The 13 Most Spiritual Places in Laos

That Ing Hang is second only to Wat Phou in Champasak when it comes to ancient sacred places in Laos. Built during the mid 16th century, the Stupa is a National Treasure of Lao PDR and is located 11.5 km north of Savannakhet. Said to contain a piece of Buddha’s spine, a story that Buddha rested at the base of a Hang tree at the site inspired the construction. Women must wear a traditional Lao sin (wrap skirt) to enter the temple grounds and may not enter the promenade around the stupa. Nuns and monks bless visitors and tie their wrists with colorful strings. After your visit, try some delicious black bamboo sticky rice with coconut for sale near the temple.

Built in 1818, Wat Si Saket is one of Vientiane’s best known Buddhist temples. Built in the Siamese style, it was spared in the raid on Vientiane by the Siamese in 1827, making it one of, if not the, oldest standing temple in Vientiane. Over 6000 Buddha statues adorn the cloister and the Sim, which have tiny Buddhas in niches carved into the walls. The impressive gardens are a peaceful reprieve from the bustle of the capital. Many locals come to pray and give offerings at the temple in the mornings. Visitors are permitted to observed but asked not to take photos.

Buy a bunch of bananas from the monkey-proof road side stands and head to the sacred monkey forest in the Chomphone Districts of Savannakhet Province. These are most well-behaved monkeys in southeast Asia living on three hectares near Donmeuang Temple. The monkeys are sacred to the local people, and their images can be seen on the temple. The forest itself has a walking path with a pond in the middle and two small shrines toward the back. Visit in the dry season for Hotay Piddok, an ancient Buddhist palm scroll library near the forest.