Phonsavan & Plain of Jars

A mysterious plateau scattered with more than a thousand prehistoric stone jars – a journey through history in northeastern Laos, from the World Heritage jar sites to relics of the Vietnam War-era Secret War.

Phonsavan is the capital of Xieng Khouang Province in northeastern Laos, set on the Xieng Khouang Plateau at about 1,100 m. Thousands of prehistoric stone jars are scattered across the grasslands and hills outside town, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2019 as the "Megalithic Jar Sites in Xieng Khouang – Plain of Jars". The area was also a main battlefield of the "Secret War" during the Vietnam War, and bomb craters and unexploded ordnance can still be seen today, making it a destination that combines archaeology with wartime history.

Highlights: Site 1 is the largest and closest to town; Sites 2 and 3 lie to the south and are often combined on a day trip with the spoon-making village of Ban Napia and the wreck of a Soviet tank; to the southeast, the old royal capital of Muang Khoun has the ruined walls and Buddha of Wat Phia Wat and That Foun stupa; in town, the MAG UXO Information Centre and the QLA visitor centre tell the story of the bombing and the clearance of ordnance; and about 55 km northeast, Tham Piu Cave is a war memorial. You can also visit an organic silk farm and the Hmong market.

Getting there: flights from Vientiane take about 40 minutes, or long-distance buses from Luang Prabang or Vang Vieng take about 7–8 hours. The town is easily walkable, but the sites require a hired car, a tour or a rented motorbike. Plan on 2 days.

Note: at the sites, stay on the paths between the white-and-red mine-clearance marker stones and never touch metal objects. Oct–Mar is dry and cool, with cold mornings and evenings in winter; the sites get muddy in the rainy season.

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