City: Laos
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The 10 Best Nature & Parks in Laos, Laos
Coordinates: 18°N 105°E / 18°N 105°E / 18; 105
Restaurants in Laos
1. MandaLao Elephant Conservation
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 498 reviews
We are Luang Prabang's first and only non-riding elephant experience. Please join us for an unforgettable trip that will not only benefit the well being of our elephants but be a highlight to any Southeast Asian adventure.
Reviewed By SophieB179 - Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Sorry to be a bit eco Nazi about things but if you want to ride elephants or have animals take part in your tourism experience in any way - change your mind set. Mandalao are leading the way in Laos in showing that this is how tourism must become. I have read reviews saying but the elephants aren’t free, it’s still cruel. You know what, yes it is that anything has to be kept safely away from humans who want to exploit them in logging industries or other areas. These elephants are kept safe though and that my friends, is a start. For them to be free in the world in 2019 is a death sentence. Rant over. You are taken to the centre from your hotel and met by the owner who gives you a very informative talk about the site and elephant conservation in general. Then you are given bowls of food to make balls of to give the elephants, it’s things like baby banana, sticky rice and tamarind and lots of sea salt. You make the balls then go over on a boat and meet your elephants and mahouts. The elephants eat from your hands and then accompany you on a stroll through the jungle. They stop and mooch around, ours demolished a tree whilst we were there, showing off their strength as they reached for their favourite leaves higher up in the trees. We hugged their trunks and had photos, could touch them and stand with them, sense their individual personalities and get a real sense of the power these animals hold. They are very calm to be around and I was certainly filled with awe from beginning to end. The mahouts are local men employed by the centre. They do not whip or hurt the elephants at all, but they do have a stick of bamboo with them that they gently guide them with. They know people do not want to see cruelty and I was super alert for it but saw absolutely none, the men were to be commended. But to go back to my original point, compared to the life the elephants had before on logging plantations where they were poorly fed, overworked and abused to the life they have now, seeing a man with a stick to guide an elephant to walk with humans is a lot less harsh to accept then the alternative. I have no qualms in saying these elephants were happy, well fed and looked after, and safe. If you are an eco or ethically minded tourist this place is for you. If you’re not - become one! ????
2. Vang Vieng Elephant Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 201 reviews
Reviewed By yatsoony - Acton, United Kingdom
This was a great activity to do with our young kids aged 9 and 7. We were picked up at our hotel in Vang Vieng for a scenic 45 minute drive to get to the sanctuary. When we arrived we had an interesting, informative and entertaining introductory talk by the owner of the sanctuary. This gave a background to the culture, history and threats to elephants in Laos, as well as what he is trying to achieve at the sanctuary. A fairly easy trek (waterproof shoes provided) through a beautiful landscape took us to the elephants’ natural habitat. We were able to feed the elephants with bananas and then bathe them in a nearby river. We then trekked back to the sanctuary buildings with elephants, during which we saw them having a mud bath. Back at the sanctuary buildings we fed them some more and were in turn fed a delicious Lao lunch. It was an amazing privilege to be at such close quarters with these gentle, curious and majestic animals. There are four elephants currently at the sanctuary. Groups of visitors (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) are limited in numbers so as to maintain a good visitor-elephant ratio. I can thoroughly recommend this activity as an inspirational way to spend half a day!
3. Kuang Si Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11,068 reviews
Reviewed By itskathyhere
If you're in Luang Prabang, you can't miss this site. This is the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen, and you can climb up to the top of the waterfall, and take a short bamboo raft ride to the source of the waterfall (it's an underground cave). The only thing to note is near the top of the waterfall, there are signs for a cave, which we followed for a while. I think it's about a 2 mile hike to the cave, which is further than we anticipated, and we decided to turnaround half way through since we didn't have the time to keep exploring. If you're tight for time, enjoy your time at the waterfall and don't get distracted by the cave signs!
4. The Gibbon Experience
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 907 reviews
Reviewed By SvenHakan - Uppsala, Sweden
Yes, the Gibbon experience was really great. We were lucky to see gibbons and also hear them sing, but of course not all are that lucky. But the treehouse, ziplines and trekking would have been great enough. It was all very good organized. We did the Classic tour with two nights in the treehouse and of course you come close to your group, we were six in our house (#4, 42 m above the ground)) and we said we had the "best group in the best treehouse". When we met the other groups they said the same :-), so I suppose most groups work out well. This really was an extraordinary experience!
5. 100 Waterfalls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 108 reviews
Reviewed By CeciliaTe - London, United Kingdom
We booked the 100 waterfalls day trip with Mr Mang's agency Nong Khiaw Adventure Tours. The landscape and tour were great and we totally recommend it, but it had a completely unethical component which undermined the whole experience: we were taken to a village nearby, we were shown the school while kids were in class. We were encouraged to interact with the kids. Fellow travellers filmed them and photographed them. We will never book anything with Mr Mang again. We were very glad we didn't book the mini van to depart from Nong Khiaw via the agency when we booked the tour. In Luang Prabang we found that people are rightly so campaigning against this. Go to the 100 waterfalls but Please don't book with this agency. We'd take it back if we could.
6. Kuang Si Falls Butterfly Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 985 reviews
Welcome to the Kuang si Falls ButterflyPark Just 300 meters before parking Kuang si Falls Hundreds of Laotian butterflies in a beautiful landscaped garden, natural fish spa included.
Reviewed By seulgison - Munich, Germany
We were surprised that there weren't many visitors when we visited, because this place was seriously great! They give you a booklet that will outline the tour of the butterfly sanctuary, which will take you around the falls and into the butterfly house, to the natural fish spa (there are seats for you to sit and experience this!) and a cute cafe at the end of the tour. We suggest getting the coffee + cake bundle at the beginning when you buy your ticket because they were both so good. There are also seats at the cafe where you can sit down and dip your feet in another pool. You can also feed the fish there too because there was a bowl full of fish food, which was fun to throw and watch. We really enjoyed our time at the butterfly sanctuary!!
7. Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 304 reviews
Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden offers a peaceful escape from the town that allows you to learn about over 1,500 plant species on a 40 hectare property located 15 minutes down the Mekong River by boat. Learn about biodiversity conservation, sustanable agriculture and ecotourism as you take in free activities, including bamboo handicrafts, a local tea tasting, one hour hike to a cave, a history talk and a talk about orchids given by one of our local experts. If you care about conservation, environmental education or sustainable tourism, then Pha Tad Ke is the perfect half or full day getaway.
Reviewed By Manclaw - Manchester, United Kingdom
We were brought here by river boat by our guide not really sure what to expect (having been on a river trip all day) but it was beautiful - we were given food first at the lakeside restaurant - the food was so intensely flavoursome (including a pomelo salad and a really light soup) and a beer - then did a tour of the gardens themselves which are developing but show something of the breadth of variety of plants grown here. Far too much to do in a short trip, but worth considering - beautiful country.
8. Tad Yuang Waterfalls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 89 reviews
Also spelled Tad Gneuang, this is a 40m high, truely picturesque waterfall surrounded by beautiful nature. Be careful when walking down to the pool of water, the steps are slippery. At the entrance to the falls (signposted well on road 16E at Km 40) you'll find food and drink stalls and a restaurant.
Reviewed By travelwithoutmercy
Even in the dry season this is well worth a visit as the falls are still worth seeing. Go and enjoy !
9. Pha Ngern View Point
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 97 reviews
Reviewed By Bouncy_Boycy - Colombo, Sri Lanka
We made it to the first viewing hut in around one hour going slow with breaks. Leave early to make sure you have the time to return slowly before the lights fade. Great outdoorsy experience and view. Turn by the sign for the school and follow the signs to arrive at the entrance. Bring water and take the bottle back with you.
10. Thakhek Loop
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By arnaud_x95 - Brussels, Belgium
The Thakhek Loop is an amazing experience that you really need to do if you are in Laos. I rented a scooter in Thakhek and made the loop in 3 days. From my point of view, this was enough time but other people usually do it in 4 days. During the loop, you’ll see a lot of beautiful landscapes (and different!), you’ll cross many local villages (the real Laos!) and you’ll meet a lot of nice people. The Konglor Cave which is the highlight of the loop is listed as UNESCO World Heritage and is absolutely beautiful and astonishing (the cave in the pictures is not the Konglor Cave but the Dragon Cave, still incredibly beautiful). Don’t miss that if you’re travelling to Laos ;)
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