Cambodia & Laos

Unspoilt Laos and Cambodia are your fast-track into the slow lane of Indochina, life continuing here as it has for centuries. Come for not just a holiday, but an adventure.

Travel down the mighty Mekong River by longboat and visit remote Laotian hill-tribe villages, puzzle over the pottery scattered over the Plain of Jars, plod through pristine jungle on the back of an elephant. In languid Vientiane, sit on the riverfront and enjoy a crisp-crusted baguette, just one reminder of its French colonial past. In beautiful Luang Prabang, soak up the mystical ambience and earn karma by putting food into the rice bowls of the monks who come to worship at the golden-spired temples. Go trekking and stay with villagers or snooze in a hammock by a tropical beach.

Cambodia balances the glory of centuries-old Angkor Wat against the hell of the Killing Fields – but in between, delights such as the Mekong fresh-water dolphins, fabulous food and seductive silks, vibrant Phnom Penh with its opulent Silver Pagoda, jungle safaris by horse or tractor, or a cooking course in Siem Reap. Unforgettable!