Laos
Capital: Vientiane Population: 6.77 million Language: Lao, French Time: GMT+7 International Dialling Code: +856 Money: the new Kip
Visa: 7 day extendable visas available upon entry to Laos. Further Information: Laos Simply Beautiful
Lao Embassy in London: (+44) 0207 402 3770
When to go: The main rainy season ranges from May thru September. The highlands to the north of Luang Prabang get quite cool during Dec & Jan. The rainy season may produce rain, but only for an hour each day with the sun coming out for the rest of that day.
Music: Mor Lam, Isaan traditional music. Mor Lam is related to the popular music coming from Thailand and especially the north east of Thailand and is essentially a rural music given a very vibrant contemporary feel.
And yet another favourite haunt of those at Globe at One, we’ve been up and down the Mekong and have spent enough time in Luang Prabang, the old capital to be able to advise and recommend the quaint riverside hotels and the gentle promenades that grant an old fashioned frison to any evening with candlelight and warm temperatures and people to match