LAOS The Internet Travel Guide ************************************************************************** COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The information provided within this document is the property of the original authors. The author especially reserves the right to the exclusive use of the term "The Internet Travel Guide". Following the common practice of the Internet, this document may be freely redistributed without any modification whatsoever. However, it may NOT be sold for profit or included in any commercial documents (e. g. books, esp. guide books,magazines, WWW-pages, or any other form) without the prior written permission of the copyright holders. This permission is only valid for the published version at the time the permission was granted; it does not extend into the future. Please direct questions, suggestions, comments and flames to geiser.peter@ch.swissbank.com Last change: 8. October 1995 ************************************************************************** The main objective of this FAQ is to provide the reader with the newest travel information available, like what is the current situation on visa, where to stay and what prices are reasonable, etc. It is not a guide to the Laotian culture or history (although I started to include some information about those subjects as well), for these non-changing facts are much more pleasanlty presented in many good books (see the list in section 4 in this FAQ). Remember: Things change very fast, so by the time you get to Laos the information in this FAQ may be outdated. If you encounter this, please bear with me. Instead of being upset, rather share your experiences with other people on the net. The next tourist will thank you if he or she can rely on your new information. Also, if you find time during your travels to write a postcard or a letter to me, I would greatly apreciate it. Some paragraphs are led by the name of the author in brackets. This doesn't mean that these are their only contributions, but rather that I in that case I chose to leave the words as the author wrote them, adding a more personal note to the FAQ. ************************************************************************** CONTENTS 1. GENERAL OVERVIEW 1.1 GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 1.2 CLIMATE 1.3 PEOPLE 1.4 EVENTS 1.5 VISA 1.6 EMBASSIES 1.7 BORDER CROSSING 1.8 GETTING AROUND 1.9 MONEY 1.10 ACOMMODATION, HOTELS 1.11 EATING 1.12 HEALTH 2. TRANSPORTATION 2.1 FLYING 2.2 BOAT 2.3 BUS 3. PLACES VIENTIANE LUANG PHABANG PLAIN OF JARS SAVANNAKETH HO CHI MINH TRAIL PAKSE CHAMPASAK WAT PHU BOLAVEN PLATEAU 4. LITERATURE 4.1 GUIDEBOOKS 4.2 TRAVELLERS TALES 4.3 HISTORICAL/ POLITICAL BOOKS 4.4 OTHER PUBLICATIONS 4.5 INTERNET A. CONTRIBUTORS ************************************************************************** 1. GENERAL OVERVIEW 1.1 GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION Area 236'800 km2 Capital Vietniane Borders China (423 km), Vietnam (2130 km), Cambodia (541 km), Thailand (1754 km), and Myanmar (Burma, 235 km) Highest point Phu Bia, 2820 m Time GMT plus seven hours Measures Metric, local variations in rural areas. Electricity 220 V, 50 Hz International telephone code ++855 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.2 CLIMATE In Laos the dry season lasts from November to April. The other half of the year is the rainy monsoon season. The temperature can reach 40 degrees in the Mekong delta in summer. In the montains however it is easily 10 degrees colder and can become very cold during winter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.3 PEOPLE Population 4.7 mio (annual growth rate 2.85%) (est. July 1994 50% Lao Loum (lowland Lao), 30% Lao Theung (lower mountain dwellers, Mon-Khmer), 10-20% Lao Sung (Hmong, the high altitude hill tribes), 10-20% Thais, 3-4% Chinese, 1% Vietnamese and members of 68 minority groups. Language Lao and Lao dialects, French and English Script Modern variant of the old Khmer script, which in turn originated 1700 years ago from the Bhrami script of India. Religion 85% Buddhist, 15% animist and spiritualist cults -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.4 EVENTS In Laos most festival are still celebrated on dates determined by the lunar calendar, so it is often not possible to give a fixed date in our Western calendar. In these cases I just indicated the month with the lunar event (e.g. full moon) in brackets. 1 January International New Year 13-16 April Boun Pimai, the Laotian New Year Boun Pimai, the national New Year used to be celebrated on the last day of the waning moon in the fifth lunar month, lasting as much as 14 days. Since 1975 it has been fixed to 13-16 April. Boun Pimai is celebrated most festively in Luang Phabang. 1 May International Labour Day May (full moon) Visakha Puja celebrated on the 15th day of the 6th lunar month. On this day Buddha was born, enlightened and has passed away. At the same time Bun Bang Fai (the Rocket Festival), a pre-Buddhist ceremony is celebrated. The Festivals of the Rain and Fasting are Buddhist festivals. They take place between the full moon of the eight and eleventh lunar month (July, and October, respectively). At the end of the rainy season is the festival of Boun Ok Pansa. There are boatraces on the Mekong. November (full moon) The That Luang Festival takes place at its namesake in Vientiane and lasts a week. 2 December Day of National Celebration -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.5 VISA I organised my visa in Hanoi, Vietnam. There were at that time (September 1994) two main types available: Transit visa: valid only for transit and only for one province. Mainly used by people flying to Vientiane and crossing by land (or ferry) over to Thailand. Cost: USD 25 at the embassy in Hanoi. Tourist visa: Valid for 15 days. Since April 1994 it is no longer necessary to have travel permits, so with this visa it is possible to travel freely all over Laos. I got the visa in Hanoi at the Hanoi Youth Tourism Company, 14A Phan Chu Trinh Str. It cost USD 110 and took 6 working days. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.6 EMBASSIES LAOTIAN EMBASSIES ABROAD Australia 1 Dalman Crecent, O'Malley, Canberra, Tel (06) 2864535, (06) 2866933, Fax (06) 2901910 Cambodia 15-17 Thanon Keomani, Phnom Penh, Tel 26441, Fax 85523, 26441 China N23 Halgeng Rd., Room 501, Kunming, Tel 4141678 Ext 501-503, Fax 414396 11 Sanlifun Dongsijie, Beijing, Tel 5321224 Cuba Sta. Avenida No. 2808 ESQ, A30 Playa, Miramar, Havana, Tel 331056-59 France 74, Av. Raymond Poincare, Paris, Tel 45537047, 45547047, Fax 47275789 Germany Am Lessig 6, 53639 Koenigswinter, Tel 02223 23925 India E53 Panchsheel Park, New Delhi, Tel 6427447, 6428588 Indonesia Jal. Kintmani Rajac - 15 N. 33 Keningantimur, Jakarta, Tel 5202673 Japan 3-3-22 Nishi-Azabu Minato-Ku, Tel (03) 541-12291-2, Fax (03) 541-12293 Malaysia 108 Jalan D'amal, Kuala Lumpur, Tel 2483895, 2420344 Mongolia Oulan-Bator, Tel 26440, 29899, 29898 Myanmar NA1 Diplomatic Quarters, Fraser Road, Yangon (Rangoon) Poland UL: Rejtana 15/ 26, 02-516 Warsaw, Tel 484786, 488949 Russia Moscow 121069 UL, Katchalova 18, Tel 2031454, 2904246, Fax 2917218 Thailand 193 Sathorn Tai, Bangkok 101, Tel 213572, 2873965, Fax 2873968, 2873967, 2869244 USA 2222 S St. N.W., Washington, Tel (202) 667-0058 Vietnam Embassy: 22 Tran Binh Trong St., Hanoi, Tel 252271, 152435 Consulate: 181 Hai Ba Trung, Ho Chi Minh City, Tel 299272, 299275, 297667 FOREIGN EMBASSIES IN LAOS Australia Nehru St., Vientiane, Tel 413610, 413805, 413602 Bulgaria Sisangvonh area, Vientiane, Tel 412110 Cambodia Thanon Saphan Thong Neua, Vientiane, Tel 314952, 312584 Check Republic The Deua Rd, Km 4, Vientiane, Tel 315291, 215899 China Wat Nak St., Vientiane, Tel 315100, 315101, 315103 Cuba Ban Saphanthong Nua, Vientiane, Tel 314902 France Sethathirath St., Tel 215258, 215259, Fax 215255 Germany 26 Thanon Sok Pa Luang, Vientiane, Tel 312110, 312111 India That Luang Road, Vientiane, Tel 413802 Indonesia Phon Kheng Road, Vientiane, Tel 413907, 413909, 413910, 413914 Japan Sisangvone Road, Vientiane, Tel 212623, 414400-2, 414406, Fax 414403 Korea (North) Wat Nak Road, Sisattanak, Vientiane, Tel 315260, 351261 Malaysia That Luang Road, Vientiane, Tel 414205 Mongolia Tha Deua Road Km 2, Vientiane, Tel 315220 Myanmar Sokphaluand Road, Vientiane, Tel 312439, 314910 Palestine The Deua Road, Km 2.5, Vientiane, Tel 315252 Poland The Deua Road, Km 3, Vientiane, Tel 313940, 312085 Russia Thaphalanxay area, Vientiane, Tel 312219, 212222 Slowak Republic The Deua Rd, Km 4, Vientiane, Tel 315291, 215899 Sweden Wat Nak, Vientiane, Tel 313772, 315000, 315018 Thailand Thanon Phon Kheng, Vientiane, Tel 214582, 214583, 214585 USA Thanon Bartholomie, Vientiane, Tel 212580-2, 312609, Fax 212584 Vietnam 1 Thanon That Luang Rd, Vientiane, Tel 413400, 413403, 413409 There are in fact two buidings belonging to the embassy. The first on 1 Thanon That Luang does not issue visas. Walk in the direction of That Luang. The visa is a two or three buildings further on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.7 BORDER CROSSING Several overland crossing points are now open for foreigners. There is no need to apply for a particular crossing when filling out your visa application form. It still seems to be a bit unusual, though, to choose any other crossing as the friendship bridge or Vientiane airport. Vientiane, Wattay International Airport Vientiane's Wattay airport is connected to Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Guangzhou and Kunming. There is a USD 5 departure tax on international flights. There are several border points open to Thailand: Tha Khaek - Non Khai (the Vientiane Friendship Bridge), Huay Xia - Chiang Khong, Savannaketh - Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchathani - Chong Mek. For all, except the first you have to have a valid permit. Vientiane Friendship Bridge (Sebastian) We left Laos over the friendship bridge. Unfortunately, it opens too late (at 8:00) to catch the 7:40 train to Bangkok. (Reservations for trains and buses can be made in Vientiane. Apparently, there are only three trains to Bangkok a day, two in the evening and the one in the morning.) Bus No. 14 will take you right to the bridge. Pakse (Sebastian) The immigration people had probably never seen a Malaysian passport before and it took us some time to convince them that it was a valid document even though it wasn't issued in Kuala Lumpur. From what I heard, it's definitely no problem leaving the country wherever you choose. Since it was Sunday, we had to pay 50 Baht extra for crossing the border. I've been told that it's the same at the friendship bridge. Lao Bao It is easy to leave Laos by way of Lao Bao. However, I never heard of somebody travelling the other way round. I decided to return to Vietnam by land at Lao Bao. Arriving at the border there were many people trying to 'help' me. Ignoring them I headed straight to a small hut on the left side of the street (a Vietnamese from the same bus pointed it out to me, I would have missed it). There a very friendly lady, that didn't speak any English was examining my passport. I had to fill in another arrival/ departure card. After some stamping I was free to go on. Huay Xai It should be possible to cross into Laos at Huay Xai, coming from Chiang Khong in Thailand. Nam Tha The border to China is also open. It is, however, also subject to Chinese regulations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.8 GETTING AROUND (Sebastian) The travel permits which used to be necessary for travelling from one province to another were abolished (April 94). However, you still need to register with the police wherever you go (this only applies to the northern parts of Laos, i.e. anything north of Vientiane). If you fail to do so, you will be charged 5$ per day as a penalty. It's entirely up to you to look for the police office, nobody will tell you that you have to go and register! The police will stamp your departure card for a small fee and you're free of any hassle. Apparently, this does not only apply if you move from one province to another but also when you spend a night in a different village of the same province. The only exception is at airports where you can have your card stamped upon arrival. However, you'd better ask twice whether that's all which is needed: We got into problems with our business-visas in Luang Phabang. We flew there and registered at the airport. Apparently, that wasn't enough as we found out when we wanted to fly out again: business people have to register a second time at the immigration office in town.... It took me 20 minutes of hot (but restrained) discussion to convince the chap behind the counter that I wasn't prepared to pay 30 dollars as penalty. I had, however, to go back into town and register before he let us fly off... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.9 MONEY The exchange rate is 1 USD for 930 Kip (15. Sep 1995). Sometimes small amounts lower the rate drastically (on my last day in Savannaketh in 1994, the official rate was 715 Kip for a USD. I only wanted to change USD 10, and one bank offered only 622 Kip (13 % less!). So I went to the next bank which offered 710.) Thai Baht and USD are accepted everywhere in the country. Traveller's cheques are well known and every bank changes them. Visa and American Express are accepted at some of the more expensive hotels and restaurants. (Sebastian) Kip, baht and US dollars can be used all over the country. Even for big transactions it is, however, usually best to pay in kip. If you pay in baht or dollar they usually calculate the price with a slightly less favourable exchange rate than what you get at the banks. Kip are available in denominations of 1000, 500, 100 and 50. I once got a 20 kip note as "small change" at the post office but it's not generally in use anymore. One dollar equals approx. 725 kip [94], one baht will get you about 29.15 kip. In Vientiane you can now change a great number of currencies both in cash as well as in travellers cheques. For the cheques you will be charged an enormous amount as commision (at least 3%, I met a British couple who paid 6 pounds on a cheque of 100 pounds!) The bank mentioned in the lonely planet guide is definitely not the best place anymore to change your money. I found that the money changers inside the morning market gave the best rates. Credit card cash advances are also available at various banks in the city, usually for at least 3% extra charge. As soon as you leave Vientiane you'd better take baht or dollars CASH with you. I heard that the bank in Luang Phabang changes travellers cheques but I wouldn't count on it.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.10 ACOMMODATION, HOTELS Hotels start from around USD 10, although you can pay substantially more if you are inclined to some luxury. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.11 EATING It is possible to eat for one or two dollars, but you also can pig out for several times this amount. For breakfast try Lao coffee and ba-tan-gho, fried doe available from street vendors. A filling breakfast can be had for under 1000 kip. Sticky rice and chicken or laap (delicious chopped spicy meat), and spicy soup are great introductions to Lao food, as is waterfall beef. Beer Lao Tha Laotian beer tastes very well. It contains about 5% alcohol and is served either in bottles of 3 dl and 6 dl, or in 2 l jugs. In Thalat, north of Vientiane they sell 4-5 litre bags for a few thousand kip. Eating on the bus Since busses leave very early and somtimes arrive late in the evning it might be a problem to get a decent meal in a restaurant. However, there are many people selling food when a bus happens to stop near their food stall. They sell for 50 to 200 kip eggs, rice, fried chicken, fried bananas, fresh fruit, bread, etc. Most of the time the food is cold. They also sell drinks in bottles and cans (cans are much more expensive than bottles). The bottles must be paid or left back. If you don't want to drink all of a bottle they are happy to fill the drink into a plastic bag which they give to you to drink with a straw. Generally this is a very cheap way to get to know some typical Lao food, although it is not outstanding quality. As for hygene, I never encountered any stomach problems, although the food was kept in the open and got dusty and cold. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.12 HEALTH This section only gives some small advice. You should certainly go to a doctor to get the best possible advice, especially on vaccinations (which may change over time). I never had any health problems in Laos, although I have eaten cold chicken bought right off the dusty street at some obscure bus stop and didn't use any malaria prevention drugs. The biggest problem is that the stomach may have troubles to get used to the change of diet. If you do have troubles with your health, go to a doctor or to a pharmacy. They are normally quite knowledgable (certainly more so than you if you are not a doctor) and often have a relatively good selection of medicines (both Asian and Western) that they sell. Of course selling is part of their business, so make sure you know what they want to sell and that you really need it. Check the expiry date! It is a good idea to carry your own sterile needles and sutures. Threats: Malaria, bilharzia (schistosomiasis), rabies, hepatitis, dengue fever, typhoid and tuberculosis. Malaria Malaria (from French 'mal air', bad air) is an infection of the blood caused by the bite of moscitoes (Anopheles). The decay of the red blood cells causes fever. Depending on the type of malaria these fever shocks appear every three (malaria tertiana) or four (malaria quartana). Death rate of malaria is less than 1%. There have been many discussions on how to best deal with it and even the doctors have not yet agreed on a single opinion. There are people who vote strongly in favour of using prophylactics such as Lariam. Apart from possible side-effects (like mental problems, nightmares, and a higher photo-sensitivity of the skin), these drugs do not prevent you getting malaria. You still have to go to a doctor and they make treatment more difficult. Another problem is that the strains of malaria get resistant after some time and another strain has developed for which a cure still has to be found and the native population is not yet resistant. Another possibility, recomendable especially for longer trips or for sensitive people is to carry an emergency package with you. If using Lariam, an example, you use three pills as soon as you feel malaria coming up, after twelve hours you take another two and after another twelve hours the last pill. You have to go to a doctor as soon aspossible. The most effective way. The most effective way to prevent malaria are mosquitoe repellant (possibly with at least 20% DEET, or citronella.) Since mosquitoes are only active after sundown and before sunset, make sure you wear clothes that cover the skin and use a good mosquitoe net. (Dr. Stephen Attwood) On the subject of malaria, P. falciparum infection in Laos is more serious than you suggest. If anti-malarial tablets are not taken this disease can kill before the presence of malaria is recognised. I agree that quinine based drugs do have some side effects but one can take Proguanil Hydrochloride daily - this helps stop malaria establishing in the blood (but it cannot help if you are already infected, you will need quinine then) - this has few side effects and is safer to take if you need protection for several months. If you go to rural Laos and take nothing at all, falciparum malaria may kill you before you reach a hospital. Mefloquine (Lariam) cannot guarantee that you wont catch malaria but it buys you enough time to get to hospital. P. falciparum can kill you within 24 h of the first manifestation of the symptoms. People visiting these areas must see a doctor well before their trip (Proguanil HCl must be started a few weeks before entry to the endemic area) so that they can get hold of the appropriate anti-malarial. Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) This parasitic infection is caught by contact with river water. You do not have to drink the water or swim in the river, just getting wet may be enough. The microscopic parasites in the water burrow into your skin and cause a damage to the liver and other organs. It is a chronic debilitation disease. The most dangerous region is south of Pakse. ************************************************************************** 2. TRANSPORTATION 2.1 FLYING Flying in Laos is easy and relatively cheap. Inquire at Lao Aviation, just opposite Raintree Bookstore in Vientiane. Lao Aviation uses Chinese Y-7 and Y-12 and French ATR-42. The flight between Vientiane and Luang Phabang costs USD 46 and lasts 40 minutes. There are three flights a day. There is a flight between Vientiane and the Plain of Jars (Xieng Khouang). It leaves at least every second day and costs about USD 30. There are flights between Luang Phabang and Xieng Khouang on Wednesday and Friday. The flight between Pakse and Vientiane is USD 95 (Dec. 94). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2 BOAT An easy way to get from Vientiane to Savannaketh is by boat. However, this depends very much on the season. I was there in September, and I could use it. But in December already the trip was not possible anymore. The boat leaves twice a week (normally Tuesday and Friday, but this sometimes change. Ask at Lao Tourism) at 5 am. Since the boat leaves about 4 km south of the center of Vientiane, I boarded the ship the previous evening. There are two decks, one is 'inside' (all windows and doors are open or rather nonexistent anymore) with some benches and no space, the other is the upper deck with only the steel floor to sit upon. Laotians bring big sheets of plasic with them to sit and lay upon. Bring enough to drink, since you cannot buy water on the ship. It was possible to buy some food (rice, eggs, some vegetables), but to be sure bring some food with you. The fare is 5150 kip. The boat stopped around 7pm for the night. There was a hotel just next to the harbor with double rooms for USD 12, with private bath (yes, bath and hot water) and toilette. There are also some restaurants around. We started the next day at 6am and arrived shortly after 10am in Savannaketh. There are boats between Vientiane and Luang Phabang, but I decided not to take it, since it took three days downstreem and much longer upstream. The most beautiful part of the Mekong river is supposed to be the part from Luang Phabang upstream, but I don't know if the sight alone is worth all the trouble and the long time. Reportedly, there is a speedboat from Huay Xai to Luang Phabang which takes only 6 hours. The cargo boats are slower with two days. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3 BUS Road conditions are bad, with unpaved, dusty streets. The savest thing to do in a bus is to hold on to your seat, so as not to bump your head at the top. Normally busses seem to leave at 5am, but there are some exceptions. Overland travel from Vientiane to Luang Phabang is possible but still not a safe undertaking. The bus from Vientiane to Vang Vieng departs early morning from the Morning Market and takes about 4 hours on the good road. There are daily busses (or trucks) from there to Kasi. Not quite as easy is the part from Kasi to Luang Phabang which may take 24 hours. In December 1994, four local UN drug prevention officers were shot on this road and just about ten days earlier, six Vietnamese were killed north of Kasi! If you arrive in Savannaketh by bus and intend to go to Pakse, there is a bus the same day around 12 am. To be sure you don't miss it, take a TukTuk to the bus station. As soon as it is full it'll leave. The bus from Savannaketh to Pakse costs 2500 kip. It takes about 8 to 9 hours. The bus from Pakse to Champasak costs 600 kip (ferry (100 kip) included). It leaves every couple of hours (we left shortly before 10 am). There is no bus back from Champasak to Pakse in the afternoon. You'll probably have to spend the night in Champasak. I was lucky to get a ride back to Pakse in a private Toyota pickup. The bus from Pakse to Savannaketh was supposed to leave at 5 am. Lucky enough I was at the bus terminal at 4:30 am. I was able to get the last place. Five minutes later the bus left, slowly driving towards the center, but at 4:45 am it turned right to cross the bridge to leave the town. If I'd been at the terminal at 5 am I'd missed the bus! Two other travellers were told that the bus was leaving at 4 am, but since this was not true, they had to wait until 8 am! >From Savanaketh there are direct busses to Vietnam. Some fares are: Hue 4000 kip DaNang 5300 kip NhaTrang 8500 kip DaLat 10200 kip T.P.H.C.Minh 12100 kip (Saigon) DongHa 3800 kip QuangBinh 5400 kip Vinh 7200 kip Hanoi 10700 kip I wanted to go to Hue. There was one bus for all people going to Vietnam. We were supposed to leave at 3 am, but were 15 minutes late. We should have arrived at 1 pm in Hue. Unfortunately the driver began to sleep and at 4 am the bus left the street to tumble down a small board and finally flip oevr. Luckily nobody was seriously hurt. Around seven o'clock the regular bus came and three Vietnamese and me got on (I don't know what happened to the others or what they were waiting for.) Around 2 pm we arrived at the border to Vietnam, where there was no problem crossing the border. Streets Very few streets in Laos are paved. They are made directly from the red earth and contain many holes. It is safe to hold on to your seat so that you don't bump your head at the roof. Of course the earth turns to very fine red dust. You will have the dust everywhere, on your clothes, in your clothes, even between your teeth. You will easily get used to it, and it certainly helps to remind you to drink a lot. In the evening you'll get a shower and since laundry service is available in every hotel and for reasonable prices, you can change your clothing every day. ************************************************************************** 3. PLACES VIENTIANE Pronounced Vieng Chan, the capital of Laos is a slow paced, clean city. Only the pavement is badly in need of some repairs. And when it rains some streets are flooded. The main attractions are Wats, Wats and then some more Wats. And finally there are some Stupas (called That). In Vientiane (and in Laos generally) there are many monks. They are very friendly and often speak good English. All of them are eager to learn, so it is very probable that you'll get invited to a chat (and some tea or Milo (chocolate milk)). They do not expect presents, but they are happy about them (and used to them, at least from the local people), especially since they are not earning money and don't get support from the government. English books make good presents, it enables them practice that otherwise would be far too expensive. Pha That Luang The Great Sacred Stupa dates back to 1566. It was built on the site of a much older That. In the 17th century it was covered by some 500 kg gold leaf. Wat Si Saket Wat Si Saket is the oldest monastery of Vientiane, built in 1824. Inside the wall surrounding the main temple are niches displaying buddhas. It is said that there are ten thousand buddhas. Don't miss the morning market, which is open from 6 am to 6 pm. Many small food stalls sell a variety of food. The Wattay International Airport is only about 4 km from the town center, and a taxi costs about USD 4. You can also take a Tuk-Tuk for 1500 kip. There is an excellent bookstore, Raintree Books, just opposite Lao Aviation. They have a good variety of English books and they also buy books. They are not exactly cheap, but then you don't really have a choice and English books are a rarity there. Hotel The main tourist hangout is the SECP (State Enterprise for Cultural Production) Guest House at Thanon Manthatulat. They have cheap rooms for USD 2 to USD 6. If they are full, you can ask for a room in the building next door. These rooms are even cheaper, but they are extremely dirty and uncomfortable. The Santisouk guest house has very nice rooms for USD 10 and USD 12 with air conditioning and hot water. Another good place is Lao International guesthouse (USD 10) which is clean and is located centrally. The Saysana hotel offers middle-market accommodation. There is an in-house restaurant offering Lao, Sino-Thai and European cuisine, accompanied by traditional Lao music. On the ground floor is a disco. The Villa That Luang Guest House and Restaurant, located at Thanon That Luang has nice, big rooms with private toilet and shower and refrigerator for some USD 25. Older rooms are available for less. Eating A good place to eat typical Lao food, drink Lao beer (a two liter jug for 1200 kip, half a jug for half of it) and relax for a beautiful sunset is the Mixai restaurant on the Mekong. Another good place for a beer is the bar at the fountain in the center of Vientiane. This is also a good place to meet ex-patriats. For good Lao meals try the Dong Palan Night Market. It can be found on the east bank of the Nong Chan ponds, a bit south of central Vientiane. For people being for some time in Asia, the stylish Italian restaurant L'Opera will provide a welcome break from the Asian food. They serve excellent pizza and pasta in a very nice surrounding. Absolutely worth a visit, even if it's a bit pricey. There is a Japanese restaurant, Suki Yaki at 100 Luang Phabang Road, Km 2 Ban Khoun Thatong. They also serve Lao, Thai, Chinese and European dishes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- LUANG PHABANG Luang Phabang is the most beautiful city in Laos, situated between the Mekong and the Khan river. It has been nominated as a World Heritage Site. It was the royal capital until 1975. Nowadays it is famous for its many Wats (32 of the 66 before the French colonialisation still stand), all of them well kept and with numerous monks. The most beautiful Wat is (in my opinion) Wat Xieng Thong. Don't miss the sunset over the Mekong! A very good place to enjoy it is in the Wat Pha Baat Tai. Around 4 or 4:30 pm the monks in Wat Ho Siang and Wat That begin to beat the drum and the cymbals in the drum tower. When I first heard it I thought there must be some pop festival around. The beat was just incredible! For somebody that loves a good drum beat it is definitively not to be missed. The hill Phu Si, topped with a white stupa, offers an excellent view of the city. There is a small admission. The central market is worth checking out, as well as the That Luang Market near Wat Pha Baat Thai. An interesting place to visit Banpo Village. People there still live very traditional with many women weaving beautiful emroideries for bags, clothes, etc. Since this is a closed-knit society there is not much competition and prices are virtually fixed. A silk sarong is about USD 10 and a silk shawl goes for USD 4. There are rucksacks and pouches as well, all beautifully embroided. There are other villages around Lunag Phabang that specialise in pottery and one is even famous for its cucumbers, another for its waterfall. (Sebastian) While in Luang Phabang, we made two excursions. One to the Kuang Si falls and one to the Pak Ou caves. The falls are not spectacular at all but still worth a visit. There are some villages on the way there and there's a lot to see. We hired a tuk-tuk for the trip (but I forgot the price). The caves are also not very spectacular but the way of getting there definitely was. We hired a speed-boat (with emphasis on SPEED) for 25$ (six people) and it's quite an experience. You are required to wear helmets and once you're on your way you know why... By chance, we stopped over at a village where they were celebrating a marriage. We got invited and had to drink a lot of lao lao. (Our speed-boat driver too and I was even happier for the helmets afterwards than I had been at the beginning...) The Silversmith Thid Pheng on the Boulevard Phabat-Tay (main street) has the best reputation in town. During weekdays, his factory is open to visitors and prospective buyers. It seems that his products are also available at other shops, often cheaper. Hotel I stayed at the Viengkeo Hotel. They have double rooms for USD 6 (at least for one person) and in a small back shed for USD 5. The Rama Hotel is excellent value. It is USD 10 for a double with a private bathroom with hot water. The Khem Kern Guest House and Food Garden at Boulevard Apha, overlooking the Man Kahn River, offers three rooms. The newly modenised singles with twin bed and air conditioning are USD 17. The generous host only speaks Lao and French, and just a little English. The Muang Sua Hotel is on the road leading from the Morning Market to the Phou Vao Hotel. Tel 2056. A new French-owned hotel is near the fountain on Boulevard Phabat-Tay. The Phousi Hotel is reight in the center of the town, just accross the Post Office. A rather dirty single with private shower and air conditioning costs USD 25. With USD 40 definitely up-market, but worth every cent of it, is La Villa de la Princesse. A former residence of the Crown Princess Khampha, the 120 year old French-Laotian building is now managed by her and her husband. They are very friendly. An excellent choice is the Phu Vao (Mountain View) Hotel. It has singles with private bath and air conditioning for USD 55. The hotel contains a restaurant and there even is a swimming pool. The hotel has been run under several differen names, including Luang Phabang and Mittaphab. It is under Swiss management and run by the French Pierre Henri Mainietti. The address is P.O. Box 50, Tel/ Fax 7233. Eating Make sure you eat at La Villa de la Princesse, where you get a wonderful Laotian dinner for only USD 8. The cuisine is royal style, what with the chef being the daughter of the last king's personal chef. If you are early (around 6 pm) you'll be able to get one of the tables made from the trunk of a tree on the terasse overlooking the main street (no, it is not noisy; even main streets in major towns in Laos are quiet.) When I was there they served the following dishes: Keng Phar (vegetable soup) Phat KinKay (chicken, ginger, coconut milk) Kao Lons mit (fried traditional vegetable) Nuat Sen Lone (steamed vermicelli) Salad Phar Nam (water cress salad) Season fruit for dessert (bananas) Coffee or tea Of course there are also a la carte dishes. Good Lao food is also available at Maly restaurant, although it recently has been transfered into a tourist place. It is worth trying the delicious 'Vin Lao', a special wine made with black rice and limon. Just opposite the Rama Hotel is a small restaurant with friendly service and an English menu. The Luang Phabang restaurant on the same street as the Rama Hotel serves excellent food and has live (traditional) music in the evening. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLAIN OF JARS The Plain of Jars contains huge jars, the biggest as high as 3 m with a diameter of 30 cm and weighing up to six tons. Their origin is not known, although archeologist mostly agree that they have been made by megalithic Austronesian people. The plain starts 4.5 km east of Phonesavan, extending as far as Lat Sene, some 30 km to the south. It is supposed to be one of the major sights of Laos. I did not go there, because it would have cost me three days (and around USD 70 for the flight) just to see a few stone jars. I was told that there are not many jars left anymore (due to the heavy bombing during the American war), and that it is not the impressive sight one imagines from the name. Of course I cannot confirm this, I just re-tell what I heard (from travellers, not from officials). The Mines Advisory Group and the Mennonite Central Committee have a project going on, destroying unexploded US bombs dating back to the Vietnam War that lie on or just under the ground everywhere. The whole area is covered with bomb craters and many buildings have been constructed using shell casings. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAVANNAKETH Savannaketh is the fourth largest town (45000 people) in Laos. It is an important city on the route between Thailand and Vietnam (the road going to the border town of Lao Bao.) The best thing in Savan (the short name of Savannaketh which is often used) are the nice monks of the Wats. The temple festival of the That In Hang is one of the four largest in Laos. The Sensabay hotel is cheap (3000 kip to 5000 kip), but is not very nice. Food is not too easy to obtain, as there are not that many restaurants. I was able to get a tuktuk at 2 am (my bus was due to leave at 3 am). Of course it was more expensive than normal (perhaps twice or even thrice as much), but I was quite happy not having to walk, especially so since there were some stray dogs running behind us for some time. They were even more aggressive than the ones in Pakse! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- HO CHI MINH TRAIL The Ho Chi Minh Trail is a whole network of paths in the dense forests running parallel to the Vietnamese border. It was used by the Viet Minh against the French in the 1950s and later by the North Vietnamese in the American War. Many remains of the war can still be found. It is best accessed by Xepon on the road from Savannaketh to Lao Bao. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAKSE Pakse is a good starting point for many excursions in south Laos. It is the second largest town in Laos, having 60000 inhabitants, and quite is quite pleasant. Definitively worth a visit is the market. Watch out for the jumping fish (the fishes in the tubs are kept alive by only a very small quantity of water so they cannot really swim. But from time to time one of them manages to gather enough energy to jump right out of the tub onto the dirty ground of the market. Of course the lady had her hands full to put them back in.) In Pakse there are also some nice Wats. Hotel I stayed at the Phonsavan Hotel for some 4000 kip. The hotel is not too nice, but the people are very friendly. They speak good French. Sebastian also spent a night at the Pakse Hotel which once used to be a theatre or cinema. The rooms are a little nicer and it's probably the better place to stay. If you're prepared to pay 20$ and more, the Salchampa guest house is the place to stay (incidentally, it's right next to the local prison...). The Bounome Palace has been converted into a luxury hotel. It looks very beautiful, but a bit expensive. Eating The restaurant just across from the Salchampa serves absolutely delicious Vietnamese spring rolls in the evening! A bit further down the road towards the market, you'll find the Sedone (spelling?) restaurant which has an English menu and is geared (a little) to tourists' needs. Others When I was walking to the bus station at 4 am (no tuktuks at that time), there were many dogs. Some of them were quite aggressive (although none did actually attack me) so I walked in the middle of the street. I was quite happy to have my umbrella ready. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAMPASAK Champasak (20000 inhabitants), once being the royal capital, nowaday doesn't offer much more than being a stop on the way to Wat Phu. The bus from Pakse to Champask costs 600 kip and the trip lasts 2 1/2 hours. You may get a Tuk-Tuk from Champasak. It costs around 6000 kip, bringing you to Wat Phu, waiting for you and returning with you. Since there is no bus back to Pakse in the afternoon you probably have to spend the night there, walk the 30 km to Pakse, be lucky to get a ride or go by taxi from Pakse (I was lucky to meet a very nice man from Pakse, who gave me a lift.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- WAT PHU Wat Phu is one of the main attractions in the area. These ruins of a Khmer temple some 40 kilometers south of Pakse are definitely worth a visit. The earliest remains date back to the 6th century. The main temple was built by King Jayavarman IV in the 10th century. It is thought to have been linked to Angkor by a 100 km long road, marked out with stones. Originally a Hinduist temple, the site is still in use as a Buddhist temple. At the full moon in the third lunar month, a three-day Buddhist festival, the Boun Wat Phu, is held. It is one of the four largest temple festivals in Laos. At the full moon of the 7th lunar month there is a water buffalo is sacrificed to the local earth spirit on the Crocodile Stone. It seems as if Wat Phu sees very few tourists. While I was visiting I did not see anybody. It is a very interesting, beautiful and impressive place, definitively worth a visit. You may get a Tuk-Tuk from Champasak. It costs around 6000 kip, bringing you to Wat Phu, waiting for you and returning with you to Champasak. (Sebastian) Unless you hire a boat, the trip is almost impossible to be done in one day. If you have enough time, take a public boat to Champasak (3 times in the morning) and look for the Khmer monuments office. The man working there is able to organize private accomodation for about 2000 kip/night. There is also an official hotel in town but it costs 20$. Then go and explore the temple during the late afternoon hours when the light is a lot better than at noon. (Don't be daunted by the steep stairs, the nicest bit is all the way on top!) The following morning, you can take the public boat back to Pakse. (It is not necessary anymore to register with the office before you go and visit the temple.) We didn't have much time so we hired a small boat for the day which cost 15000 kip and had space for six people. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOLAVEN PLATEAU (Sebastian) The Bolaven Plateau is quite interesting, too. Don't attempt to go there on your own, though! People who took a public truck to Paksong found themselves stuck there and there is absolutely nothing resembling a hotel up there! Also, you won't see the interesting villages if you take public transport. You will need a private car and a guide and that will cost a lot. We were lucky (once again) and met a French guy who is working for an organisation supporting the coffee plantations on the plateau. He took us around in his pick-up and showed us places that Sodetour and other travel agencies won't take you to... ************************************************************************** 4. LITERATURE 4.1 GUIDEBOOKS LAOS - A Travel Survivel Kit, Lonely Planet Contains many good hints about travelling. Has always good lists of hotels, restaurants, etc. It is one of the smaller guide books, covering only a small part of the country. South-East Asia on a Shoestring, Lonely Planet Covers the whole region. Cambodia, Laos. Nelles. 1994. (Laos part only) Nice pictures and good insights into culture, but lacks the support for independant travel that the Lonely Planet guide has. Good reading for people on organised tours or for at home. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.2 TRAVELLERS TALES Lewis, Norman. A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (1951; current reprint by Eland Books). Stewart, Lucretia. Tiger Balm: Travels in Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia (London: Chatto & Windus, 1992). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.3 HISTORICAL/ POLITICAL BOOKS Die Krallen der Tiger und Drachen. Wirtschaftsboom und Selbstbewusstsein in Asien. Sabine Stahl/ Ulrich Mihr (Hrsg.). Droemer Verlag 1995. An excellent book about the current political and economical developments in Asia. Fall, Bernard B. Street Without Joy: Indochina at War 1946-54 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Company, 1961). Griesenfeld, Guenter. Land der Reisfelder. Vietnam, Laos, Kampuchea, Geschichte und Gegenwart (Pahl-Rugenstein, 1988). This is an excellent history book on the three Indochinese countries. McCoy, Alfred W. The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drugs Trade (New York: Lawrence Hill Books, 1991). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.4 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Discover Laos is a journal published in Laos covering tourism in Laos. It costs 1500 kip, but can be obtained at various places for free. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.5 INTERNET The archive for this guide is at rtfm.mit.edu in /pub/usenet/news.answers/travel/laos-guide/ Lonely Planet has a page on Laos: http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/dest/sea/laos.htm The Bane Lao (Lao home) Homepage is at http://WWW.Monash.edu.au/cc/student/cos/ftp/pub/bane_lao/WWW/html/lao.htm There is a homepage for Hmongs. It is on http://www.stolaf.edu/people/cdr/hmong/ Other Hmong material is obtainable by ftp from ftp.monash.edu.au in /pub/bane_lao/Hmong An archive with many tips and a lot of stories is ftp://ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca/pub/rec-travel ************************************************************************** A. CONTRIBUTORS Apart from my own personal experiences I have been able to include a lot of information from other people and sources. Where it is necessary to do so, I put the author in front of the paragraph, mostly so when personal experiences/ feelings are important. Whenever possible I tried to contact the author of the information to get permission and I include his/ her e-mail address for reference. Sebastian Hoffmann sebhoff@es.unizh.ch Gil Carroll jrsap@comnet2.ksc.net.th Dr. Stephen Attwood stephen.attwood@one024.demon.co.uk ********************************************************************* Peter M. Geiser Seeblickstr. 10 9010 St. Gallen SWITZERLAND geiser.peter@ch.swissbank.com *********************************************************************