It consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland valleys and the lower. There are 6 ways to get from singapore to plain of jars by plane, car, bus or train. Only a small portion of the plain of jars and the region can be safely visited because of the 80 million undetonated bombs that are just chillin randomly here and there. The plain of jars phonsavan 2020 all you need to know. Dec 25, 2014 the plain of jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in laos. The plain of jars is an area of the xieng khouang plateau of laos scattered with thousands of megalithic stone jars that are about 2,000 years.
Luang prabang to plain of jars 3 ways to travel via. Although there are over 90 plain of jars sites in the region, sites 1, 2, and 3 are the easiest to visit. The ultimate guide to visiting the plain of jars in phonsavan, laos. Visiting the mysterious plain of jars in laos tripsavvy. How to visit the plain of jars from luang prabang cheeky passports. You can also book longer tours from luang prabang which will remove the need to find transport to phonasvan. Ancient burial jars like these can be found at 6 places in laos, but only three sites located near the city of phonsavan allow tourists because of safety concerns. Driving around on those narrow winding roads offers some sweeping views of the surrounding mountains.
Plain of jars travel northern laos, laos lonely planet. Scattered in the landscape of the, xieng khouang, laos, are thousands of megalithic jars. The plain of jars is a collection of large stone jars interspersed throughout the xieng khouang plain in the lao highlands. It consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland valleys and the lower foothills of the central plain of the xiangkhoang plateau.
The easiest way is to see the plain of jars is to book a tour through your hotel or guesthouse. Phonsavan is the provincial capital of xiangkhouang province, located approx. Jul 15, 2012 the plain of jars is an area of the xieng khouang plateau of laos scattered with thousands of megalithic stone jars that are about 2,000 years old. The sites are located in the phonsavan area in xiangkhouang province, north east laos. Following two unesco world heritage sites in laos, wat phou and the ancient town, luang prabang, on 14 may 2019, plain of jars is recognized as the third site in laos in the list unesco world heritage site in the happiness of all laotian. Site 1 is just 8km southwest of central phonsavan, 2. There are other attractions to visit, in the outlying areas of the province, but the jars are the main draw card. The jar sites are situated around the city of phonsavan. By april 1973, the air force had dropped an estimated 2. The main information about staying in the meat pie place can be found on the page about phonsavan understand. Getting there from luang prabang the plain of jars.
There are numerous ancient jar sites scattered around the edges of the plain. Book your bus, tickets in laos online with easybook or 12go asia. The standing stones of hintang or menhirs, if you want to be technical arent nearly as grand as their cousins like stonehenge or easter island. Us forces sought to support the government in vientiane against the. Alternatively, you can get to thong hai hin site 1 with a jumbo, a 3 wheeler converted motorbike with benches in the back. There are believed to be up to 2,500 giant stone jars dating back to the southeast asian iron age 500 bc to 200 ad scattered over hundreds of hilly square kilometers. The plain of jars is probably south east asias most enigmatic tourist attraction. From luang prabang we took a bus south to a small city called phonsavan. Dont be deterred by its length and occasional rambling nature. The plain of jars laos how to take a plain of jars tour. There are a few theories floating around about these mysterious, ancient jars covering. The jars are arranged in clusters ranging in number from one to several hundred. See the phonsavan section for activities and attractions around the plain of jars despite plain of jars being the most famous attraction in this region, it can be surprisingly hard to book a place in a group tour of the attraction.
Explore the mysterious plain of jars this morning, visiting site no. Jul 29, 2018 plain of jars, laos getting there from phonsavan. You will need to stay at least one night in phonsavan in order to visit the plain of jars. Nature encounters are easily accessible off the beaten track. This was not reported by the government or the press, but an american who lived in laos, fred branfman, told the story in his book voices from the plain of jars. Plain of jar, laos plain of jars, plain of jars in laos, stone jar in laos. These stone jars have shrouded the secret and mystery for thousands of years.
This afternoon, visit ban xiengdi monastery and an important battlefield from the american war in vietnam. The bombing of the plain followed escalation of the vietnam war in the 1960s. The local favourite is that, long ago, after 10 years of war, a king defeated his enemy. While you can simply book at the pier, bus or train station, you may want to book ahead for certain legs of your journey to guarantee that you get a. Plain of jars history the jars in laos were first discovered in the 1930s and archaeologists have since dated them back to the iron age. There are daily buses to phonsavan from vang vieng, luang prabang and. The plain of jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in laos. Sep 07, 2015 most of the vast area containing the jars is offlimits to the public. The vibe around the plain of jars is eerie and somber, comparable to the. D uring the vietnam war, the plain of jars, an area in northern laos, was the site of the most protracted and extensive bombing of civilian targets in the history of warfare. The plain of jars in phonsavan, laosis it worth visiting. Information about staying in the plain of jars can be found on the page about phonsavan. Many were destroyed or damaged during the secret war in laos in the 1960s and 70s, whereby the united states heavily bombed the area as part of their attack on vietnam. Best time for the plain of jars in laos 2020 best season.
Voices from the plain of jars contains a 30page introduction by the author, including an outline of the history of laos. But some 321,000 tons, twice the bombardment of japan during world war ii, were dropped on the plain of jars. Situated in the remote north east of laos, the mountainous communist country which has only been open to tourists for just over a decade, are hundreds of huge stone jars scattered across several square miles. The main attraction of phonsavanh, and its surrounds, are the soon to be world heritage listed plain of jars sites. With more than 2,100 giant stone jars scattered throughout the province, the plain of jars is a remote area of laos that will appeal to the more adventurous traveller. Most of the vast area containing the jars is offlimits to the public.
Phonsavans most famous attractions are the nearby plain of jars sites, which have been nominated for unesco world heritage status. There are many places on earth with a mysterious history where we can only try to guess or make assumptions about the truth. The laos plain of jars is located close to the city of phonsavan. Voices from the plain of jars was the result of that effort. Well even let you know about secret offers and sales when you sign up to our emails. Visitation to the all the jars sites is easy enough to organize. Unexploded ordnance a sign warning of uxo in phonsavan, laos. Plain of jars 2,000 year old stone jars used in burial ceremonies scattered across the fields. Find all the transport options for your trip from luang prabang to plain of jars right here. Lao airlines offers six flights a week in peak season and four flights in low season to vientiane. The standing stones of hintang plain of jars, laos. The story of the plain of jars is twofold, the jars themselves and then there is the devastation caused by the war.
Singapore to plain of jars 3 ways to travel via train. One such destination is the plain of jars phonsavan laos. The picturesque, serene landscape of the plain of jars may seem inviting, but before wandering off to explore first consider that laos is the most bombed country, per capita, in the world. Free toiletries are provided in the private bathrooms. Rome2rio is a doortodoor travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Remarkably, little is known about the austroasiatic civilisation that created them, although archaeologists estimate they date from the southeast asian iron age 500 bc to ad 200 and were likely used for elaborate burial rituals. One of the most wellknown and mysterious sights in laos is the plain of jars. This afternoon, visit ban xiengdi monastery and an important battlefield from the. Visiting the plain of jars in laos not surprisingly, the site most frequented by tourists is the one closest to the town of phonsavan, the base for seeing the jars. Book an airport transfer to take you hasslefree direct from the airport to your hotel with the driver meeting you in arrivals. You can see some of the jars that have been damaged or completely destroyed as bombs have detonated. The plain of jars in central laos is one of southeast asia s most mysterious and misunderstood prehistoric places. Dec 09, 2004 the bombing of the plain followed escalation of the vietnam war in the 1960s.
In phonsavan many different companies offer tours of the plain of jars and optionally around surrounding villages and other sights. Vansana plain of jars hotel is a 15minute drive from xiangkhouang airport. Lao airlines has several flights a week from vientiane to. The plain of jars is a group of fields containing thousands of stone jars cut out from rock thousands of years ago. The plain of jars combines ancient and contemporary history with insights into phuan, hmong, khmu and tai dam culture. There are a few theories floating around about these mysterious, ancient jars covering everything from funerary vessels to alien eggs. Plain of jars laos independent travel wendy wu tours. Most of northern laos is very mountainous and the roads are poor, so getting around is very time consuming but also very rewarding. The sites are located around the city of phonsavan in xiangkhouang province, north east laos. In laos, where a rightwing government installed by the cia faced a rebellion, one of the most beautiful areas in the world, the plain of jars, was being destroyed by bombing. Exploring the mysterious plain of jars in laos two lost. The plain of jars laos how to take a plain of jars tour 2020. Laos also has such place, which is called the plain of jars.
Rome2rio makes travelling from luang prabang to plain of jars easy. There are 4 ways to get from luang prabang to plain of jars by plane, bus or car. It is 1,100 metres above sealevel and is centred on the xieng khuang plateau. After getting some history, its time to head to the main attractions scattered outside town. The plain of jars allows reader to do just that, and that is why the plain of jars with its ability to see into the life of wartime things is a remarkable achievement. Between 1964 and 1973, the laotian highlands were secretly bombed by u. When first published in 1972, this book was instrumental in exposing the bombing. The mysterious plain of jars, xiang khouang attractions.
Plain of jars site 1 is the largest and most popular of the three, whilst sites 2 and 3 were practically empty when we visited. The collection of firstperson narratives and their accompanying drawings convey sorrow, loss, bewilderness. Phonsavan to vientiane fly airport name is long beginning with x k less than an hour. It needs reading and its goodness needs implementing. In xieng khouang, there are plains and they have jars giving us the plain of jars. Lao airlines has several flights each week between vientiane and phonsavan. These stone jars appear in clusters, ranging from a single or a few to several hundred jars at lower foothills surrounding the central plain and upland valleys. In this expanded edition, branfman follows the story forward in time, describing the hardships that laotians faced after the war when they returned to find their farm fields littered with cluster. Us forces sought to support the government in vientiane against the pathet lao insurgency, backed by north vietnam. Always stay on marked, wellworn paths when walking between jar sites.
The stone structures are mostly made of sedimentary rock and, ranging. An indepth guide for your plain of jars tour including how to get to the laos jars, where. You can also book your journey from phonsavan to vientiane with easybook. Known as one of the highlight destinations in laos tours packages, the plain of jars is always attracted by many tourists.
Promoting plain of jars tours to the world by educating past history of phonsavan during the. Around 90 sites scattered across miles of rolling landscape contain thousands of large stone jars, each weighing several tons. Bright and airy rooms at the hotel are equipped with a fan, a cable tv and a refrigerator. Discovering the plain of jars visiting the plain of jars in. The plain of jars is an entertaining action adventure story that educates as well, with numerous segments on the history, politics and culture of laos interspersed to supplement the events in the story. The struggle for the plain of jars in laos in the 1960s and 1970s was a mysterious and tragic affair, wrapped up in confusion and obscured by years of falsehoods and halftruths. The plain of jars the primary attractions of the phonsavan area are the plain of jars sites 1, 2 and 3. The archaeological landscape, plain of jars is a 20minute ride away. Plain of jars in xiengkhouang laos tourism introduces. There are five buses a day from vientiane to phonsavan.
The easiest way to get there is to book a tour with a phonsavan travel agent. Clusters of one to four hundred megalithic stone jars can be found throughout the province and it is a wonder to see. I have been in contact with 2 agents in laos who both suggest the following route lpphonsvan for plain of jars, by private car 67 hours. Jan 31, 2020 only a small portion of the plain of jars and the region can be safely visited because of the 80 million undetonated bombs that are just chillin randomly here and there. Most tours include about three sites, a hmong village, seeing bomb craters from the secret war, and a burntout russian tank. From luang prabang to phonsavan and the plain of jars.
The following is a quote from a pilot during the war, an accurate and prophetic description. According to tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience the plain of jars. Site 1, with more than 300 jars and a natural limestone cave, offers the most. Discovering the plain of jars visiting the plain of jars. The plain of jars is located around the city of phongsavan in xiang khouang province, northeast laos with thousands of stone jars scattered on 52 sites of the field. Select an option below to see stepbystep directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in rome2rios travel planner. Luang prabang to plain of jars 3 ways to travel via plane. The secret war in laos was kept hidden from the american public and the rest of the world for 9 years. The plain of jars is a world heritage site in central laos. Explore plain of jars holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. If you just want to see the main site, its easy to get there by bicycle. Known simply as site 1, this is the first stop on the plain and a mustsee for observing the only decorated jar found so far. According to tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience the plain of jars.
622 813 617 369 726 1134 380 1539 51 625 492 960 1481 206 1134 1536 1354 550 856 302 1615 1204 465 139 742 22 1476 433 1594 215 1122 443 323 1467 1085 948 339 468 834