Little Laos is famed for a range of attributes – not least its verdant mountain scenery and laid back pace of life. Less documented these days is the role the nation played in the Vietnam War. Laos played witness to a form of proxy war due to widespread sympathy to the North Vietnamese cause among communist movements around Indochina.

As a result, covert US activity in Laos was rife: a theme picked up in the Hollywood hit Air America starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Junior.

In the movie, the pair engages in gunrunning, opium trafficking and other nefarious activities conducted by US intelligence agencies. For guests visiting Laos these days, reminders of the war era are manifold. One of the most compelling sites is Viengxay in the north of the country where hundreds of caves sheltered local people and the future leaders of the nation from daily bombing raids.

The town is an ideal base for exploration of the far north, which remains one of the most beautiful and mysterious areas in the country.

For further information, get in touch with one of our expert travel consultants at [email protected] or view the full itinerary here.