Northern Laos is a country of steep green ridges, and then, near the town of Phonsavan, the mountains open into a high rolling plateau of grass and pine, the Xiangkhouang plain, where hundreds of huge stone jars lie scattered across the hills. Site 42 is one of dozens of clusters of jars that make up the Plain of Jars, inscribed by UNESCO in 2019, and it lies north-east of Phonsavan in remote country.
The jars are carved from sandstone, granite or limestone, many of them taller than a person, and they date from the Iron Age, roughly two thousand years ago. Archaeologists found human bones and burial goods around them, and the usual theory is that they were part of funeral rites, perhaps used to hold bodies until the bones could be buried. Who made them is still not well understood.
The plateau also carries the heavy legacy of the American bombing of Laos from 1964 to 1973, during which Xiangkhouang was among the most heavily bombed places in history. Unexploded ordnance, mainly cluster bomblets, still lies in the ground, and visitors must stay on cleared, marked paths at the jar sites, which have been surveyed by teams from the Mines Advisory Group and the HALO Trust, and which have white and red markers. Never step off the path, and never touch metal objects, no matter how harmless they look. Sites that are not cleared are not open.
The way here is half the adventure. The road from Luang Prabang to Phonsavan, Route 7 in part, winds through high mountains for hours, with tight hairpins, landslides in the wet season, trucks and livestock on the road, and views over folded ridges. The surface can be rough, so allow plenty of time. The cool season, from November to February, is the best, with clear days and chilly nights, and the rainy season from May to October brings mud and fog.
Fuel is available in Phonsavan, and you should fill up there because the small villages in the hills may only sell it from bottles. Phonsavan has simple guesthouses, noodle shops and cafes serving Lao coffee, which is strong, sweet and good. Carry cash in kip, since cards are rarely accepted outside town.