Why a Top Travel Advisor Calls Laos 'Southeast Asia's Most Overlooked Destination'

Jack Tydeman, a Travel+Leisure A-List advisor who specializes in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam trips, is making the case that Laos is “Southeast Asia’s most overlooked destination,” as Travel+Leisure reports. It’s a different pitch from the usual “hidden gem” marketing copy: a working advisor explaining why he routes clients here instead of the more obvious choices.

Luang Prabang as the centerpiece, not a stopover

Most itineraries treat Luang Prabang as a one or two-night stop wedged between bigger stays in Bangkok or Hanoi. Tydeman positions it as worth the trip on its own: a UNESCO World Heritage city and, in his framing, the center of Lao Buddhism. For lodging, he points to smaller, distinctive properties over international chains. La Folie Lodge, the only hotel on Don Daeng island, is his specific pick.

Getting to Don Daeng island

Don Daeng sits across the Mekong from Champasak, inside the UNESCO-protected Vat Phu area, and it’s car-free, which is most of the appeal. Getting there starts with a flight into Pakse, then a roughly 35km transfer to Champasak or Ban Meuang, where a short boat crossing takes you across. Most lodge bookings include that boat transfer, and some operators run private minivans straight from Pakse or Ubon Ratchathani airport in Thailand, according to the lodge’s own booking details. Southern Laos runs on a slower travel rhythm than the north, so build in a buffer day around the transfer rather than scheduling it tight against a flight.

If Pakse is your entry point anyway, our Pakse connectivity guide covers what data coverage looks like in the south before you head out toward Champasak.

It’s not just one advisor’s opinion

This lines up with a broader shift in how the travel industry talks about Laos this year. Duncan Greenfield-Turk, founder of Global Travel Moments, makes a similar case in coverage from asianews.network: that improved regional access and quieter luxury hotels like Rosewood Luang Prabang let travelers get culturally rich experiences without the crowds found elsewhere in the region.

Both pieces are framed around higher-end travel specifically. Neither says anything about budget or mid-range pricing, so if you’re backpacking rather than booking a luxury lodge, the “fewer crowds” pitch may hold less true in practice at Luang Prabang’s main sights, where budget travelers already congregate in similar numbers to everywhere else in the region.