The
Peoples’
Democratic
Republic
of
Laos
is
located
in
the
center
of
Indochina,
sharing
borders
with
China
to
the
North
416
kilometers,
Myanmar
to
Northwest
236
kilometers,
Thailand
to
the
West
1,835
kilometers,
Cambodia
to
the
South
492
kilometers
and
Vietnam
to
the
East
1,957
kilometers.
With
a
total
area
of
236,800
square
kilometers,
around
70%
of
Laos'
terrain
is
mountainous,
reaching
a
maximum
elevation
of
2,820
meters
in
Xieng
Khouang
Province.
The
landscapes
of
northern
Laos
and
the
regions
adjacent
to
Vietnam,
in
particular,
are
dominated
by
rough
mountains.
The
Mekong
River
is
the
main
geographical
feature
in
the
west
and,
in
fact,
forms
a
natural
border
with
Thailand
in
some
areas.
The
Mekong
flows
through
nearly
1,900
kilometers
of
Lao
territory
and
shapes
much
of
the
lifestyle
of
the
people
of
Laos.
In
the
South
the
Mekong
reaches
a
breadth
of
20
kilometers,
creating
an
area
with
thousands
of
islands.
Laos
has
one
of
the
most
pristine
natural
landscapes
in
Southeast
Asia.
An
estimated
half
of
its
woodlands
consist
of
primary
forest,
in
particular
the
tropical
rainforest.
Unlike
the
vegetation
that
grows
in
the
climate
of
Europe
and
the
United
States,
tropical
rainforest
is
composed
of
three
vegetative
layers.
The
top
layer
features
single-trucked,
high-reaching
trees
called
dipterocarps.
The
middle
canopy
consists
of
hardwood
such
as
teak.
Beneath,
small
trees,
grass
and
sometimes
bamboo
can
be
found.
In
addition
to
its
fascinating
vegetation,
Laos
plays
host
to a
diverse
animal
kingdom.
Several
exotic
mammals
are
endemic
such
as
leopard
cats,
Javan
mongoose,
goat
antelopes
as
well
as
rare
species
of
gibbons
and
linger,
Malayan
sun
bear,
Asiatic
black
bear
and
gaur.
The
discovery
of
the
Saola
Ox,
a
breed
of
deer-antelope,
in
Vietnam
a
few
years
ago
caused
a
great
sensation.
This
extremely
rare
animal
inhabits
the
Eastern
border
regions
of
Laos.
It
is
thought
that
these
remote
areas
probably
still
hide
other
unknown
species.
In
Southern
Laos,
near
Khong
Island,
Irrawaddy
dolphins
inhabit
the
Mekong
River.
While
many
species
of
wildlife
are
shy
and
can
rarely
be
seen,
spectators
will
generally
be
able
to
spot
the
dolphins
in
Springtime
when
the
water
level
of
the
Mekong
is
lowest.
Laos
is
also
rich
in
resident
and
migrating
birds.
One
of
the
more
notable
ones
is
the
rare
Green
Peafowl.
Lao
religious
images
and
art
is
also
distinctive
and
sets
Laos
apart
from
its
neighbors.
The
“Calling
for
Rain”
posture
of
Buddha
images
in
Laos,
for
example,
which
depicts
the
Buddha
standing
with
his
hands
held
rigidly
at
his
side,
fingers
pointing
to
the
ground,
can
not
be
found
in
other
Southeast
Asian
Buddhist
art
traditions.
Religious
influences
are
also
pervasive
in
classical
Lao
literature,
especially
in
the
Pha
Lak,
Pha
Lam,
the
Lao
version
of
India’s
epic
Ramayana.
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Sites
Flora
&
Fauna
Laos
has
one
of
the
most
pristine
natural
landscapes
in
Southeast
Asia.
An
estimated
half
of
its
woodlands
consist
of
primary
forest,
in
particular
the
tropical
rainforest.
Unlike
the
vegetation
that
grows
in
the
climate
of
Europe
and
the
United
States,
tropical
rainforest
is
composed
of
three
vegetative
layers.
The
top
layer
features
single-trucked,
high-reaching
trees
called
dipterocarps.
The
middle
canopy
consists
of
hardwood
such
as
teak.
Beneath,
small
trees,
grass
and
sometimes
bamboo
can
be
found.
In
addition
to
its
fascinating
vegetation,
Laos
plays
host
to a
diverse
animal
kingdom.
Several
exotic
mammals
are
endemic
such
as
leopard
cats,
Javan
mongoose,
goat
antelopes
as
well
as
rare
species
of
gibbons
and
linger,
Malayan
sun
bear,
Asiatic
black
bear
and
gaur.
The
discovery
of
the
Saola
Ox,
a
breed
of
deer-antelope,
in
Vietnam
a
few
years
ago
caused
a
great
sensation.
This
extremely
rare
animal
inhabits
the
Eastern
border
regions
of
Laos.
It
is
thought
that
these
remote
areas
probably
still
hide
other
unknown
species.
In
Southern
Laos,
near
Khong
Island,
Irrawaddy
dolphins
inhabit
the
Mekong
River.
While
many
species
of
wildlife
are
shy
and
can
rarely
be
seen,
spectators
will
generally
be
able
to
spot
the
dolphins
in
Springtime
when
the
water
level
of
the
Mekong
is
lowest.
Laos
is
also
rich
in
resident
and
migrating
birds.
One
of
the
more
notable
ones
is
the
rare
Green
Peafowl.
Lao
religious
images
and
art
is
also
distinctive
and
sets
Laos
apart
from
its
neighbors.
The
“Calling
for
Rain”
posture
of
Buddha
images
in
Laos,
for
example,
which
depicts
the
Buddha
standing
with
his
hands
held
rigidly
at
his
side,
fingers
pointing
to
the
ground,
can
not
be
found
in
other
Southeast
Asian
Buddhist
art
traditions.
Religious
influences
are
also
pervasive
in
classical
Lao
literature,
especially
in
the
Pha
Lak,
Pha
Lam,
the
Lao
version
of
India’s
epic
Ramayana.
When
to
visit
-
The
best
time
to
visit
Laos
is
between
November
and
April.
-
The
hot
season
from
March
to
May
is
very
dry
and
certain
river
trips
are
not
possible.
Entry
Point
International
Airports:
Laos
has
three
International
Airport
:
-
Wattay
International
Airport
in
Vientiane
Capital.
-
Luang
Prabang
International
Airport
in
Luang
Prabang
Province
.
-
Pakse
International
Airport
in
Champasack
Province
.
A
departure
tax
of
10US$
in
levied
for
international
flights,
while
5.000
kips
is
levied
for
domestic
flights.
