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The Northeast
The Northeast of Laos is notable for its wild and mountainous scenery, mysterious relics and sadly, the legacy of the Indochina Wars. During this period of history Laos became the most heavily bombed country in the world and a large amount of UXO (unexploded ordnance) still litters the countryside in the form of mortar shells, cluster bombs and other assorted bombs. The sheer volume of the stuff is such that even now tens of people every year are killed or injured by UXO and it has been estimated that at current clearance rates it will be 150 years before the problem has been completely dealt with.
The Plain of Jars
In a quiet corner of Laos can be found a remarkable enigma in the form of large stone carved jars of varying sizes littering the landscape. Very ancient but of unknown origin, the jars are scattered across hundreds of square kilometers, with three concentrated sites of jars around the town of Phonsavan.
Incredibly, nothing is known of the civilization that created them, or what their intended purpose was, although many theories abound. Some claim that they were used as burial urns, while others believe them to be storage jars for rice wine. All that is known is that the jars are carved from solid stone and date from somewhere between 500BC and 200AD. The largest jar is over 2.5m in height and weighs over 6 tonnes although most are considerably smaller.
The jars area was particularly heavily bombed during the conflicts (Site Number 1 is strewn with bomb craters) so it is incredible that as many as 2,500 jars still remain. The Plain of Jars is not frequently visited and often you will find that you have a site completely to yourself.
Sam Neua and Vieng Xai
Sam Neua is one of Asia least visited provincial capitals, and aside from its interesting markets, is a mostly modern affair. Head out of town just a few kilometers, however to discover enchanting river scenes, terraced rice fields and minority villages. Being at an elevation of 1200m Sam Neua can be chilly at night during dry season, but during the wet summer months is a surrounded by emerald green countryside.
The highlight of a visit to this quiet corner of northeast Laos are the fascinating caves at Vieng Xai, set in an area of spectacular limestone karst scenery. One of the world's most complete revolutionary bases to have survived 
the cold war period, for a decade during the 1960s and 70s the caverns housed up to 23,000 people, in 450 caves. Initially being a hideout for the Pathet Lao leadership during a period of political oppression and assassinations in 1963, as the US Secret War gained momentum many local villages were mercilessly bombed forcing the inhabitants to also seek shelter in the caves.
Initially having no idea who was attacking them, or why, the caves eventually became a permanent shelter for thousands of terrified and bemused locals, growing to become a complex of homes, offices, markets, hospitals, a printing works and metal work factory. The caves even boasted a theatre!
An exceptional audio tour has been created for visitors to the caves, allowing visits to the six most important war-shelter complexes. The audio guide gives a wealth of balanced and moving information offering a glimpse of how the thousands of people struggled to survive through the war years.