From big-name YouTubers to Asian superstars and Hollywood actors, Laos has welcomed some big names to the country over the past year. Here‘s a quick snapshot of the people who visited Asia’s hidden gem in 2023:
Shaun Evans
Shaun Evans is an English actor and director. He is best known for playing a young Endeavour Morse in the ITV drama series Endeavour and Coxswain Elliot Glover in Vigil.
The actor made merit at Pha O temple in Luang Prabang Province this week, meeting with Sathou Onkeo Sittivong, the abbot of Wat Xieng Thong and Head of the Luang Prabang Buddhist Fellowship.
Sathou Onekeo Sittivong also met Harrison Ford, famous for his roles in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and his family, back in 2018.
Lu Han
Lu Han is a Chinese singer, actor, dancer, and former member of the world-renowned South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo. The Chinese superstar was spotted in Vientiane Capital and Luang Prabang Province on 5 January this year.
The Chinese singer is said to be in Laos to film for a Chinese reality show, 5Ha, while also aiming to help promote tourism in Laos to a wider audience in China.
Kim Hyun-joong
Kim Hyun-joong is a South Korean actor, singer and songwriter. He is a member of the boy band SS501 and played roles in renowned Korean dramas Boys Over Flowers and Playful Kiss.
The actor was vacationing in Laos in December, but stirred up controversy during his visit after a photo was posted to his social media platform showing Laos’ messy electrical wires in Sihom village, Chanthabouly district, Vientiane Capital.
Sonny (Best Ever Food Review Show)
Will Sonbuchner, also known as Sonny, is the owner and host of the Best Ever Food Review Show on Youtube. The show takes on culinary adventures in countries around the world, and has garnered more than 10 million subscribers on the platform.
In 2023, Sonny was spotted multiple times in Laos, from exploring the night markets in Luang Prabang to “Surviving Laos!! Eating The Rarest Food in Southeast Asia!!”
Drew Binsky
Drew Goldberg, known by his online alias, Drew Binsky, is an American travel blogger and vlogger who has visited every country in the world. Binsky documents his travels on his YouTube channel and other social media accounts.
Drew has been to Laos multiple times, but most recently was in the country in February 2023. In his youtube videos, Drew describes Laos as “Asia’s Greatest Mystery” and that there is a “special place in my heart for this country.”
Trevor Rainbolt
Trevor Rainbolt, also known as Georainbolt is well-known for his accurate skills of guessing countries and places around the world on Google Street View while playing the video game Geoguessr.
In March 2023, he visited Laos after calling it the most beautiful country in the world on an Instagram story.
“When people ask me what’s the most beautiful country on earth, I always reply Laos. Today I finally got to see one of my favorite roads in the world in Na Dan Village, VangVieng, Laos. An unforgettable experience,” he said.
