The water
Bottled water everywhere; avoid ice outside tourist-grade venues. Tap water: Not drinkable.
Laos
The Plain of Jars, thousands of Iron Age stone jars, a UNESCO World Heritage site (inscribed 2019).
RegionAsiaCurrencyLAKPowerType A/B/C, 220V (varies)Tap waterNot drinkable
Good
Eco Index
What to expect on the ground
At a glance
Food & farming
Agriculture supports a large majority of Laotians and glutinous rice is grown nationwide, leaving the country broadly self-sufficient in its staple. Farming is overwhelmingly smallholder and low-input, with home gardens, foraged…Read more
Agriculture supports a large majority of Laotians and glutinous rice is grown nationwide, leaving the country broadly self-sufficient in its staple. Farming is overwhelmingly smallholder and low-input, with home gardens, foraged greens and river fish supplementing rice. Food imports are modest relative to domestic production.
Local staples
Sticky (glutinous) rice, larb, papaya salad (tam mak hoong), bamboo shoots, fresh herbs, padaek fermented fish.
Markets
Daily fresh morning markets in most towns; the Luang Prabang morning market is well known.
In season
Wet-season rice harvested roughly October to December; Bolaven Plateau coffee from October to February.
Wildlife
Laos lies in the biodiverse Annamite range and is home to endemics such as the Laotian rock rat, a rodent once known only from fossils, and historically the saola. Decades of intensive snaring and the wildlife trade have severely…Read more
Laos lies in the biodiverse Annamite range and is home to endemics such as the Laotian rock rat, a rodent once known only from fossils, and historically the saola. Decades of intensive snaring and the wildlife trade have severely depleted large mammals, leaving many forests quiet. Real biodiversity remains but populations are much reduced.
Found nowhere else
Laotian rock rat (Laonastes) and the saola of the Annamite range, plus many restricted-range birds and fish.
Natural phenomena
Wet May–Oct, dry Nov–Apr; the dry season is cooler and clearer.
When to go
Cool, dry season.
Getting around
Slow buses, Mekong riverboats, the new China to Laos railway, and motorbikes; domestic flights link the main towns.
Good to know
Cash mostly, kip; cards in Luang Prabang. Temples deserve quiet respect.
Safety
Solo female travel: Easy. LGBTQ+: Mixed.
Only hereThe Plain of Jars, thousands of Iron Age stone jars, a UNESCO World Heritage site (inscribed 2019).
Assessed across 10 equally-weighted pillars
The Eco Index, pillar by pillar
67/100
Good
The Eco Index: Laos
12 pillars, equally weighted, from published sources. All 12 assessed. Blanks mean unverified, never estimated.
Only here The Plain of Jars, thousands of Iron Age stone jars, a UNESCO World Heritage site (inscribed 2019).
- Forest cover
- 71.8%
- Land protected
- 18.8%
- Organic farmland
- 0.1%
- Found nowhere else
- Laotian rock rat (Laonastes) and the saola of the Annamite range, plus many restricted-range birds and fish.
- Renewable power
- 76%
- CO2 per person
- 3.3 t (2022) t
- Air quality (AQI)
- 29.6
- Cleanest air
- Northern highlands outside the March to April burning season.
- Water from
- Bottled water everywhere; avoid ice outside tourist-grade venues.
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Safe drinking water
- 85.2%
- Cleanest water
- Upper Nam Ou and the mountain streams of the north.
- Springs
- Hot springs at Muang Khoun and elsewhere in the north.
- In season
- Wet-season rice harvested roughly October to December; Bolaven Plateau coffee from October to February.
- Plastic ban
- No comprehensive national ban; localised reduction efforts only.
- Watch out for
- Mekong hydropower impacts, illegal logging and Golden Triangle wildlife trade; avoid captive-elephant riding and wildlife markets.
- Solo female travel
- Easy
- LGBTQ+ acceptance
- Mixed
- Best months
- November to February.
- Getting around
- Slow buses, Mekong riverboats, the new China to Laos railway, and motorbikes; domestic flights link the main towns.
- Power
- Type A/B/C, 220V (varies)
- Currency
- LAK
| Pillar | Score | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWhere the water comes from, and whether there is enough of it | 3/5 | Laos sits across the Mekong and its tributaries and holds abundant surface freshwater, so physical scarcity is not the core problem. Full assessmentThe World Bank and JMP record 85.2% of the population using at least basic drinking water in 2020, up from 46% in 2000, but rural coverage and treatment lag. Large hydropower dams on the Mekong system have reshaped flows and fisheries. |
| Food and farmingWhat the island actually grows, and what arrives by boat | 5/5 | Agriculture supports a large majority of Laotians and glutinous rice is grown nationwide, leaving the country broadly self-sufficient in its staple. Full assessmentFarming is overwhelmingly smallholder and low-input, with home gardens, foraged greens and river fish supplementing rice. Food imports are modest relative to domestic production. |
| Plant based and real foodWhether you can eat unprocessed from local supply | 4/5 | Lao food is built on sticky rice, fresh herbs, bamboo shoots, foraged leaves and vegetables, with meat and fish often used sparingly in rural households. Full assessmentMarkets overflow with fresh produce and unprocessed staples, so plant-based eating is easy and cheap. Padaek fermented fish is common, so strict vegans should check dishes. |
| OrganicCertified and chemical free growing, which is not the same thing as plant based | 2/5 | FiBL records about 3,266 hectares of certified organic farmland, roughly 0.1% of agricultural land in 2020. Full assessmentMuch smallholder farming is de facto low-chemical but uncertified. Certified organic remains a small, largely export-oriented niche. |
| ConservationWhat is protected, and whether protection is enforced | 3/5 | About 18.8% of Laos lay inside terrestrial protected areas in 2024 (World Bank), including a network of National Protected Areas. Full assessmentEnforcement is weak, with documented illegal logging and wildlife trade, so paper coverage overstates real protection. The Golden Triangle border zone is a notorious wildlife-trafficking hub. |
| Wildlife and endemicsWhat lives here and nowhere else on earth | 3/5 | Laos lies in the biodiverse Annamite range and is home to endemics such as the Laotian rock rat, a rodent once known only from fossils, and historically the saola. Full assessmentDecades of intensive snaring and the wildlife trade have severely depleted large mammals, leaving many forests quiet. Real biodiversity remains but populations are much reduced. |
| Natural materialsWhat you can eat from and carry here instead of plastic, and who still makes it | 4/5 | Laos retains a living handloom tradition of silk and cotton weaving, natural dyeing and intricate ethnic textiles, still worn and sold across the country. Full assessmentBamboo and rattan basketry and sticky-rice baskets are everyday household items. This is one of Southeast Asia's strongest surviving natural-materials cultures. |
| Pollution and plasticPlastic law and contamination | 2/5 | Annual mean PM2.5 was about 29.6 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 (IQAir), well above the WHO guideline, driven partly by dry-season agricultural and forest burning that blankets the nort… Full assessmenteach March and April. There is no comprehensive national single-use plastic ban and municipal waste systems are limited. Litter and open burning of rubbish are common outside the main towns. |
| Recycling and wasteWhat actually happens to the rubbish once you have thrown it away | 1/5 | Laos has no reliable national municipal recycling rate and formal kerbside recycling is largely absent. Full assessmentRecovery happens mainly through informal waste pickers collecting metal and plastic for resale. Scored from documented waste-management reality rather than a published rate. |
| Energy and climateClean power, carbon emissions per person and the pace of decarbonisation | 4/5 | Laos generates most of its electricity from hydropower and exports large volumes to neighbours, earning it the label battery of Southeast Asia. Full assessmentEmissions are modest at roughly 3.3 tonnes of CO2 per person, and the country has pledged net zero by 2050 with a large conditional cut by 2030. Its clean hydro base lifts the score, but the Hongsa lignite plant, further coal in the pipeline and heavy deforestation weigh against it. Big dams also carry serious social and ecological costs that temper the clean energy picture. |
| Culture and peopleIndigenous and living communities, and who the money reaches | 4/5 | Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups whose village life, animist and Buddhist traditions and crafts remain vital. Full assessmentCommunity-based and homestay tourism around places such as Luang Prabang and Nong Khiaw channels some income directly to villages. Benefits are uneven and large projects can bypass communities. |
| Living heritage and ancestral traditionsNational dance and music, and the ancestral and spiritual traditions still practised | 5/5 | Laos holds a deeply living heritage. The lam vong circle dance and lam singing accompanied by the khaen mouth organ, inscribed by UNESCO, are performed across the country. Full assessmentThe baci or su khwan soul calling ceremony and phi spirit traditions coexist with Theravada Buddhism as everyday ancestral practice. Highland peoples such as the Hmong keep their own textiles, qeej music and New Year rites, adding strong indigenous living culture. |
Before you go
Cash mostly, kip; cards in Luang Prabang. Temples deserve quiet respect.
Where these figures come from
- World Bank, Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, Laos 71.8% (2021) — source
- World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, Laos 18.8% (2024) — source
- Low Carbon Power, Laos electricity mix, about 76% hydropower (2023) — source
- WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, At least basic drinking water SH.H2O.BASW.ZS, Laos 85.2% (2020) — source
- IQAir, World Air Quality Report, Laos PM2.5 29.6 micrograms per cubic metre (2023) — source
- FiBL, The World of Organic Agriculture, Laos 3,266 ha and 0.1% (2020) — source
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Plain of Jars (2019) — source
- TheGlobalEconomy, Laos carbon dioxide emissions per capita (2022) source
- Energy Tracker Asia, Laos net zero 2050 (2023) source
- IEA, Laos emissions source
- UNESCO, Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity source
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Laos source
Living heritage and ancestral traditions
The culture still danced, played and believed
Laos holds a deeply living heritage. The lam vong circle dance and lam singing accompanied by the khaen mouth organ, inscribed by UNESCO, are performed across the country. The baci or su khwan soul calling ceremony and phi spirit traditions coexist with Theravada Buddhism as everyday ancestral practice. Highland peoples such as the Hmong keep their own textiles, qeej music and New Year rites, adding strong indigenous living culture.
- Lam vong circle dance
- khaen mouth organ music and lam singing
- baci su khwan soul calling ceremony
- phi spirit ancestral traditions alongside Theravada Buddhism
- Hmong qeej music, textiles and New Year rites.
Sleep well, tread lightly
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