Overall Thoughts on Laos

 It’s an amazing place for adventure and outdoor activities (hiking, swimming, biking) so in that sense it is quite underrated! However, it is still on the banana pancake trail so tourists are congregated in the places where tourist infrastructure exists and tend to lean towards the more annoying/less considerate type. I would say I had the most fun in Laos out of all the countries I visited over the summer, especially because I stuck to the adventure side of things and avoided the party side. The food was very hit or miss in my opinion.

Buddhism is very present and strong there, especially in Luang Prabang, which is very neat to see. I heard lots of monks singing a beautiful worship song at dusk in one of the temples in Luang Prabang. They are very present in the community and it is clear that they are revered, so it is difficult to hear about tourists lacking appropriate boundaries and respect.

The Laos-China railway runs from the northern border with China to Vientiane (borders Thailand, where a route is being extended for the train to continue to Bangkok). On one hand, the high speed rail allows for efficient transport throughout Northern Laos, improves trade, and brings in more Chinese tourists. On the other hand, there are many concerns about the railway significantly increasing Laos’ debt to China, which reduces their economic independence (potentially permanently or for a very long time). Despite the massive debt to China created by the project (completed in 2021), Laos only owns 30% of the railway. There are also concerns about the train being primarily used by Chinese businesspeople/foreigners instead of locals.