Introduction

   Laos, " The Land of Elephants "

Laos is one of those countries that you have heard about but never got to know well. And that is actually the case for most people around the world. Laos is one of those travel destinations that still hod a promise of adventure, discovering new frontiers, unseen historical and cultural treasures.

Laos is a country characterized by a tranquility and peace that is hard to find in other places of our hectic world. Laos is a land locked country. It is sparsely populated and 70% of the area is mountainous and covered by jungle. Besides some small cities, most of the people are living in remote villages spread through the mountains and forests.

Although economic development is slowly transforming the country to become part of the modern world, the general lifestyle of the Laos is still has not been touched by it.

The natural friendliness and hospitality of the Lao people can still be found everywhere. Most people take life at a slow pace. There is no rush to make money of to meet dead linese. Take is easy - don't worry seems to be the key guideline when traveling in Laos .

The country is located in the center of the Mekong Region, sharing borders with China , Myanmar , Thailand , Cambodia and Vietnam . With an area of 236,800 square km. Most of landscape is mountainous with the highest mountain reaching almost 3,000 meters in Kieng Kouang province. The Mekong river flows straight through the country from North to South over a distance of 1.900 km, and in some parts forms the nature border with Thailand . In the South the Mekong reaches a breadth of 14 km, creating an area with thousands of islands. An astonishing of islands. An astonishing 60% of the water flowing through the Mekong, one of the largest rivers in the world, originates in Laos .

Laos enjoys a tropical climate and has one of the most pristine ecologies in South East Asia . An estimated half of its woodlands consist of primary forest. Although tropical, in the higher areas and especially in the Northern part of the country, it can get quite cool in the winter period which is of course very agreeable for people coming from Europe and America . The main rainy season is in the same time as the European summer. Rain showers can be torrential at times but they are generally of short duration and the rains should not really be of any obstacle to enjoy your holiday in the rainy season .

What is the best time to travel to Laos, is difficult to Laos , is difficult to say. Each part of the year has it's own pros and cons. In the winter time the weather is cool. In the spring time it is hot but there are many interesting festivals. In the rainy season the country is incredibly green and one can observe the farmers planting crops everywhere and the waterfalls are beautiful.

Laos has established many natural forests reserves ( called Bio-Diversity Conservation Areas BDCA) which are open to the public for trekking, bird watching etc. The forests are inhabited by a variety of rare wildlife: leopard cats, Javan mongoose, goatantilopes, rare species of gibbons and langurs, various, bears, gaurs and of course historically the most important of all: the elephant. In the South, river dolphins inhabit the Mekong river and many species of resident and migrating birds, one of the most notable ones: the rare Green Peafowl.

Visiting Laos , automatically means visiting some of the colorful ethnic people living in the hills and mountains. Laos has total population of only about 5 million. But his small population share an incredibly rich ethnic diversity: there are not fewer than 68 ethnic groups living in Laos . Each of the ethnic groups preserves its own culture, religion and languages, as well as building style and dress style. The way of dressing, with its intricate ornaments and color schemes is for the traveler the most visible characteristic of each group. This ethnic diversity is one of the fascinating attractions in Laos which is hard to find in any other place in the world. The low population density ( only 19 people per square km ) is one of the reasons that Laos has been able to preserve its natural and cultural heritage up to now.

The Laotians are a frank and very friendly people with an incredible hospitality. They have a very strong developed culture of courtesy and respect, and they will give a warm welcome to everyone who comes to visit them.

The stable food in Laos is sticky rice with a large variety of side dishes. Mostly people eat with their fingers because sticky rice is not easy to eat with fork and spoon. However, for foreign guests also normal white rice is prepared because sticky rice may be a little heavy on the stomach if one is not used to it. The diet of the Laotians is very healthy because every meal is accompanied by large quantities of fresh or steamed vegetables which are often collected form the surrounding forests and therefore are free of any chemicals or pesticides. In stead of using fatty pork or battery raised chickens, the meals are often prepared with fish and shrimps caught in the wild or with chicken that have spent their lives running freely around the farm.

Laos is one of the countries in the Mekong region that will guarantee you a very pleasant and thrilling experience.

Places to visit

In and around Vientiane

Vientiane is the capital of Laos and although it is not dramatic in its beauty, it is worthwhile to make a stop-over to visit it. There are a lot of ancient temples and also some museums.

The ancient pagodas

Many of the ancient pagodas are well over 400 years old and are absolutely beautiful. The Wat That Luang pagodas was constructed in 1566 by King Settharat. During successive eras it was damaged by invading armies and re-built again. Its last full restoration was in 1936.This pagoda is the center of the annual religious rites which are held in November during the That Luang festival.

The Independence Monument

The Patousay on the Lane Chang avenue ( million elephants avenue ) is a large monument in the same style as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris . Its architecture incorporates typical Lao motifs. From the top one can have a panoramic view of the entire city.

The National Museum

The Revolutionary Museum , housed in an impressive French colonial building ( the old French Governers house ), pays tribute to the sacrifices of the Lao People in the struggle for their independence. For those who are interested in the history of this country it is definitely worthwhile to visit.

Weaving villages

If you spend a day in Vientiane , you can make a half day excursion to visit some of the villages South of Vientiane where you can observe the home industry of breeding silk worms and traditional hand weaving. These very interesting techniques have been handed down through many generations. You may purchase some unique hand-woven cloth in typical Laotian design patterns to make a dress or a shirt for yourself or even to frame as a colorful wait decorations which will be a lasting souvenir of this fascinating country.

Nam Ngum Lake

A full day excursion to the North of Vientiane takes you to the beautiful scenery of the Nam Ngam river valley and its subsidiaries which have been partly flooded due to the construction of a hydro-electrical dam. There are many fishing villages around the lake. Overnight stay is possible on cruise, in bungalow of in house boats on the lake. On the way you can visit Vangchang, the archeological site ( 11 th century ) and on the way back visit the Ban Keun salt extraction plant.

Hmong villages

These ethnic minority villages can be visited during a full day excursion by 4-wheel drive vehicle. The trip goes over dusty road to an area of wide plateaus and mountains North-east of Vientiane . You can observe the traditional life style of the Hmong hill tribe with their beautiful clothes and hand crafted products.

Luang Prabang

This is the old capital of the Kingdom and has been selected as one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites. It is a beautiful little town with a very specific relaxed atmosphere. It really is a must on every trip to Laos to visit here. Luang Prabang is located right in the middle of the Northern part of the Laos , along the Mekong river. The town is surrounded by hills and mountains. The main places to visit in town are the various beautiful ancient pagodas that are in most cases 400 to 500 years old and built of teak wood. Also very interesting is the National Museum which is housed in the old Royal Palace . If you can plan your trip to take Laos to take place in April, it is worthwhile to visit Luang Prabang on 14-15-16 April which is the time that the Laotians celebrate the Buddhist new year. These days are generally the hottest period of the year and after the ceremonial washing of the Buddha statues, the people also enjoy themselves by drenching each other with water and sprinkling with flowers and perfumed powder as a token of well wishing for the coming year. These are days of great fun and foreigners are welcome to join this festival just as much as the local people.

Among the various temples that you will visit is the Wat Pousi located on a hill right in the middle of town. To visit this temple in the late afternoon and enjoy the sun set over the town is a unique experience. Out of Luang Prabang there are numerous trips that can be made: boat trip to the famous Pak Ou caves, short and long trekking trip through the country side, visit the magnificent Kunag Si waterfalls etc.

Vang Vieng

This is another must visit place in Laos . It is place of great natural beauty and excellent spot to make a 2 or 3 days stop over.

The little town is dominated by an overwhelming landscape of karst mountains, limestone cliffs bordering the Nam Song river. The limestone mountains have numerous huge caves that can be visited and which run deep in the mountings. Some of the caves are easily to be reached ( the one closet to town is quite suitable also for elderly people ), others are located further away and need some serious trekking and climbing to be reached. There are various levels of difficulty for the treks that can be made in Vang Vieng. Ox-carts can be used in some places to help lighten the burden.

Luang Namtha province

Luang Namtha province is located in the North-western part of Laos and comprises that 3-border point where Laos meets Myanmar and China . It is a rugged mountainous area with the largest diversity of ethnic groups. Originally the area was linked with the Kingdom of Sipsongpanna which had its political center in Yunnan ( Southern China ). Most people visit this area to enjoy the great scenery and to visit the various ethnic minorities who living in a very traditional lifestyle. Also this area is excellent for adventure tourism such as trekking, home - stay, rafting etc. Further North is the town of Muang Sing which is only 10 km, from the Chinese border. This is also a very popular destination. It is possible to connect to China and Myanmar through this point.

Phongsaly province

More than 20 ethnic groups make up the population of this province in the far North of the country ( bordering China and Vietnam ). Among them the lko, Loma , Akha, Pusang, Thai Dam, Thai Daeng, Yao, Thai Lu, Khamou,Phai, Solo, Lao Hai etc. All these groups retain their distinct cultures, languages and religious beliefs. Handicraft skills, notably in weaving , embroidery and making silver jewellery have crated beautiful artistic designs which are used in everyday life. The Phu Den Dien is the natural forest reserve in this area and a popular destinations for trekking Mountains in this area reach up to almost 2000 m. and the area is covered for 70% with primary forest. The climate is generally cool and can get really cold when there are rain showers, ( Bring proper clothing ) Pongsali province has the source of the Nam Ou river, which meets the Mekong river at Luang Prabang. Therefore it is possible to travel from Pongsali to Luang by boat!

Udomsay Province

This is another rugged province with lots of waterfalls , forests and tribe villages to be visited. One of the most beautiful water falls is the on near Lak Sip-et. It is a slender chute that cascades of a limestone cliff into a small river. Also there are hot springs that can be visited near Muang La.

Interesting for travelers is that From the capital Muang Say, one can travel to Pak Beng at the Mekong river and from there continue to Luang Prabang by boat. Or vice verse one can travel by boat from the Thai border to Pak Beng and by car to Muang Day and form there continue by car to Lunag Prabang.

Xieng Khouang province

As the other Northen provinces of Laos the landscape are hills and lime stone mountains. But besides this, the province is better known for the legendary plane of jarse. Stone jars of different sizes, apparently carved out of solid rocks are scattered all over the plateau. The biggest ones reach a height of 3.25 m, weighting up to 6 tons. It is has been confirmed that the jars are over 2,000 years old. But no one really knows what they were used for.

Xieng Khouang province is rather isolated as there no proper road yet from Vientiane to the provincial capital city Phosavan. However it is possible to travel by road between Xieng Khoung and Luang Prabang . Therefore most travelers take a domestic flight in combination with overland travel to visit the Plane of Jars.

Other interesting destinations in this provinces are the local markets, hot mineral spring near Muang Kham, and the historical Tham Piu Cave .

Champassak province

The province of Champassak is the one of the Southern-most provinces of Laos . Its borders Cambodia , Vietnam and Thailand and one can travel from Champassak to both Thailand and Cambodia .

The capital city is Pakse, it is located at the confluence of the Mekong and Sedon rivers. Champassak is the bread basket of Laos because it has more flat terrain suitable for rice cultivation. But the Northern part of the province has the famous Bolaven plateau which is a fertile area with lots of coffee plantations mountains and waterfalls. And the central part of the province, called Dong Hua Sao, is also a mountainous area. It is natural park reserve with waterfalls dropping over a high escarpment. One of the most spectacular one is Tat Phan with a height of 120 m.

Champassak is one of the jewels of Laos . It is a main tourist destination. Forty-six kilometers south of Pakse one can find Wat Pou ( literally meaning Mountain Temple ) which is built in the style of the old Khmer empire and which is more than 1000 years old. Further south, near the border with Cambodia there is the land of the 4000 islands, a stretch of the Mekong river where the river reaches its widest point, almost 14 km. During the dry season the water recedes and the sand banks emerge as small islands. There are also larger more permanent island where fishing villages are located.

Sekong Province

Sekong province is part of the agricultural heart land of Laos . The Sekong river valley is a fertile plain patterned with a patch-work of paddies and fruit orchards. Dotted throughout are villages and small towns such as Lanam, Kaleum, Dakchung and Thateng, where the majority of people follow the unchanging lifestyle of traditional farming.

Sekong is the ideal place for travelers who want to enjoy eco-tourism because it is will known of its rich untouched, tropical forests, home to many rare species of flora and fauna.

Laos Travel Information

Traveling to Laos

By air

These are not many international connections by air to Vientiane . Most travel from regional capitals have to go via Bangkok . Besides Bangkok there are however direct flights from Hanoi . Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh . At the moment that this brochure is printed there are also two international connections with Luang Prabang: one with Thai Airways from Chiang Mai and one by Bangkok Airways from Bangkok .

By road

By road there are many possible connections with neighboring countries.

From Thailand

• In North Thailand at the Chiang Khong / Houei Sai border crossing.
• In North east Thailand via the Friendship Bridge at the Nongkahi / Vientiane border crossing.
• In North east Thailand at the Nakon Phanom / Tha Khek border crossing.
• In North east Thailand at the Udon Ratchathani / Pakse border crossing.

From Cambodia

• In Northern Cambodia at the Phum Kompong Sralau / Voeun Kham border crossing.

From Vietnam

• Via Highway # 9 from Dong Ha in Central Vietnam ( connect to Lao Bao/Savannakhet )
• Via Highway # 8 from Vinh ( connect to Vientiane at through the road is not good )
• Via Highway # 6 from Dien Bien Phu ( connect to Udon Xay in Northern Laos )

From China

• From Mengla in Southern Yunnan to the border crossing at Boten in Lunag Namtha province.

By boat

One very popular connection that must be mentioned at the Chiang Khon / Houei Sai border crossing. Here it is possible to take a boat directly to Luang Prabang. This makes a great trip to connect to Northern Thailand .

By train

Another important connection is by train from Bangkok . This is a good connection because it is cheap and one can take the night train with sleeping berth so it saves both time and the cost of a hotel. from Bangkok you can take the train straight to the border town of Nongkhai . And from there it is only a short way to Vientiane .

Domestic travel in Laos

There are various means available to travel to various destinations.

By air

Travel by air is of course one of the most convenient ways of travel but if one wants to travel to many parts in Laos it can of course become quite costly. Therefore it is important to plan your trip in the best possible way so as to save on airfares. ( Note: the quality of the planes used in domestic air travel is not so good ).

By road

Travel road is very well possible throughout the country. However the quality of the roads in general is not too good, so traffic can be rather slow. In the rainy season it might happen that roads in mountainous areas get blocked for a few days due to mud slides or rock fall. The main road through the country is Route # 13 which runs all the way from the border with China in the North, via Luang Prabang, via Vientiane to the South of Laos up to the border with Laos . For those people who want to travel between Southern Laos ( for example coming from or going to Cambodia ) and the Northern part ( Luang Prabang ) the domestic flight Vientiane -Pakse is preferred over traveling by road because it saves many days.

By boat

Travel by boat is ideal for travelers who want to escape from the hectic life of everyday and absorb the beautiful scenery at leisure. Popular trip are:

• From Houei Sai to Pakbeng and onward to Luang Prabang via the Mekong River.
• From Muang Khoua to Luang Prabang via the Nam Ou river.
• From Luang Prabang to Vientiane via the Mekong river.
• From Champassak to the Si Pan Don at the Cambodian border via the Mekong river.

Visa requirements

• For entry by air Vientiane and at Lunag Prabang, it is possible to get a visa on arrival. Required are one pass port size photographs and a visa application fee of U SD 30.00 in cash.
• At the land border crossing points at the Friendship Bridge and at Houei Sai it is also possible to get the visa on arrival.
• For all other border crossing points it is necessary to obtain a visa from the Lao Embassy prior on arrival.
• At all points it is required that your passport has minimum validity of 3 months as from the day of entering Laos.

Currency

• The official currency of Laos is the Kip. But besides this the Thai Baht and the US Dollar are also widely used. In most towns one case pay with either one of the three currencies. In the smaller villages Kip or Thai Baht will be preferred. Money can be changed at the banks or at local private money exchange agents.
• Traveler cheques in major currencies are accepted for exchange at most banks, but one has to be aware that they will be exchanged into the local currency only.
• Credit cards are accepted in most hotels and larger shops in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Also one can receive cash payment via Credit Card at the major banks in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. There is however a hefty bank charge of 2.5% for withdrawal of Kips and 3.5% for the withdrawal of US Dollar.
• There are no ATM machines in Laos.