Indonesia-Bali
For two decades this small, sparsely populated, landlocked country was isolated to from the outside world. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos once made up the trilogy of the French Indochina states. Laos is the smallest of the three, completely landlocked and sparsely populated. Currently Lao people are living in relative peace thanks to a stabilizing of its political and economic structures.
The majority of life and commerce is centered on the Mekong River, the life force of Laos. People live as they have for hundreds of years in the fertile Mekong lowlands and Annamite highlands above the river. No story of Laos is complete today without mentioning that the world is watching as plans evolve to dam the Mekong River in Laos. With the most recent damming of the Yangtze River in Central China parties on both sides of the dam (pun intended) will bring Laos in the international spotlight of globalization, industrialization and environmental concerns.
Tourism is beginning slowly because of the lack of infrastructure. Like most of the countries in Southeast Asia, the Laotian people are warm, friendly and interested in partnering with tourism. Travel is generally event free in Laos but travelers should be aware of the risk of unexploded ordnance (land mines), rural banditry, and sporadic violence in and around the capitol city of Vientiane. Tourist have been targeted and several attacks on buses traveling to and from the capitol.
The handicrafts most noted from Laos are the textiles. Internationally famous for quality of workmanship and material the silk and cottons brocades, traditional patterns and weavings are highly sough after.
Silk Road Gathering maintains an extensive inventory of Laotian textiles and has several manufactures available for larger purchases.
