Laos

Laos' spiritual heart, Luang Prabang, has seen a surge in tourism. Now, a series of immersive monk-guided experiences are educating visitors about the city's Buddhist heritage.

Once a debauched riverside party town, Vang Vieng had cleaned up its act in recent years, but it's in the headlines for all the wrong reasons once again.

The few travellers that make it to this remote corner of Laos will find fields of ancient stone jars. Who put them there, and what were they for?

In Laos, being surrounded by family and friends in ceremony is considered essential to wellbeing – and requires people to be literally bound.

The jungle-rich, three-day odyssey known as the Loop twists its way sinuously through jungle, paddy fields and karst country to one of the country’s most spectacular sights.

In and around Luang Prabang, increased tourism is posing a real risk to the traditional textiles that have been sought after since the Tang dynasty.

Follow Tony Wheeler as he takes a break from the road, stopping in a small Laos village to learn about the local handicraft traditions, from weaving to making conical straw hats.

On assignment to Laos for the first time since the 1970s, Tony Wheeler heads up the Mekong to investigate the thousands of Buddhist sculptures found in these spectacular caves.