One of South East Asia’s most mysterious sights has to be the Plain of Jars, hundreds of huge stone urns, some over 2m high, scattered across the plains in Xiengkuang Province in the remote north east of Laos, While most ancient Asian sites, such as the Angkor temples in Cambodia, have revealed many of their secrets, historians are still unsure as to where the jars came from, how old they are and what they signify.

The landscape here is quite unique in Laos, partly because it is set on a high elevated plain, so the weather is much cooler than the rest of Laos, and partly because this also happened to be one of the most heavily bombed places on earth, the craters left over create a strange lunar landscape.

The best way to reach the Plain of Jars is by road from Luang Prabang, which is a stunning drive and adventure in itself. We recommend a couple of nights at the Auberge, an atmospheric place with beautiful views over the surrounding area.  Our expert local guides are a fountain of knowledge on the Jars themselves, and it is also interesting to visit some of the local villages, as the area is home to numerous ethnic tribes.