Lao: The land of smiles (Laos)

Member Name: Pablo_Sevilla

Product:	Laos
Date:	29/05/09 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning scenary, incredibly warm and welcoming people, plenty to do for everyone, cheap, great food

Disadvantages: No real disadvantages I can think of unless you simply can't live without coastline!

Laos has grown rapidly in popularity over the past few years and is no longer a secret amongst backpackers...

That said, it's still fairly easy to get off the beaten trail if you are sick of the backpacker hordes you get in neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam.

Laos is still predominently an agricultural nation with most the population still living in the countryside.

Laos has a well deserved reputation for being an extremely warm and welcoming nation and is a true "land of smiles".

Laos' communist government isn't really communist anymore having slowly opened there arms to a free market and with so much to offer within this narrow landlocked nation squashed between Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma it's no surprise the tourist industry is becoming one of the main sources of income for many Laotions.

But don't worry; For now it seems Laos is learning from it's neighbours' mistakes and the tourism looks to be sustainable. The treks to hill tribes around Luan Nam Tha have won tremendous amounts of praise from the United Nations development council for there ecological and cultural sustainabilty; The hill tribes have to give permission to trekking companies before tourists can visit there settlements and they have a strong voice in regional affairs. This is in stark contrast to neighbouring Thailand where treks around Chiang Mai have destroyed much of the culture and turned the treks there into a circus.

And being one of the cheapest regions in Asia, having some fantastic cuisine and a wonderful national beer (Beer Lao) that is winning international awards for it's taste and quality, also helps!

Laos has pretty much everything you could ask for and more except beaches. But you'll probably agree with everyone else after a trip there and realise that it more than makes up for a lack of coastline with so much to see and do.

Here is a brief overview of the highlights in Lao:

Vientiane- The capital city of Laos and probably the most laid back capital in the world! It has a lot of charm and character with loads of colourful VW Beatles driving through the streets, a wonderful area by the Mekong that has riverside resturants serving very delicious food (try the currys) and is especially good at sunset with a Beer Lao.

Luang Prabang- The spiritual capital of Lao. Old French colonial archietecture alongside hundreds of wats (Buddhist temples), a magical nightmarket every evening, some decent fairly low key bars, some of the best and cheapest food you'll ever taste, all in a beautiful valley surrounded by lush green mountains and rivers. Also fantastic waterfalls are only an hour out of town by tuk tuk, and nearby treks to villages and hill tribes as well as opportunity for kiyaking on the Mekong. Most of the appeal can simply lie in it's fantastically relaxed and warm and friendly atmosphere.

Nong Khiaw/Muang Ngoi- A remote village set in a dramatic karst mountain valley by the river. The scenary really is very special. Some day treks are possible to surrounding hill tribes, but the highlight is paying fishermen to take you out on the river and go fishing with them. Then if you ask they'll take you to some decent caves further upstream and on the way back will beach the boat and make a fire on the riverside to cook your catch! Be prepared for the inevitable drinking of Lao-Lao (very strong rice whiksy) when your belly is full!

Luang Nam Tha- A great province for trekking. Multiple day Eco-treks and visits to hill tribes are highlights.

Tat Lo- In the lesser visited southern region of Lao. A beautiful multi-teered series of waterfalls by a village surrounded by nearby coffee fields and plantations. Also has Elephant trekking where the Elephants are well treated and don't have chains and are free to roam. :)

Don Det - Beautiful islands in the Mekong river along the border with Cambodia in the south. A great place to relax for a few days before heading into Cambodia or vice-versa. It's also possible to Kiyak and there are a few river beaches on the islands that are surprisingly pleasant. Don Det is also famous for the river dolphins that you can spot by hiring boats. They are an endangered species.

Vang Vieng: A town surrounded by spectacular karst scenary. It has become a backpackers Mecca in recent times and thus has a reputation for being a bit of a party reputation with loads of bars that stay open past the 11pm curfew that is enforced in every part of Laos except here! The main draw seems to be the 'tubing', which involves hiring a rubber tube for a few dollars and being taken up stream by tuk tuk with your fellow 'tubers' to the launch site: Then you simply enter the river and let it take you down stream whilst you admire the scenary. The only catch is that every 50 metres or so there are riverside bars that will offer to cast you a line so you can haul yourself ashore and stop for a drink! Obviously this appeals to the younger crowds and is a lot of fun! A lot of people don't make it back to Vang Vieng and have to get a tuk tuk back due to being so drunk!
But if the idea of tubing doesn't appeal to you don't be put off; There is plenty to do. The surrounding cave systems in the karst mountains are world class, and the hikes around the area are decent. Kiyaking is also excellent in this region. But if none of this appeals to you it's still worth a few days for the scenary and to kick back and relax for a few days!

Konglor Cave- One of the longest underwater caves in the world a few kilometres long and at certain points upto 300 metres high. It takes an hour to go through by boat and is a true hidden gem that is rarely visited. It's hard work getting there without your own 250cc dirtbike, but it's more than worth the effort.

Budget: $15-$20 a day no problem. But obviously more if you take internal flights with Lao Airlines or you do lots of outdoor activities it's going to be more like 30$ sticking to budget accomodation (around 5$ on average, less in the south and off the beaten trail).

Visa: 30 day on arrival, around 35$ depending on your natioanlity.

Transport: Buses are generally fine. Motobikes can be hired in most places and the lack of traffic make it a good place to ride even for beginners. No license required. Traveling by river is a great way to enjoy the beautiful landscape if you have the time. Laoairlines have a monopoly on domestic air travel and are perfectly safe with an excellent level of service, though tickets are a little expensive. There is currently no train system in Lao.

It's certainly one of my favourite countries. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I have been back several times and will be going back again soon!

Have fun!

Summary: My favourite country: the land of smiles!