It's also possible to cross the brige by train, as tracks have been extended from Nong Khai's train station 3.5km into Laos, terminating at Dongphasy Station, about 13km from central Vientiane. From Nong Khai there are two daily departures (9.30am and 4pm, fan/air-con 20/50B, 15 minutes) and border formalities are taken care of at the respective train stations. But in reality, unless you are a trainspotter, it is much more convenient to use the international bus or other road transport.
At the border Travellers from most countries enjoy 30-day, visa-free access to Thailand. Lao visas (30 days) are available for US$20 to US$42, depending on your nationality. If you don't have a photo you'll be charged an extra US$1, and be aware that an additional US$1 'overtime fee' is charged from 6am to 8am and 6pm to 10pm on weekdays, as well as on weekends and holidays. Don't be tempted to use a tuk-tuk driver to get your Lao visa, no matter what they tell you, as it will take far longer than doing it yourself, and you'll have to pay for the 'service'. Insist they take you straight to the bridge.
Moving on Sleeper trains from Nong Khai to Bangkok leave at 6.20pm and 7.10pm and cost 1217/778B for a 1st/2nd-class sleeper ticket. Tickets on the 7am day train cost 498/388B for air-con/fan seating.
8Getting Around
Central Vientiane is entirely accessible on foot. For exploring neighbouring districts, however, you'll need transport.
To/From the Airport
AWattay International Airport Taxis to the centre cost US$7 and minivans are available for US$8. Only official taxis can pick up at the airport.
If you're on a budget and don't have a lot of luggage, simply walk 500m to the airport gate and cross Th Souphanouvong and hail a shared jumbo (20,000K per person). Prices on shared transport will rise if you're going further than the centre.
Bus number 49 (Nong Taeng) from Talat Sao Bus Station makes the journey out to the airport for 6000K.
Bicycle
Cycling is a cheap, easy and recommended way of getting around mostly flat Vientiane. Loads of guesthouses and several shops hire out bikes for 10,000K to 20,000K per day. Mountain bikes are available but are more expensive at 30,000K to 40,000K; try Lao Bike ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55090471; Th Setthathirath; h9am-6pm).
Bus
There is a city bus system, but it's oriented more towards the distant suburbs than the central Chanthabuli district. Most buses leave from Talat Sao Bus Station, which is currently undergoing a massive renovation. The number 14 Tha Deua bus to the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park) runs every two hours from 6am to 5.30pm and costs 15,000K. Bus number 49 runs past the airport (6000K) regularly. Bus number 8 runs to the Northern Bus Station (5000K) and number 29 to the Southern Bus Station (3000K).
Car & Motorcycle
There are several international car-hire companies with representation in Vientiane, including Avis ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021-223867; www.avis.la; Th Setthathirath; h8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat & Sun) and Sixt ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021-513228; www.sixtlao.com; Wattay International Airport; h7am-7pm).
Scooters are a popular means of getting around Vientiane and can be hired throughout the centre of town. Recommended hire places include First-One Motorbike Rental ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55528299; Th François Ngin; scooters per day 70,000K; h8.30am-6pm) and Mixay Bike 2 ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-77882510; Th Chau Anou; scooter per 24hr 60,000-80,000K; h8am-8pm).
MOTORBIKE TOURING FROM VIENTIANE
Motorbike activities have been growing in popularity for several years now. It's now possible to travel on sturdy, well-maintained motocross bikes, connected by Laos' competent mobile-phone service for backup with base, and handheld GPS devices to always keep you on track. And with drop-off and luggage-forwarding facilities to your destination available, you're now able to tackle a slice of your holiday on two wheels (an alternative to duking it out on soggy, overcrowded buses). Rent by the week and take in the north via the mountains of Vang Vieng, continuing on to Luang Prabang and the rest of the north before leaving your bike in Luang Prabang. Or head south to explore the karst limestone mountains around Tha Khaek and eventually leave the motorbike in Pakse.
Recommended operators that hire dirt bikes or touring bikes and offer pick-up services at the end of your trip:
Drivenbyadventure (%020-58656994; www.hochiminhtrail.org; rental per day US$38-95, tours per day US$160-200) Offers the most professionally maintained dirt bikes in Laos, including Honda CRF250s (US$38 per day), Honda XR400s (US$50) and KTM XCW450s (US$95).
Fuark Motorcycle Hire (%021-261970; [email protected]) A leading locally owned and operated motorbike-hire place that offers a range of well-maintained dirt bikes (from US$30 per day) and drop-offs at key cities around the country.
Drivenbyadventure owner Don Duvall also masquerades as mysteriously monikered Midnight Mapper, spending the last 10 years tirelessly mapping Laos, and you can buy his satellite map off his website and plug it into your GPS gadget. It costs US$50, and he mails you the SIM card, or can rent you a Garmin handheld GPS device for US$7 per day and plug in your coordinates so you never get lost.
Jumbo & Tuk-Tuk
Drivers of jumbos and tuk-tuks will take passengers on journeys as short as 500m or as far as 20km. Understanding the various types of tuk-tuk is important if you don't want to be overcharged (and can save you arguments in addition to money). Tourist tuk-tuks are the most expensive, while share jumbos that run regular routes around town (eg Th Luang Prabang to Th Setthathirath or Th Lan Xang to That Luang) are much cheaper, usually less than 5000K per person.
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO TUK-TUKS & JUMBOS
Tourist Tuk-tuks You'll find these loitering in queues outside popular tourist spots, such as at Nam Phu. In theory, chartering a tuk-tuk should be no more than 20,000K for distances of 1km or so, but these guys will usually show you a laminated card with a list of fares that are at least double what a Lao person would pay. Bargaining is essentially fruitless because there is an agreement within the queue that tuk-tuks won't budge from the agreed tariff.
Wandering Tuk-tuks These tuk-tuks will pick you up anywhere and negotiate a fare to anywhere. Prices are lower than tourist tuk-tuks and rise as you head further away from main roads. If you're going somewhere within the centre of town, you can probably get away with handing the driver 15,000K to 20,000K and telling him where you want to go.
Fixed-route Share Jumbos The cheapest tuk-tuks are more like buses, starting at tuk-tuk stations and operating along set routes for fixed fares. The biggest station is near Talat Sao and one very useful route runs to the Friendship Bridge (5000K, compared with about 200B for a charter). Just turn up and tell them where you want to go.
Taxi
Car taxis of varying shapes, sizes and vintages can often be found stationed in front of the larger hotels or at the airport. Bargaining is the general rule, although there are a couple of meter-taxi companies operating now, including the following:
Meter Taxi Service ( GOOGLE MAP ; %021-454168) Drivers from this company often wait for fares on Th Pangkham, just across from the Day Inn Hotel.
Taxi Vientiane Capital Lao Group (%021-454168; h24hr) Another useful metered-taxi option in the capital.
Tourist Taxi (%1420; to airport around 50,000K; h24hr) This new metered service just for tourists gives you a chance to keep an eye on your fare.
A car and driver costs about US$50 per day as long as the vehicle doesn't leave town. If you want to go further afield, such as to Ang Nam Ngum or Vang Vieng, expect to pay more.
At the Talat Sao taxi stand ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Th Lan Xang & Th Khu Vieng; h7am-6pm), across from Talat Sao, you'll find taxis to the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge (300B).
Around Vientiane
There are several places worth seeing that are an easy trip from Vientiane; some make good day trips while others could detain you for much longer. Popular places include the jungle and homestays of Phu Khao Khuay NPA and the islands and bays of Ang Nam Ngum.
Phu Khao Khuay NPA ປ່າສະຫ�
��ວນແຫ່ງຊາດພູເຂົາຄວາຍ
Covering more than 2000 sq km of mountains and rivers to the east of Vientiane, the underrated Phu Khao Khuay NPA (ປ່າສະຫງວນແຫ່ງຊາດພູເຂົາຄວາຍ) is the most accessible protected area in Laos. Treks ranging in duration from a couple of hours to three days have been developed in partnership with Ban Na (ບ້ານນາ) and Ban Hat Khai (ບ້ານຫາດໄຂ່), villages on the edge of the NPA.
Phu Khao Khuay (ພູເຂົາຄວາຍ; poo cow kwai) means 'Buffalo Horn Mountain', a name derived from local legend, and is home to three major rivers that flow off a sandstone mountain range. It boasts an extraordinary array of endangered wildlife, including wild elephant, gibbon, Asiatic black bear, clouded leopard, Siamese fireback pheasant and green peafowl. Depending on elevation, visitors may encounter dry evergreen dipterocarp (a Southeast Asian tree with two-winged fruit), mixed deciduous forest, conifer forest or grassy uplands. Several impressive waterfalls are accessible as day trips from Vientiane.
8Getting There & Away
Buses from Vientiane's Southern Bus Station leave regularly for Ban Tha Bok and Paksan. For Wat Pha Baht Phonsan and Ban Na get off at Tha Pha Bat (25,000K) near the Km 81 stone; the shrine is right on Rte 13 and Ban Na is about 1.5km north and well signposted.
For Ban Hat Khai, keep on the bus until a turn-off left (north) at Km 92, just before Ban Tha Bok (30,000K). If you have your own transport, continue 8km along the smooth laterite road until you cross the new bridge. Turn right at the Y-intersection and it's 1km to Ban Hat Khai. Alternatively, villagers in Ban Hat Khai can arrange motorcyle pick-up from Ban Tha Bok for 25,000K one way if you call ahead.
Note that as you come from Vientiane there are three signed entrances to Phu Khao Khuay – the second leads to Ban Na and the third to Ban Hat Khai and the waterfalls.
Ban Na ບ້ານນາ
Village guides lead one-, two- and three-day treks from Ban Na to Keng Khani (three to four hours one way) and through deep forest to the waterfall of Tat Fa (four to five hours). There is also a one-hour trek to the old elephant observation tower, passing by plantations and through the skirts of the jungle itself. The tower overlooks a salt lick, which the elephants used to visit regularly. Trekkers sleep in the tower (100,000K per person) beneath a mosquito net on a mattress, and guides cook a tasty local dinner. Even without the elephants it still makes for a fun adventure.
Ban Na offers 10 homestays in simple wooden houses (24-hour electricity and mosquito nets with bedding are provided). Vegetarian meals are possible. For bookings contact Mr Bounathom/Mr Khampak (020-22208262), or find a Lao speaker to call ahead for you.
Ban Hat Khai ບ້ານຫາດໄຂ່
Ban Hat Khai is a pretty riverside village offering 11 homestays in traditional Lao houses, including 24-hour electricity and mosquito nets. Vegetarian meals are available on request. To book a stay in Ban Hat Khai contact Mr Khammuan (020-2224 0303) or find a Lao speaker to call ahead for you.
Destinations accessible from Ban Hat Khai include the huge cliff, views and beautiful landscape of Pha Luang (three to four hours one way), and the forested areas around Huay Khi Ling (two to three hours one way). A trek taking in both these areas takes two or three days, depending on the season, and involves sleeping in the forest.
ENDANGERED ELEPHANTS
The lowland farming village of Ban Na, 82km northeast of Vientiane, is home to about 600 people. The village is typical Lao, with women weaving baskets from bamboo and men tending the fields. But it was the local herd of elephants that was historically of most interest to visitors.
The farmers of Ban Na grow rice and vegetables, but several years ago they began planting sugar cane. What they didn't count on was the collective sweet tooth of the elephants in the nearby mountains. It wasn't long before these jumbos sniffed out the delights in the field below and were happily eating the sugar cane, pineapples and bananas planted around Ban Na. Not surprisingly, the farmers weren't happy. They decided the only way to get rid of the elephants was to rip up the sugar cane and go back to planting boring (and less lucrative) vegetables.
It was hoped the 30-odd elephants would take the hint and return to the mountains. Instead, they made the lowland forests, bamboo belt and fields around Ban Na their home, causing significant destruction to the environment and finances of Ban Na. The only way the villagers could continue to live with the elephants (ie not shoot them) was by making them pay their way. The result was elephant ecotourism.
The truth is that today the elephants have vanished. In 2007 there was an estimated 25-strong herd in Phu Khao Khuay National Protected Area (NPA). In 2009 five were killed – stripped of their tusks and hind legs, which suggests that they were murdered by poachers rather than local villagers. In 2010 a further two were recorded dead; according to the Lao Army, they had been electrocuted by lightning. Villagers say they have not sighted elephants for several years, so it is likely they have been killed or have fled north into more remote areas of the NPA.
Tat Xai, Pha Xai & Tat Leuk
Tat Leuk is a small waterfall, but is a beautiful place to camp for the night. You can swim above the falls if the water isn't flowing too fast, and the visitor centre has some information about the area, including a detailed guide to the 1.5km-long Huay Bon Nature Trail.
The guy who looks after the visitor centre can arrange local treks for 160,000K, and rents quality four-person tents for 30,000K, plus hammocks, mattresses, mosquito nets and sleeping bags for 10,000K each. There's a very basic restaurant (best supplemented with food you bring from outside), a small library of wildlife books and a pair of binoculars.
From the junction to Ban Hat Khai village, turn left and continue another 6km until you see a rough 4km road on the left, which leads to Tat Leuk.
Tat Xai (ຕາດໄຊ ຜາໄຊ ) cascades down seven steps, and 800m downstream Pha Xai plunges over a 40m-high cataract. There's a pool that's good for swimming, though it can get dangerous during the wet season. Both waterfalls are accessed from Rte 13, just before Ban Tha Bok. From the junction to Ban Hat Khai, it's 9km to Tat Xai and Pha Xai.
TREKKING IN PHU KHAO KHUAY ພູເຂົາຄວາຍ
Detailed information on trekking, accommodation and getting to and from Phu Khao Khuay National Protected Area (NPA) can be found at the Tourist Information Centre in Vientiane. Trekking in Phu Khao Khuay costs 100,000K per person per day, and you must also purchase a permit to enter the NPA (50,000K) and contribute to the village fund (50,000K). If trekking from Ban Hat Khai you'll also have to pay for boat transport (70,000K per boat, up to five passengers).
Ang Nam Ngum & Around
Located midway between Vientiane and Vang Vieng, Ang Nam Ngum is a vast artificial lake created when the Nam Ngum (Ngum River) was dammed in 1971. The highest peaks of the former river valley became forested islands after the inundation and, following the 1975 PL conquest of Vientiane, an estimated 3000 prostitutes, petty criminals and drug addicts were rounded up from the capital and banished to two of these islands; one each for men and women. Today, the Nam Ngum hydroelectric plant generates most of the electricity used in the Vientiane area. Potential stops around the lake include Nam Tok Tat Khu Khana, the Vang Sang Buddhas and Nam Lik Eco-Village.
1Sights & Activities
Ang Nam Ngum is dotted with picturesque little islands and it is well worth arranging a boat cruise (150,000/300,000K for a half-/full day) from Ban Na Khuen or Ban Tha Heua, where several attractive resorts dot the lakeshore.
Vang Sang BuddhasBUDDHIST SITE
F
At Vang Sang, 65km north of Vientiane via Rte 13, sits a cluster of 10 high-relief Buddha sculptures on cliffs thought to date from the 16th century. Two of the Buddhas are more than 3m tall. The name means 'Elephant Palace', a reference to an elephant graveyard once found nearby.
To reach Vang Sang, follow the sign to the Vang Xang Resort, near the Km 62 marker, then
take the laterite road around a small lake, up the hill and right until you reach the shaded forest at the end.
Nam Tok Tat Khu KhanaWATERFALL
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It's a bit of a mouthful, but the Nam Tok Tat Khu Khana (Tat Khu Khana Waterfall, also called Hin Khana) is one of the easier waterfalls to reach from Vientiane. Follow a 10km dirt road, which leads west from Rte 13 near the village of Ban Naxaithong, near Km 17.
4Sleeping & Eating
Ban Na Khuen and Ban Tha Heua are villages near the lakeshore that are home to a number of appealing resorts. These can be a good alternative to the hustle and bustle of downtown Vang Vieng if you want a relaxing escape.
oSanctuary ResortBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
(%020-55320612; www.sanctuaryhotelsandresorts.com; Ban Tha Heua; r from US$38-50; aWs)
Sanctuary Resort has impressive new bungalow villas on the shores of the Ang Nam Ngum. They're lovingly appointed with contemporary fixtures; there are also larger deluxe villas with an outdoor jacuzzi that can double up as a two-bedroom family villa. There is also a floating swimming pool in the lake, quite a novelty.
Water sports are available, including jet-skis, paddleboards and boats. It's a good place to stop for lunch for those with their own transport thanks to a mixed menu of Laotian and international dishes combined with a commanding view over the resort.
Lonely Planet Laos Page 29