My Impression of Laos

This country is definitely quieter than most of its neighbor (I heard Burma is even quieter). People are very reserved. But most of the people do have an attractive face, more so than Cambodia, Thailand, China, and even Vietnam.

- The country did not lived up to all the hypes I heard from other travelers. The drug theme is bigger and more out in the open than I expected. probably because I traveled with some of the users. And I am seeing the starting of or continuation of tourism's impact on the simple life of Lao people.

- Drug culture is endemic both in local population and tourist population.

- a good place to do outdoor activites and at same time see and experience the local culture.

- I felt the country is safer than the guide books suggested. I think they have improved the security since the bad incidents in the early 2001.

- There many places in Laos for you to explore, I only visited the major tourist circuit.

As I said before with other SEA coutries, the sooner you visit it, the less western influence you'll see.