2 Best Sights in Laos

This ecotourism program, a model for Southeast Asia, actively encourages the involvement of local communities in the development and management of tourism policies. You can join a two- or three-day trek through the Nam Ha Protected Area, which provides some excellent opportunities for communing with nature, having outdoor adventures, and visiting ethnic minorities (Khmu, Akha, Lanten, and Yao tribes live in the dense forest). The Boat Landing Guesthouse, Forest Retreat Laos, Phou Iu Travel, and Green Discovery Laos (all in Luang Nam Tha) conduct or arrange tours.

Popular and unique, this experience combines a visit to the Bokeo Nature Reserve with jungle trekking, sleeping in canopy-level tree houses, traveling among the trees by ziplines, and watching gibbons and other wildlife. Profits benefit gibbon rehabilitation and sustainable conservation projects. Be prepared to rough it a bit. Groups are small, so book the experience well ahead.