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The Lao people are known for their gentle polite nature and for their
charming hospitality. The capital
Vientiane, is one of Asia's biggest
villages, sitting on the banks of the Mekong river. To the north, the
UNESCO World Heritage Site of the old Royal City of
Luang Prabang is
home to dozens of temples and a way of life that has changed little over
the years. In the south the
Angkor era temple of
Wat Phou is one of the
jewels of the Mekong.
Laos
boasts one of the least disturbed ecosystems in Asia, but access to
creatures in the wild is correspondingly limited. Probably the two most
rewarding areas for wilderness travel are the Nakai-Nam Theun NBCA on
the Lao-Vietnamese border and the Khammuan Limestone NBCA east of Tha
Khaek, both in Khammuan Province. The area around Si Phan Don is of
major interest for its riparian habitats and waterfalls. Its southern
most reach is also a fragile home to the rare Irrawaddy dolphin.
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