Lonely Planet Laos
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Australian Volunteers International (www.australianvolunteers.com) Places qualified Australian residents on one- to two-year contracts.
Global Volunteers (www.australianvolunteers.com) Places qualified Australian residents on one- to two-year contracts.
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO; www.vsointernational.org) Places qualified and experienced volunteers for up to two years.
Women Travellers
Laos is an easy country for women travellers, although it is necessary to be more culturally aware or sensitive than in many parts of neighbouring Thailand. Laos is very safe and violence against women travellers is extremely rare. Everyday incidents of sexual harassment may be more common than they were a few years ago, but they're still much less frequent than in virtually any other Asian country.
The relative lack of prostitution in Laos, as compared with Thailand, has benefits for women travellers. While a Thai woman who wants to preserve a 'proper' image often won't associate with foreign males for fear of being perceived as a prostitute, in Laos this is not the case. Hence a foreign woman seen drinking in a cafe or restaurant is not usually perceived as 'available' as she might be in Thailand. This in turn means that there are generally fewer problems with uninvited male solicitations.
It's highly unusual for most Lao women to wear singlet tops or very short skirts or shorts. So when travellers do, people tend to stare. If you're planning on bathing in a village or river, a sarong is essential.
Traditionally women didn't sit on the roofs of riverboats, because this was believed to bring bad luck. These days most captains aren't so concerned, but if you are asked to get off the roof while men are not, this is why.
Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Transport
Getting There & Away
Many travellers enter or exit Laos via the country's numerous land and river borders. Flying into Laos is a relatively easy option as there is only a small number of airlines serving Laos and prices don't vary much. Flights and tours can be booked online at www.lonelyplanet.com/bookings.
Entering the Country
Wattay International Airport Buses and jumbos run to/from Vientiane's airport. Taxis/minibuses cost a flat fare of US$7/8.
Luang Prabang International Airport (%071-212173; W) Taxis to/from the airport cost a standardised 50,000K.
Savannakhet International Airport Jumbos cost 30,000K from the airport, but drivers may start higher.
Pakse International Airport A săhm-lór or tuk-tuk to the airport will cost about 50,000K.
Climate Change and Travel
Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which might use less fuel per per person than most cars but travel much greater distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’ that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.
Air
Laos has air connections with regional countries including Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, China and South Korea. The most convenient international gateway to Laos is Bangkok and there are plenty of flights to the Thai capital. If heading to Laos for a shorter holiday, it is cheaper to take an indirect flight to Bangkok with a stop on the way. Once in Bangkok, there are planes, trains and buses heading to Laos.
Airports & Airlines
There are four international airports in Laos: Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Luang Prabang International Airport, Savannakhet International Airport and Pakse International Airport.
Lao Airlines is the national carrier and monopolises the majority of flights in and out of the country.
Air Asia Flights from Vientiane to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur daily, plus Luang Prabang to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) Daily flights between Bangkok and Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Pakse, plus Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang flights.
China Eastern Airlines (www.ce-air.com) Flies daily to Kunming and Nanning from Vientiane.
Korean Air Daily connections between Vientiane and Seoul.
Lao Airlines (www.laoairlines.com) National carrier. The extensive international flight network includes Vientiane to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kunming, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Singapore; Luang Prabang to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi and Siem Reap; Pakse to Bangkok, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap; and Savannakhet to Bangkok and Danang.
Thai Airways (www.thaiairways.com) Vientiane and Luang Prabang to Bangkok daily.
Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamairlines.com) Connects Vientiane with Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Phnom Penh, plus Luang Prabang with Hanoi and Siem Reap.
DEPARTURE TAX
There is a departure tax of US$10 on all international flights, but it is included in the ticket price at the time of purchase.
Land
Laos shares land and/or river borders with Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, China and Vietnam. Border-crossing details change regularly, so ask around and check the Thorn Tree (lonelyplanet.com/thorntree) before setting off.
It's possible to bring a car or motorcycle into Laos from Cambodia and Thailand with the right paperwork and Lao customs don't object to visitors bringing bicycles into the country, but it is not currently possible from Vietnam, China or Myanmar.
Cambodia
There are daily buses and minibuses connecting Pakse with Stung Treng (four hours), Kratie (six hours) and Phnom Penh (11 hours). These also stop at Ban Nakasang and Ban Hat Xai in both directions for travellers planning to relax in Si Phan Don. It's best to take one of these through-buses, as it's pretty tough to arrange transport at the Non Nok Khiene (Laos)/Trapaeng Kriel (Cambodia) border.
China
Handy through-buses link major towns in Yunnan to northern Laos. Routes include Luang Namtha–Jinghong (six hours), Udomxai–Mengla (five hours) and Kunming–Luang Prabang (around 24 hours on a Chinese sleeper bus). It's also perfectly feasible to make the journey in hops via Boten, the only China–Lao border crossing currently open to foreigners. From Móhān on the Chinese side it's around a two-hour minibus ride to Mengla, the nearest large town.
Myanmar
The first Lao-Myanmar Friendship Bridge officially opened in May 2016 connecting Xieng Kok in Luang Namtha Province with Tachelik District in Shan State. However, border-demarcation disagreements have delayed it opening for international traffic. Check in Vientiane or Luang Namtha before setting off this way or play it safe and transit through Thailand, via Chiang Khong and Mae Sai, to the Burmese town of Tachilek.
Thailand
There are eight crossings to Thailand open to foreigners. Some involve taking a boat across the Mekong, or crossing the river on one of the Friendship Bridges.
Thailand to Vientiane
There are eight crossings to Thailand open to foreigners. Some involve taking a boat across the Mekong, or crossing the river on one of the Friendship Bridges.
Thailand to Northern Laos
The majority of visitors are heading to or from Luang Prabang. There are three main options but no route allows you to make the trip in a single journey. The Chiang Rai–Huay Xai–Luang Prabang route is by far the most tourist-friendly and potentially the quickest route (around 24 hours using buses, or two days by bus-boat combination).
Travel this way is via Chiang Khong/Huay Xai. Departing from Chiang Rai on the first bus of the day it is possible to connect with the slowboat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang, arriving the following evening. Or leave Chiang Rai at lunchtime and connect with the 5pm overnight bus (faster but no
t recommended when compared with the beautiful boat journey), arriving in Luang Prabang late next morning. Through-tickets from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai agencies are generally overpriced.
Other possibilities are perfectly feasible but see almost no foreign tourists, so you'll need to be comfortable with local languages or sign language. These routes can also take several days due to limited transport and poor roads. Choose from the Nan–Muang Ngeun–Luang Prabang route or the even more remote Loei–Pak Lai–Sainyabuli option.
Thailand to Central Laos
Although relatively few tourists use them, the border crossings that straddle the Mekong between northeastern Thailand and central Laos are almost universally convenient and straightforward.
The river crossing between Nakhon Phanom and Tha Khaek is a breeze. There are several daily buses between Bangkok and Nakhon Phanom (12 hours), but it's almost as cheap and much faster to use the budget airlines.
The bridge between Mukdahan and Savannakhet is the southernmost Mekong River crossing open to non-Thai and non-Lao nationals. Several buses link Bangkok and Mukdahan (about 10 hours), and the Thai-Lao International Bus runs between the latter and Savannakhet's bus station (45 minutes). There are also fly-drive options available via Nakhon Phanom airport with budget airlines.
The river crossing between Beung Kan and Paksan is the weak link with a dearth of regular transport on the Thai side.
Thailand to Southern Laos
International buses connect Pakse with Ubon Ratchathani (four hours including crossing) via the Vang Tao (Laos) and Chong Mek (Thailand) border twice daily, plus there is one through service a day to Bangkok. Combination bus and train tickets can also be purchased in Pakse.
Vietnam
At the time of writing, foreigners could cross between Laos and Vietnam at seven different border posts. Laos issues 30-day tourist visas at all of these, but Vietnamese visas must be arranged in advance in Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Savannakhet or Pakse for some nationals. Exceptions are Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Japan and South Korea, plus some European countries such as Scandinavia, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK. In every case we recommend using a through-bus rather than trying to make the trip in hops, as it can be very difficult to arrange onward transport from the remote border posts.
Vietnam to Northern Laos
An increasingly popular alternative to the hellish 24-hour buses between Hanoi and Vientiane is to start from northwestern Vietnam and use the daily Dien Bien Phu–Muang Khua bus, crossing the border at Tay Trang, before arriving in fascinating Phongsali Province. Reaching Luang Prabang from Dien Bien Phu is possible in two days (one night in Muang Khua). Better is to take it slowly using the Nam Ou (Ou River) riverboats with a stop in Nong Khiaw.
Other decent alternatives start from the Vietnamese towns of Thanh Hoa and Vinh. Thanh Hoa–Sam Neua buses (daily), which pass through the border at Nam Soi, take a beautiful route and are ideal for visiting the memorable Vieng Xai Caves on a long overland trip to Luang Prabang.
Buses on the Vinh–Phonsavan route, which pass the border at lonely Nam Can, allow a visit to the enigmatic Plain of Jars but don't run daily.
Vietnam to Vientiane & Central Laos
There are direct buses from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Vientiane, but a more interesting alternative is to break up the trip in beautiful but seldom visited central Laos.
Starting out in central Vietnam, there are a few different options. The border at Lao Bao, easily accessed from Dong Ha, is the largest and easiest of all crossings to/from Vietnam. Once in Laos, break the journey with stays in Sepon, visiting what's left of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, or in Savannakhet. Moving north, there's a crossing at Cha Lo, but virtually the only traffic is the buses that run between Dong Hoi and Tha Khaek. The most popular crossing is at Cau Treo, which is easily accessed via Vinh, and which is also the route that the direct buses between Vientiane and Hanoi use. Punctuate the journey with a visit to the spectacular underground river at Tham Kong Lor.
Vietnam to Southern Laos
There is a daily bus service (in both directions) between Pakse and Kontum, passing through both Sekong and Attapeu, as well as the Phou Keua (Laos)/Bo Y (Vietnam) border. It takes about eight to nine hours to complete the entire journey or about half that between Attapeu and Kontum.
LAOS BORDER CROSSINGS
CAMBODIA
Border Crossing Connecting Towns Visa Available on Arrival
Non Nok Khiene (L)/Trapeang Kriel (C) Si Phan Don (L), Stung Treng (C) Yes
CHINA
Border Crossing Connecting Towns Visa Available on Arrival
Boten (L)/Móhān (C) Luang Nam Tha (L), Mengla (C) Laos only
MYANMAR (BURMA)
Border Crossing Connecting Towns Visa Available on Arrival
Houy Koum (L)/Kainglek (M) Luang Namtha (L), Tachilek (M) No
THAILAND
Border Crossing Connecting Towns Visa Available on Arrival
Tha Na Leng (L)/Nong Khai (T) Vientiane (L), Nong Khai (T) Yes
Paksan (L)/Beung Kan (T) Paksan (L), Beung Kan (T) No
Huay Xai(L)/Chiang Khong (T) Huay Xai (L), Chiang Rai (T) Yes
Tha Khaek(L)/Nakhon Phanom(T) Tha Khaek (L), Nakhon Phanom (T) Yes
Savannakhet (L)/Mukdahan (T) Savannakhet (L), Mukdahan (T) Yes
Vang Tao (L)/Chong Mek (T) Pakse (L), Ubon Ratchathani (T) Yes
Muang Ngeun (L)/Huay Kon (T) Hongsa (L), Phrae (T) Yes
Kaen Thao (L)/Tha Li (T) Pak Li (L), Loei (T) Yes
VIETNAM
Border Crossing Connecting Towns Visa Available on Arrival
Dansavanh (L)/Lao Bao (V) Savannakhet (L), Dong Ha (V) Laos all/Vietnam some
Phou Keua (L)/Bo Y (V) Attapeu (L), Kontum (V) Laos all/Vietnam some
Na Phao (L)/Cha Lo (V) Tha Khaek (L), Dong Hoi (L) Laos all/Vietnam some
Nong Haet (L)/Nam Can (V) Phonsavan (L), Vinh (V) Laos all/Vietnam some
Nam Phao (L)/CauTreo (V) Tha Khaek (L), Vinh (V) Laos all/Vietnam some
Na Meo (L)/Nam Soi (V) Sam Neua (L), Thanh Hoa (V) Laos all/Vietnam some
Pang Hok (L)/Tay Trang (V) Muang Khua (L), Dien Bien Phu (V) Laos all/Vietnam some
Getting Around
Transport in Laos is generally very good value, but journeys can take a lot longer than distances on a map might suggest.
Air Laos has an extensive domestic flight network and this can save considerable time on a short visit.
Boat Rivers are the lifeblood of Laos, making boat journeys an important element of the transport network.
Bus Laos has some smart buses operating on major routes out of Vientiane, but venture into remote areas and vehicles are as old as the hills.
Car For those with a more flexible budget, a rented car with driver is the smoothest way to cover a lot of ground in a limited amount of time.
Air
Domestic flights to smaller airports suffer fairly frequent cancellations due to fog and, in March, heavy smoke during the slash-and-burn season. During the holiday season it's best to book ahead as flights can fill fast. At other times, when flights are more likely to be cancelled, confirm the flight is still departing a day or two before.
Airlines in Laos
Lao Airlines The main airline in Laos handling domestic flights, including between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Luang Nam Tha, Pakse, Phonsavan, Savannakhet and Udomxai.
Lao Skyway A newer domestic airline with flights from Vientiane to Udomxai, Luang Prabang, Huay Xai and Luang Namtha.
With the exception of the Lao Airlines' offices in major cities, where credit cards are accepted for both international and domestic tickets, it is necessary to pay cash in US dollars.
Bicycle
The stunningly beautiful roads and light, relatively slow traffic in most towns and on most highways make Laos arguably the best country for cycling in Southeast Asia.
Simple single-speed bicycles can be hired in most places that see a decent number
of tourists, usually costing about 20,000K per day. Better mountain bikes will cost from 40,000K to 80,000K per day.
Boat
More than 4600km of navigable rivers are the highways and byways of traditional Laos, the main thoroughfares being the Mekong, Nam Ou, Nam Khan, Nam Tha, Nam Ngum and Se Kong. The Mekong is the longest and most important route and is navigable year-round between Luang Prabang in the north and Savannakhet in the south. Smaller rivers accommodate a range of smaller boats, from dugout canoes to 'bomb boats' made from war detritus.
Whether it's on a tourist boat from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang or on a local boat you've rustled up in some remote corner of the country, it's still worth doing at least one river excursion while in Laos.