Laos is considered as a laid back or a sleepy country but not in terms of travel and destination, for a backpacker traveler, Laos is the place to be, there is always a nearby café to relax and unwind besides having cheap and affordable accommodation options for you. There are many activities and places to visit during your entire vacation, from natural landmarks, religious centers, historic museums and galleries, rivers, lakes and waterfalls you will always get something that pleases you as a backpacker. Here are some coolest backpacker activities that you can carry out in Laos.
Xieng Khouang, mineral springs
Get to the hot springs at Muang Kham which is government owned and operated, you will to see a pool of hot natural bubbling water which you can get to by walking on a path thats parallel to Hot Spring Resort, however the pool reains strictly off limits to tourists and the genral public but you can still get good glimpses. You can grab a backpacker’s package if you want to stay at the resort. The mineral springs are surrounded by wooden bamboo rigs which have been built at a point where you can take a bath. You can also get to the smaller spring, Baw Noi where you can also take a bath as the water are cool due to the confluence of the stream and those of the hot springs.
Dong Natad Trek
Get to the protected Dong Natad and trek into the natural forest that’s close to Savannakhet town. The trek is located 15 km from the town center and 11 km past Mekong Bridge, you can also consider to get across to the salt mines. At Dong Natad Trek you will also enjoy to see red ants, gigantic spiders, some wild animals as well as birds. You can also get to the salt mines where you will get to learn about slat processing. You can further head to sacred lake that showcases the beauty of Ing Hang Stupa after long day of trekking. Dong Natad is a good place for backpackers and you can spend up to two days trekking.
Kayaking and rafting
Get to Luang Prabang which will spoil you with its kayaking and rafting activities. You will also have some adventure trekking in these great places. You will also get to see local tribes and learn of their amazing river culture, while rafting, you will also love sightseeing the mountains and taking dramatic intermediate rapids. Yu can also consider trying out some paddling adventures on a two day kayaking trip which involves cliff jumping into the Nam Xeuang River. For those who prefer a gentle river ride, Luang Prabang cares for you too; you can enjoy full day kayaking activities on the slower Nam Khan River. (image by Abruzzo Rafting).
Mountain biking
If the rafting and trekking activities get you bored, you can try out mountain biking in Laos. The best place to experience this is on the countryside’s of Luang Prabang. You will get to old towns, rural villages, past rivers up to the stunning mountains. Adventurous riders can also try out some off road routes that cross four rivers and get past remote villages of the rural side of Luang Prabang, you will definitely love the experience.
Laos is a nice place to visit and has a lot of activities for backpackers, you will definitely love the vacation, you might also consider some other great backpacker favorite destination and try out some of the activities that are carried out in those regions.
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Feature image by Ben Smethers
