Visit 6 spiritual places in Laos

Laos is a majority Buddhist country with many functional temples and sacred places. It also has some of least touched natural areas in Southeast Asia. If you are looking to contemplate life and engage in a spiritual experience, consider visiting one of these most spiritual places in Laos.

That Luang

The national symbol of Laos, That Luang, is an imposing golden monument reflecting both the Buddhist religion and Laotian sovereignty. Built in 1566, the architecture of this temple is a combination of Asian pagoda architecture and the traditional Laotian temple specific to this particular region.

Other Vientiane temples such as Wat Si Saket temple, Wat Haw Pha Kaeo temple, Wat Si Muang and Wat Ong Teu temple should also be on the list to visit for anyone hoping to understand the culture and beliefs of Laotian people and to discover the collections of sacred art and superb Lao Buddhist sculptures within.

Irrawaddy Dolphins

Called Pah Kha in Laos, the one critically endangered pod of Irrawaddy dolphins in Si Phan Don lives just south of Don Sanlat. Boats can be chartered from the beach at the southwest coast of Don Khon or from the ferry pier at the southernmost tip of the island for less than US$10 per hour. Sightings are best in the early mornings or early evenings. Bring some water; many of the boats are uncovered, leaving you exposed to the sun. Then, with the engine off and a little patience, you will see dolphins, albeit from a distance. Forget trying to take photos unless you are a professional nature photographer and simply take in the sounds and sights of these majestic animals.

Pak Ou Caves

Bring your headlamp and take the slow boat up the Mekong to Ban Pak Ou. Pak means mouth and the two caves at the mouth of the Ou River are Tham Ting and Tham Theung. Hike up the long staircase to the pitch black upper cave, Tham Theung. The lower cave, Tham Ting, is smaller and less busy with some sunlight shining through. Both caves are pilgrimage locations for devout Buddhists who have been leaving carvings of the Buddha in the caves for centuries. Over 4,000 statues are located inside.

That Ing Hang

That Ing Hang is second only to Wat Phou in Champasak when it comes to ancient sacred places in Laos. Built during the mid-16th century, the Stupa is a National Treasure of Lao PDR and is located 11.5 km north of Savannakhet. Said to contain a piece of Buddha’s spine, a story that Buddha rested at the base of a Hang tree at the site inspired the construction. Women must wear a traditional Lao sin (wrap skirt) to enter the temple grounds and may not enter the promenade around the stupa. Nuns and monks bless visitors and tie their wrists with colorful strings. After your visit, try some delicious black bamboo sticky rice with coconut for sale near the temple.

Dong Ling

Buy a bunch of bananas from the monkey-proof road side stands and head to the sacred monkey forest in the Chomphone Districts of Savannakhet Province. These are most well-behaved monkeys in Southeast Asia living on three hectares near Donmeuang Temple. The monkeys are sacred to the local people, and their images can be seen on the temple. The forest itself has a walking path with a pond in the middle and two small shrines toward the back. Visit in the dry season for Hotay Piddok, an ancient Buddhist palm scroll library near the forest.

Read more: Things you need to avoid when traveling to Laos

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