About 70 kilometres north-west of Vientiane, on the Vang Vieng road, a forgotten temple shelters under a rock overhang on the Dane Soung Plateau. A row of seated Buddha statues, some still wrapped in saffron cloth, line the back of the cave. Local pilgrims leave incense and flowers; outside the high holy days, you may be the only visitor.
Getting there involves a short jungle scramble up from the road and a guide is helpful. Combine it with a stop at Vang Xang, the older Mon-period Buddha statues a few kilometres south on the same road. Both are worth half a day from Vientiane if you are not already heading north.