Laos and Safety Aspects

Laos, a country of beauty and BOMBS, can be wonderful and dangerous at the same time.

This post is to highlight one of the safety concerns the traveler should understand before entering the country. But first a brief history few realize or understand.

During the Vietnam war, between the years of 1964-1973 the country was bombed to such an extent that it is considered the most bombed country in the world as measured by per capita population count.

As a result of this, there are areas of the country which have many unexploded cluster bombs and other type of unexploded ordnance.

For the traveler who is going to Laos, in most cases it will be safe in the cities and most of the highly traveled tourist locations.

However, the real danger that exists are in those areas of the country where a traveler might venture into and if doing so, one must use extreme caution when going to these areas.

The conventional wisdom is when going into these areas, especially if walking any trails, it is extremely important to stay on the trail at all times. If you are with a guide, make sure that he knows the local area very well and where the potential for dangers are. Also, make absolutely sure that you listen to the guide’s information concerning the dangers of going off trail on your own for exploration.

To read about this subject in more detail, especially concerning the amount of ordinance dropped and areas that are highly effected, click this link here and you will go to the web site of Legacies of War.

This web site will provide a comprehensive look at the numbers and maps of the highly effected areas in the country.

Another web site gives statistics in an easier format so click here for this information.

This post is not to scare you but to inform the unsuspecting traveler of such dangers which very little is written about.


Travel Safe, Travel Happy

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