Fun things to do in Laos

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wander around and around !! sounds silly but we stayed here 9 days ,one end of town is very busy full of us tourists and travellers and up the the other end where the mekong meets the other river inlet is quiet and serene , i followed to young monks across the bamboo bridge which is maintained for a fee and as i followed i ended up 2 miles down the mekong on my own private island or sand bank with tiny gold flakes in the water ( most probably pyrite) and enjoyed the ambience of the real luang prabang with the hard working farmers and boat people i was blissing i walked back with mud caked on up to my knees crossed the bridge sat down and was surrounded by very young monks 13 in fact digging soil for their new flowers for the offerings i was in buddha heaven. they played and swam in the mekong fully clothed and i made friends with one as i swung the adze (pick) to help out. we talked in our broken english for about an hour , they all eventually left and so did i with one of the largest smiles and we are now pen pals , what a day !! what a life !!

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Blue Lagoon is probably worth your time to visit. DO NOT SIMPLY VISIT THE CAVES IN VANG VIENG, MOST OF THEM ARE GIMMICKS. THE SIDEBOARD WHICH TELLS WATERFALL AND CAVE IS NOT TRUE.
I've stayed Vang Vieng for 7days and visited 4caves only Blue Lagoon is a real place worth visiting. The cave at the blue lagoon is fantastic and you will find a sleeping buddha in the cave.
Remember ,the road condition in Vang Vieng is no good. Bring some water along for your cave visit.

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Day trip to Pak Au Cave is very short. Most of the time I spend on the boat to and fro.
Visiting the Pak Au Cave two main temples was about 30mins ONLY. SIGHHHHHH.

Again, if you're not feeling well or lack of energy. Do not visit the second temple of the Pak Au cave, it's definitely NOT WORTH TO VISIT THE SECOND TEMPLE as you have very limited time.
Not much to see at the second temple.

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You definitely do not need a tour guide when you're in LP to visit Luang Prabang Hill, PakAuCave and Kuang Xi waterfall.

Pak Au Cave- simply get a day tour from the local agency. Lots of tour agency or hotel will organise day trip to Pak Au Cave. Strongly advise to join the small group tour.
Kuang Xi Waterfall - Rent a motorbike or car and explore the waterfall, spend your good own time there.

If you're visiting Pak Au Cave, it's not worth to visit the second temple. It's quite far away from the first temple and lots of stairs for old folks ,I think. NOT worth your time to visit the second temple.

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This was the highlight of my trip. I'd booked through email way before going to Laos because it can be difficult to get a slot at the last minute.
The Gibbon Experience is a conservation project to save the Bokeo Nature Reserve using tourists' money for 2 purposes. One is to show the locals that there's an alternative source of income so that they will stop slashing and burning the forest, secondly about 40% of the money you pay goes to a forest conservation fund.

Apart from helping to conserve the forest, it was just good fun zipping around from tree to tree. The canopy of Bokeo is connected by a network of ziplines, which gives you a good view of the forest. There are 5 treehouses and you can choose between the Classic Experience and the Waterfall Experience. I joined the 2-night Waterfall Experience. It was really a very memorable experience but be prepared for lots of uphill trekking.

i went on the caving tour in Vang Vieng .
It was great!!!The scenery is absolutly breathtaking!!!
We got to see a local hilltribe village and ate some delicious local food!!!
We kayaked down the local river after that which was SO MUCH FUN!!!We could see the local village life going by as we floated down the river and rice fields.
I recommend doing the tour through Vang vieng STC travel agency .The guide that they had was so friendly and he spoke great english and he knew so much about the area !!! His name is Yer .I definitly think that it was the most easiest , fun and best ways to see the local area here !!!

Brief look on the map will tell Laos is mountainous land; highest mountain is Phu Bia (2819) in Xaysombuone province, Northern Laos.

If you want to see the best parts you should travel by day time bewteen Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang at least. It's not bad if you stay in VV just to explore its landscape - you can always avoid the crowds to some degree.

Nong Khiaw area is splednid too - make a boat trip from Luang Prabang - NK/Muang Ngoi.

More remote is Xam Neua and Viengxay: if you have a lot of time in Laos go there, and go beyond. But you must come prepared.

Jewel of the landscape is as well the area near Thakhek in Middle Laos, Khammouane province. You could visit it on motorbike from Thakhek. There are lots of side roads well into the area - not many tourist visit it yet.

Unfortunatelly - the mountains are being deforested and mined greatly in those last decades.

You won't need more than 2 days in Vientiane.

If you opt for a bus to Vang Vieng, VV is a good place to stop, but 32-3 days are enough there. Definitely do the tubing there :) Perhaps explore some caves too.

Then, onto Luang Prabang. Get a boat to the Pak Ou caves, visit some Hmong villages, climb Mount Phousi for sunset views, and shop at the night market.

Laos is a good place to visit :)