Groups 1 and 3 at Site 3 are two clusters among several that make up this part of the Plain of Jars, near Phonsavan in Xieng Khouang, and they reward patience more than the headline site does. The walking route links the groups through fields and across low ridges, so you move from one cluster to the next with a view over farmland between. Buffaloes graze in the stubble, children cycle past, and the jars appear in the grass ahead like a set of oversized tea cups left from a giant's picnic. The stone is rough sandstone, and lichen has coloured the surfaces in grey and orange patches.
Many of the jars have rims shaped for lids, and a few lids lie near them, carved with simple forms. Some jars show animal figures or masks cut into their sides, though such details are rare. Archaeologists found human bone fragments, beads and ceramics around the sites, which adds weight to the idea that the jars belonged to a funeral practice. No settlement has been found nearby, and the people who made them remain a mystery. Quarry sites where the stone was cut have been identified on hillsides some kilometres away, and moving such heavy blocks must have taken enormous labour.
You will need to take the history of this land seriously. The American bombing campaign of the 1960s and early 1970s left Laos with a legacy of unexploded munitions, and some craters remain visible on the plain, grassed over and filled with water. Respect the markers on the paths. Do not step beyond them, do not pick things up, and listen to local guides.
The nearest town is Phonsavan, with all the fuel and food you need. The plain is a high plateau with cool nights and a clear air, and the best months are from October to March. Roads leading out are mainly paved and gentle, and traffic is light. The hills near the sites are covered in grass and low pine, and the colour of the earth is a soft red. Late afternoon light brings warmth to the stone.