peers and a temporary many service at practically every stop.

Baby formula and nappies (diapers) are available at minimarkets in the larger towns and cities, but for rural areas you'll need to bring along a sufficient supply.

For the most part parents needn't worry too much about health concerns though it pays to lay down a few ground rules - such as regular hand-washing - to head off potential medical problems. All the usual health precautions apply. Children should especially be warned not to play with animals encountered along the way since rabies is dis­turbingly common in Laos.

Sights & Activities

Younger children usually don't find the historic temples and French colonial archi­tecture of Luang Prabang and Vientiane as inspiring as their parents do, but travelling with children does tend to give you a differ­ent perspective to what you might be used to. The chicken's-eye view of a three-year-old, for example, means they tend to notice all sorts of things at ground level their par­ents often miss. As long as they don't try to put any of them in their mouths, this is usually no problem.

If boredom does set in, the best cure in Laos is always the outdoors. In Luang Prabang the waterfalls at Tat See and Tat Kuang Si can amuse most kids for days. Boat trips are usually well-received too.

Most children also take to the unique Hindu-Buddhist sculpture garden of Xieng Khuan  outside Vientiane. The capital also has a few more main stream activities, such as swimming pools and ten-pin bowl­ing alleys

Elsewhere, the Plain of Jars invites the kind of fantasy exploration most kids are prone to.