Buddhism first appeared in Laos during the eighth century A.D., as shown by both the Buddha image and the stone inscription found at Ban Talat near Vientiane, now exhibited at Hor Pra Keo Museum. After the foundation of the unified Kingdom of Lane Xang, King Fa Ngum (14th Century) declared Buddhism as the state religion and urged the people to abandon Animism or other beliefs such as the Cult of Spirits. His policy meant to develop the Lao culture based on a common faith: Theravada Buddhism.

If you’re planning a trip to Laos, determining the best time to visit should be a top priority. You may want to plan your trip for a different time depending on where in Laos you’ll spend the most time, and how you plan to get around.

Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang, founded in the 15th century by Fa Ngum, himself descended from a long line of Lao kings, tracking back to Khoun Boulom. Lan-Xang prospered until the 18th century, when the kingdom was divided into three principalities, which eventually came under Siamese suzerainty.

Laos is an independent republic, and a landlocked nation in Southeast Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam. It covers 236,800 square kilometers in the center of the Southeast Asian peninsula and it is surrounded by Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, and Vietnam. About seventy percent of its geographic area is made up of mountain ranges, highlands, plateaux, and rivers cut through.

The majority of the Lao people are Buddhists. The Laos-Lum (Valley Laos) people follow the Hinayana(Theravada) form of Buddhism. The religions of the Laos-Theung (Laos of the mountain tops) range from traditional Confucianism to animism and Christianity.

Throughout the country, the climate is hot and tropical, with the rainy season between May and October when temperatures are at their highest, up to 35°C. The weather is very similar to that of northern Vietnam.

Punctuality is appreciated. Lightweight suits, shirt and tie should be worn. English is not spoken by all officials and knowledge of French is useful. Business cards should have a Laotian translation on the reverse. Best time to visit is during the dry season, from November to April.

Laos – officially known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic – is one of the great travel frontiers; landlocked and mountainous, swamped by jungles and promising Indian Jones adventures in remote tribal villages and ancient Buddhist caves.

Ho Chi Minh City lacks the heady blend of cultural collection found in Hanoi; however, the city still has plenty to offer on the entertainment front. Aside from day time frolicking in the city's water parks, visitors can hit the town after dark to sample local nightlife.

When it comes to entertainment, Hanoi has plenty to offer. In addition to seeing the sights, visitors can take in a show at the theater, indulge in a spot of shopping or explore the parks. There are also outdoor pursuits available such as golf, swimming and cycling.

Shopping in Vietnam is a fun and interesting experience, and guarantees good bargains to those who know what to look for. It is true to say that you can find nearly anything in Vietnam. Markets vary from high class shopping malls, supermarkets to bustling open market, galleries, boutiques and street stalls.

Every city, town and village has some sort of buu dien (post office). Vietnam has a quite reliable postal service. For anything important, express-mail service (EMS), available in the larger cities, is twice as fast as regular airmail and everything is registered.