Best Laos
Pha That Luang is a large, gold-covered Buddhist stupa located in Vientiane, Laos, serving as the most significant national monument in the country. Originally established as a Hindu shrine in the 3rd century, it was rebuilt in its current form as a Buddhist stupa in 1566 by King Setthathirath. The...
Why this score?
Laos's foremost national monument, visually distinctive gilded form, deep cultural significance, and broad visitor acclaim; extensive reconstruction affects authenticity.
Scoring methodology
Luang Prabang is a city in north-central Laos situated at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The urban center is distinguished by its well-preserved architectural fusion, seamlessly integrating traditional Lao wooden structures, Budd...
Why this score?
UNESCO-acclaimed urban ensemble combining temples, vernacular buildings, and colonial architecture; tourism pressure has weakened some authenticity and tranquility.
Scoring methodology
The That Luang stupa stands in Vientiane, Laos, representing a significant historical and cultural landmark. Constructed in 1566, this gold-covered monument is Laos’s national symbol and remains a vital site for Buddhist worship and reflection. It's particularly important to Laotians and visitors in...
Why this score?
Laos national monument, iconic golden form, strong pilgrimage and state symbolism, high visitor recognition.
Scoring methodology
Kuang Si Falls are a spectacular series of tiered waterfalls located in northern Laos. The water flows over limestone formations creating vibrant turquoise pools favored by swimmers and photographers. These falls are particularly notable for their unique coloration and beautiful natural setting, att...
The Royal Palace of Luang Prabang is Laos's former royal residence, built from 1904 to 1909 during the French colonial period for King Sisavang Vong. The palace architecture represents a unique blend of traditional Lao design with French Beaux-Arts influences, reflecting the cultural intersection of...
Why this score?
UNESCO-context royal residence admired for restrained Lao-French design, collections, and preservation; modest scale compared with grand imperial complexes.
Scoring methodology
The Phra Bang is a highly venerated standing Buddha image and the palladium of Luang Prabang, Laos. According to local tradition, the 83-centimeter tall statue was cast in Sri Lanka before being gifted by the Khmer King to the Lao monarch Fa Ngum in the 14th century, which helped establish the city'...
Why this score?
Defining symbol of Luang Prabang with strong royal, civic, and religious importance, despite uncertain origin and limited global familiarity.
Scoring methodology
Discovered in a Laos cave in 2001 by Peter Jäger, Heteropoda maxima is a species of huntsman spider recognized for having the largest leg span of any known spider, reaching up to 30 centimeters. Unlike many spiders, it does not spin webs to catch prey, relying instead on its speed and size for hunti...
Kong Lor Cave is a limestone river cave in Khammouane Province, central Laos, through which the Nam Hinboun River passes beneath a mountain for roughly 7.5 kilometers. Visitors commonly traverse the mostly dark passage in narrow motorized boats, with part of the journey including a lit walking secti...
The Royal Palace in Luang Prabang is a former royal residence constructed in 1904 for King Sisavang Vong during the French colonial period. The building combines traditional Lao architecture with Beaux-Arts influences and served as the official residence of the Laotian monarchy until the 1975 revolu...
That Sikhottabong Stupa is a Buddhist stupa located in Khammouane Province in central Laos, situated on the banks of the Mekong River. Believed to have been originally constructed in the 9th century, the current structure dates largely from a 16th-century restoration under King Setthathirath. The st...
Why this score?
Monumental gilded national shrine with strong historical and devotional importance, although repeated reconstruction complicates architectural authenticity.
Scoring methodology
That Chomsi is a prominent Buddhist stupa situated at the summit of Mount Phousi in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, Laos. Constructed in 1804, the golden, spire-like structure serves as a highly visible landmark overlooking the city and the Mekong River. The site is a focal point fo...
Why this score?
Iconic Luang Prabang summit landmark with excellent views and devotional atmosphere, offset by crowds and relatively simple architecture.
Scoring methodology
Tad Fane is a pair of parallel, or twin, waterfalls situated on the Bolaven Plateau in Champasak Province, southern Laos. The waterfalls are formed by the Champi and Prakkoot streams, which plunge approximately 120 meters into a deep, dense jungle gorge. The surrounding area features coffee and tea...
Khone Phapheng Falls is a vast, cascading waterfall on the Mekong River in Champasak Province, southern Laos. By volume, it is the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia, featuring an intricate network of channels, rapids, and pools spread across a wide rock face. The falls are part of the larger Khone...
That Pathum, located within the Wat Visoun temple complex in Luang Prabang, Laos, is a historic stupa constructed in 1515. The structure is distinct for its rounded, dome-like shape, which deviates from the sharp, spire-like stupas common in the region and reflects Sri Lankan architectural influence...
Why this score?
Historically important Luang Prabang monument with unusual rounded profile and respected local significance; modest scale and altered fabric temper acclaim.
Scoring methodology
The Khammouane Karst is an extensive limestone region situated in central Laos, characterized by its heavily forested karst peaks and broad river valleys. The area is distinguished by its large, navigable underground river caves, most notably the Xe Bang Fai cave system, which is one of the largest...
That Dam, translating to the Black Stupa, is an ancient brick monument situated in the city center of Vientiane, Laos. The structure derives its modern name from the dark, weathered appearance of the exposed brick that remains after its original gold plating was removed. Local mythology dictates tha...
Why this score?
Evocative weathered monument with compelling naga legend and urban character, appreciated for atmosphere despite neglect and modest artistic refinement.
Scoring methodology
That Inheng is a 16th-century Buddhist stupa located in Savannakhet, Laos. The structure is distinguished by its square-based, tapering design, reflecting traditional Laotian religious architecture. It serves as a major regional pilgrimage site, hosting an annual festival that draws Buddhist worship...
Why this score?
Highly revered regional shrine with characteristic Lao form and active festival tradition, but limited global visibility and critical documentation.
Scoring methodology
That Makmo, translating to Watermelon Stupa, is a 16th-century whitewashed stupa in Luang Prabang, Laos, notable for its distinct rounded dome blending Lao and Sinhalese styles.
Why this score?
Distinctive rounded form and authentic sixteenth century character make it memorable, though small scale and limited ornament constrain broader acclaim.
Scoring methodology
Vat Phou is a ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex located at the base of Mount Phu Kao in the Champasak Province of southern Laos. Originally part of the ancient city of Shrestrapura, the site's origins date back to the 5th century, though the surviving stone structures were primarily constructed betw...
That Chomsi is a Buddhist stupa crowning the summit of Mount Phou Si in the UNESCO-listed town of Luang Prabang, Laos. Constructed in 1804, the monument serves as the defining landmark of the temple complex Wat Chom Si. Its golden and white spire is visible from much of the surrounding area and over...
Why this score?
Iconic Luang Prabang hilltop stupa with excellent setting and visitor appeal, but modest architectural complexity.
Scoring methodology
That Dam is an ancient, unrestored brick stupa situated in the city center of Vientiane, Laos. Its name translates to "Black Stupa," derived from the dark color of the weathered bricks that have oxidized over centuries. The structure is believed to date back several hundred years and is one of the o...
Why this score?
Atmospheric historic Vientiane stupa with local legend, but unrestored condition and modest scale limit acclaim.
Scoring methodology
That Chomsi is a gilded Buddhist stupa situated at the summit of Mount Phousi, a 100-meter hill in the center of Luang Prabang, Laos, a UNESCO World Heritage city. The stupa was constructed in 1804 and serves as both a pilgrimage site and a geographic landmark overlooking the old royal capital at th...
The Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Xieng Khouang province, Laos, containing thousands of carved stone jars distributed across numerous sites. The jars date from approximately 500 BCE to 500 CE and are believed to have been used in Iron Age funerary practices. The area was...
That Makmo is the watermelon-shaped stupa at Wat Wisunarat in Luang Prabang, Laos, originally constructed in 1504. The distinctive spherical structure represents one of the oldest religious monuments in the former Lao royal capital and exemplifies 16th-century Lao religious architecture. After suffe...
Why this score?
Distinctive watermelon form and historic Wat Wisunarat context, respected locally, but smaller scale and reconstruction affect consensus.
Scoring methodology
Pha That Luang Neua, also called the North Stupa, is a secondary Buddhist stupa associated with the Pha That Luang complex in Vientiane, Laos. It stands near the principal That Luang monument and forms part of the historic religious landscape surrounding a major Lao Buddhist site. The structure is r...
Why this score?
Historically meaningful component of Laos's national sanctuary, but visually and reputationally overshadowed by the main Pha That Luang.
Scoring methodology
Heterometrus laoticus is a large-bodied forest scorpion in the family Scorpionidae, first described by Dutch zoologist H. W. C. Couzijn in 1981. It is native to mainland Southeast Asia, where it inhabits tropical forest floor environments. Like other members of the genus Heterometrus, the species is...
Patuxai, also called the Victory Gate, is a war monument in central Vientiane, Laos, built between 1957 and 1968. It commemorates Lao soldiers and the country's struggle for independence from France, while its form combines a triumphal-arch layout associated with European monuments with Lao architec...
That Dam, whose Lao name means Black Stupa, is a Buddhist stupa standing in a traffic roundabout near Talat Sao in central Vientiane, Laos. The monument is generally believed to be about 500 years old, although its construction date is uncertain, and local tradition says it was once covered in gold...
Miss Universe Laos is a national beauty pageant established in 2017 that selects a delegate from Laos for the international Miss Universe competition. Its first edition was held in Vientiane at the National Convention Centre on August 26, 2017, when Souphaphone Somvichith became the inaugural titleh...
Why this score?
National representation and improving production provide legitimacy, while its recent founding and limited international results restrict prestige.
Scoring methodology
That Foun is a historic stupa in Xieng Khouang province, Laos. The monument was built in 1576 and has a square base with a traditional Lao architectural style. As a stupa, it belongs to a Buddhist monument type associated with religious and commemorative purposes, making it relevant to the architect...
