The country 's welcoming charm invites you to immediately immerse yourself in the culture and natural beauty. Unmissable highlights are the stunning temples of Luang Prabang, the Bolaven plateau and somewhat surprisingly for a land-locked country-the sleepy 4000 islands of Si Phan don, which are surrounded by the mighty Mekong River as it flows through southern Laos. The Plain of Jars in the north-east make for a mysterious diversion into one of Laos' least-visited regions