Laos

Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia limiting with Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. Mountains and plateaus occupy over 70% of the country; forest covers 44% of the country. Laos has opened up in 1986 in the ‘new economic mechanism’ and several countries have started to invest in the country but foreign investments remain modest and are mainly in tourism (hotels, restaurants, services) but it continues to be the one of the poorest countries in the world. The agricultural sector is the most important; we find rice, corn, starch, coffee, peanuts, cotton and tobacco. Its opening to tourism is fairly recent as well (1990). Vientiane, the capital, has many temples to visit and you can do it by renting a motorbike or bicycle; you can also take a stroll along the Mekong. Another way to know the country is on a guided boat tour through the Mekong. You can also enjoy other villages and areas of interest more easily. Another beautiful town to visit is Luang Prabang which was the old royal city; you will find interesting temples.

Tips

The rainy season is from May to September but try to avoid visiting during the months of October and November also because they can be rainy and have tails typhoons.

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Jemaa el Fna Square, Marrakech, Morocco

Jemaa el Fna Square is one of the main traditional and historical attractions of tourism in Morocco, located in Marrakech, near the Koutoubia Mosque and the souks and the Royal Palace, it belongs to UNESCO heritage. It is a lively place with lots of popular attractions such as snake charmers, fire-eaters, monkey tamers, acrobats, women who try to predict your future, tattoo artists with henna, orange juice squeezed even as street vendors and Moroccan craft vendors. There are grills that sell snacks to the tourists but it is best if you go to the restaurants that are around the square for hygiene and peace as you will be approached by a lot of vendors while you try to see all this animation. A visit in the afternoon is not the same as in the evening when it is much busier and there are more vendors. You can also take a horse drawn carriage for a tour of the city.

Tips

If you do not like to be approached by vendors of all sorts, it’s better not to visit the square because it can disturb you enough but if you want to know the real life of this special place, you should know that everything has a price even a photo, so ask before making a regret because you’ll be asked for money in a very insistent way.
If you are a little more adventurous, you can pose for a photo with the snake on your shoulders.
If you want to see this whole movement but more quietly, enjoy a restaurant terrace where you can take beautiful pictures of the square too.
If you care to buy something, you should always negotiate the price.

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Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Avila, Castilla y León, Spain

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Avila, the first Gothic cathedral in Spain, is the bishopric of the same name, in Castilla y León. It was designed as a temple and fortress, its apse being one of the hubs of the city wall. It is located alongside several houses or majestic palaces which ensured the defense of the Loyal Door or the Weight of the Flour. It is not known with certainty the date on which it was built, but most historians say it was in the twelfth century with the completion in the XVI century, except for a tower that has not been completed. The back of the choir is limestone and it is very large. We find a French influence with a resemblance to the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Outside, it is fortified, but inside its double ambulatory with thin columns and arches give it an impression of lightness and clarity, also with a very good light. The three naves are of equal width, but the central one is significantly higher, and opens with large windows to the outside. There are the remains of the penultimate historian and prime minister of the Second Republic in exile, Claudio Sanchez Albornoz and those of the Spanish President Adolfo Suarez (1977-1981) and his wife.

Tips

The cathedral is open daily, but you should consult the daily schedule.
You have to pay an entrance fee for sightseeing, but children under 12 years old and people with disabilities do not pay.