Traveling in Laos with kids

There are dozens of intricate cave systems dotted across Laos. The Pak Ou caves are filled with hundreds of carved Buddha statues and images to which locals pay their respects, while the Tham Kong Lo, is an underground lair that extends for 7km and can only be chugged along in small motorised boats.

The Mekong River isn’t just a lifeline for locals, it’s a playground for their kids too and you can try river rafting and stand-up paddle boarding on its still surface. Bikes can be hired for less than £1 a day, so if you prefer land to water, head out for an exhilarating exploration on two wheels.

Lesley Schofield from our supplier, All Points East shares her advice on traveling in Laos with kids:
“I think Laos is a great family destination if you’re traveling with kids aged 8 and over. It’s a very unspoilt place, so if you want your children to experience a very back to nature look at SE Asia as it used to be, Laos is very good for that. There are some great physical activities such as mountain biking that kids can get involved with and there’s a treetop canopy hotel you can stay at within an hour’s drive from Pakse that you only access via zipline. To travel with kids under the age of 8 from one place to another might be problematic, although kids do vary tremendously – some are exhausted after one lap of a park and some will happily hike to the top of Snowdon, but there’s not a lot of small child-orientated activities and it’s probably better to visit Laos with children that can ride a bike, who are stable on their feet and have enough patience to sit on a bus and be happy looking out of the window because you are going to be traveling quite a lot.”