Lovely Laos, 8 reasons why I love this country!

For the past 5 days or so I have been exploring Laos, first visiting Luang Prabang followed by a trip up north to visit remote villages and see some spectacular scenery. It is been an utter joy to be back in Laos, and I have re-fallen totally head over heels in love with this amazing place. Below you will see my top 8 reasons why I love Laos! (Also, as repeatedly corrected by my guide, Laos is said with an ‘s’ at the end and not said as Lao, as so many of us call it!)
1: The colourful & varied markets:
2: The delicious food:
.... and yes, I did give one of these a try:

Delicious (ish...)!!
3: The lovely people:
4: The simple lifestyles & rural villages:
5: The Amazing scenery:
6: You can choose to relax or be adventurous:
7: The staggeringly beautiful ‘Wats’ and temples:
8. The beautiful plants!
There are fewer than 7 million people in Laos, and the landscape is mostly jungle covered mountains and rivers with small villages and a few towns sprinkled across the land. Some places are difficult to get to and if you visit you will undoubtedly experience a bumpy road or two, but the country is amazing and well worth the extra bit of effort to get off the main tourist trail to explore!
I can't wait to go back!