Phonsavan is the gateway to one of Laos’s most intriguing archaeological sites: the Plain of Jars. Here you’ll find hundreds of square kilometres of rolling hills strewn with thousands of enigmatic stone jars - some reaching up to three metres in height. Historians estimate these ancient urns to be at least 1500 years old, but have not yet been able to decipher their meaning or purpose or identify the culture that created them. There are several theories; some that they were used as urns, some think burial chambers, and locals think they may be places for lovers to consummate their love. The city of Phonsavan itself has an old-world feel to it - partly since most of the existing architecture dates back to the mid-1970s, when the Vietnam War ended. A visit to the town’s two UXO information centres makes for a fascinating, if sobering, reminder of the country’s volatile past.