LAOS
/Travelled 2019 December/
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Plenty of information, including how to get there, visas, history and all MUST visit sites can easily be found on Google, so we would rather share with you the experience from the trip we did: some useful tips, cool places and fun activities.
As we had planned to stay only 10 days in Laos, we picked the most common route: Vientiane – Vang Vieng -- Luang Prabang, except we made it backwards. Due to limited destinations to fly out from Luang Prabang we decided to finish in Vientiane.
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LUANG PRABANG
We flew into Luang Prabang from Bangkok. Entry visa to Laos is required for majority of foreign citizens. Visa can be obtained on arrival, costs around 30 USD. As the airport is not busy, usually serving one plane at a time, it does not take long to pass.
Electronic visa system is implemented, however we have not noted anyone using it.
NOTE: Check visa requirements for your country, have a printed passport photo.
Airport is located 15 min drive from Luang Prabang. There is no public transportation from the airport nor in town itself. The only option to get from the airport to town is taxi. You can pay in local currency (50 000 KIP) or 6 USD per person. Tuk-tuks are also available outside the airport for 25 000 KIP (2.5 USD).
WHERE TO STAY?
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Luang Prabang is fairly small so choosing by location really has no point. It offers a wide variety of accommodation. What surprised the most was the northern part of town where you can find pretty well kept and pricy houses, having a mood of a little French Riviera in Laos (with totally European style X-mas decorations at that time).
We stayed in Mao Phasok Riverside Guesthouse (google map) as we were travelling on a lower budget. The place was completely fine! The staff organized us everything - from bike rental, bus tickets, cooking class, and even at a bit lower prices than we would find on the street. So, we didn’t have to take care of anything.
Thumbs up!
WHAT TO DO?
Kuang Si Falls - true natural wonder (google map). Several levels of incredibly blue water (lime stone makes its magic for that) and with the high fall of 60 m. Really worth visiting! You can take a little trail up the waterfall, it starts on the left side of the fall and heads down on the right.
There are several pools where you can swim, however be ready to get really cold (at least in December when we were there).
Entrance fee: 20 000 KIP (2 USD).
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Transfer prices:
- Scooter: 80 000 KIP (9 USD) per bike
- Private van: 60 000 (7 USD) KIP per person
- Tuk-Tuk: 50 000 KIP (6 USD) per person if tuk-tuk is shared (you may wait till it gets full) or 200 000 KIP (22 USD) for private trip with tuk-tuk
- Private tour: 40-60 USD per person
We rented a motorbike and it was a pleasant ride - the road was fine and quite scenic.
By the entrance you will also find a sanctuary for little bears. They used to be hunted for medical purposes, for that reason they are endangered now.
Tat Sae Waterfalls- another scenic place with waterfalls (google map), smaller and closer to Luang Prabang, but when we went there, there was no water and no visitors. Appearently, December was not the right time to visit.
We got there on a rented scooter, left it by the river, and had to take a small boat to cross it. Despite the waterfall park being literally out of water, local ferry boats were running just fine :)
Phousi Hill- a good place to see surrounding mountains and Mekong river. Perfect for sunset lovers, but don’t expect to watch it in solitude. Apparently, there is a bunch of sunset lovers, so it gets pretty crowded in the evening (google map)
Night market - open 17:00-23:00 every day. It’s a place to get your souvenirs. Food is served at the entrance to the market and on a tiny street on the left (google map).
If you are looking for a cheap dinner, one stall offers “all you can put on one plate” deal for 2 USD, however the selection is not stunning. Any other stall will sell you a dish for around the same price.
Tip No. 1 - Try sun-dried pork/beef.
Tip No. 2 - Try sweet coconut cakes for desert (little heaven in your mouth for 5 000 KIP (0.5 USD).
Alms giving ceremony- Luang Prabang's longstanding tradition in Lao’s Buddhist culture. Witnessing the ceremony or participating in it by giving food to the monks israted as one of “must do things” in LP, with plenty of advice how to behave and ect. My advice would be - get a good night sleep instead. Here is the reason why: as we arrived at the place, all the sidewalk by the temples was covered with a countless number of tiny carpets with chairs and rice baskets. These establishments are dedicated for tourist wanting to participate in the ceremony. Majority of them appear to be from China. As the ceremony starts, none of the tourist follow any rules of modesty: they take pictures, chit chat non-stop. Monks receive so much rice that they have to empty their pots every 5 min to the trash cans, which are put up just for that purpose...
All this looked like the ritual has really lost its initial meaning and sacredness, we left confused and disappointed.
Ceremony is taking place at the sunrise by the temples on Sakkaline road (google map).
Pak Ou Caves and Whisky Village - a trip on Mekong river that takes around 1.5 hours one way and about the same time back. It’s one of the standard tourist trips they do, we asked for it at our hotel, got picked up and transferred to a pier.
The early morning ride was freezing! (7 °C, humid, and strong front wind on the boat, when we traveled in the middle of December). It got warm instantly, as soon as we stopped and the sun appeared.
The cave itself is quite impressive. There is another cave on the top, you have to follow the stairs to reach it. There is a bunch of kids who will try to sell you something all the time while you’re there.
On the way back, we stopped in the Whiskey Village. People used to make local whiskey and all kinds of other drinks there. Now it’s is more of a small village where you can buy some handcraft souvenirs, and of course whisky with all kinds of inclusions. There are several stalls where some elderly whisky makers are eager to explain you how it’s made.
Worth doing it if you want to check mark “boat trip on Mekong”, but no breathtaking views guaranteed.
COOL SPOTS
Utopia Bar - nice vibe, plenty of space, small bon-fires and river view spots to lounge around and drink cocktails. It's a bit tricky to find, but WELL worth the effort. Follow the signs (google map)
L’Etranger Books and Tea - a handcrafts and books store with a small bar above it that shows movies by their selection @ 19:00 Tuesday to Saturday. All you have to do to watch a movie is order something from the bar (google map).
Icon Club - a classy bar established by a lady from Hungary with a spirit of 1920’. Great cocktails! It feels like a get-away to Europe. (google map)
Hive- this is THE place to get some GREEN STUFF and banana whiskey.
While we were there, a traditional dancing show was going on in a restaurant upstairs, so we got some drinks and went to watch it for a while. It felt quite authentic, maybe because the rest of the crowd were all Asians.
(google map)
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COOL SPOTS
Utopia Bar - nice vibe, plenty of space, small bon-fires and river view spots to lounge around and drink cocktails. It's a bit tricky to find, but WELL worth the effort. Follow the signs (google map)
L’Etranger Books and Tea - a handcrafts and books store with a small bar above it that shows movies by their selection @ 19:00 Tuesday to Saturday. All you have to do to watch a movie is order something from the bar (google map).
Icon Club - a classy bar established by a lady from Hungary with a spirit of 1920’. Great cocktails! It feels like a get-away to Europe. (google map)
Hive- this is THE place to get some GREEN STUFF and banana whiskey.
While we were there, a traditional dancing show was going on in a restaurant upstairs, so we got some drinks and went to watch it for a while. It felt quite authentic, maybe because the rest of the crowd were all Asians.
(google map)
QUICK FACTS
- Luang Prabang is home to 34 temples with 1000 monks living in them
- Due to the previous fact EVERYTHING closes at 11 p.m.
SUMMARY
Luang Prabang is a nice starting point to get to know Laos. Not too busy, not too many tourists, but well accommodated for tourists.
How to get from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng?
We have chosen the most suitable means of transportation for us – a minivan.
Leaves twice a day, costs around 90 000 KIP (10 USD). Prices differ a little depending on the place you book. Quite comfortable. Duration: 5 hours.
All minivans change in the middle of the way, so don’t panic and be prepared to change your vehicle. They will tell you what to do.
Marvelous views on the way!
VANG VIENG
Vang Vieng has a very special place in my heart. Marvelous hills, fields, lagoons, forest. It has lost its popularity among travelers after restrictions on tubing, however I do not see the reason why, because it is a piece of heaven on earth.
WHERE TO STAY?
We stayed in Simon Riverside hotel (google map), price: 30 USD per double room. The view from the room worth a million!
After two days (when already got used to the view) we moved to a cheaper but also very nice place - Vang Vieng Garden Bungalows (google map), price: 16 USD per double room.
WHAT TO DO?
Hiking- as town is surrounded by limestone cliffs creating magnificent scenery you would expect numerous hikes, however there is not too much info about it.
To get to the hikes you will need a motorbike or bicycle that can be rented by every second house on the street.
The closest hike to Vang Vieng is Pha Ngeun hill (Entrance fee 10 000 KIP or 1 USD). It starts 4 km from the town. It has two stops and is perfect for sunset view. Have in mind that it takes around 30-45 min to reach first viewpoint, for the second one it will take you extra 60 min. After sunset it gets dark pretty fast, so make sure you have a flashlight in the best case wearing it on your head (your mobile phone is not the best idea as the road is quite tricky and you will need hands, especially getting down).
It is good to know that guards wait for the last people to leave, so if you got lost or something, hopefully someone will come looking for you.
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Another viewpoint with the famous motorbike on top is Nam Xay, however we had no time to visit it.
Lagoons- there are five lagoons in the neighborhood of Vang Vieng. They can be reached by scooters, however the roads are bumpy, so be ready for your butt to hurt the next day. To exit the town, you will have to cross a bridge and will be charged 4 000-8 000 KIP (0.5-1 USD) depending on a vehicle type.
You can visit all five in one day, but you will really have to be in a hurry leaving no chance to enjoy them. We recommend doing two or three in a day. Each further lagoon is less crowded than the previous one.
They all are really different so visiting at least three of them would be a good idea.
Entrance to the lagoons is 10 000 KIP (1 USD).
Vang Vieng Challenge - the BEST spent money in Laos! We have seen the videos about it and tried to contact organizers (Green Discovery) in advance, but nobody responded. We found their office in Vang Vieng (google map) and agreed to do the adventure on the next day.
We were picked up in the morning and after around 40 min ride started the trek, which was easy, just around 1.5 hours. Then we began climbing the rocks and that already required the gear, provided by organizers. We were accompanied by the group leader and his aide. The guide was very safety cautious, so even doing it for first time, we felt quite safe. It wasn’t extreme, but with some thrills, like via ferrata and a rope bridge across the river.
In around 3 hours we reached the top of the waterfall from which we had to descent. OMG!
Then followed 15 zip lines, several of them 700 m long, and 11 descents, which was absolutely amazing.
As we were told, usually, this trip is done in 2 days, however it is more suitable for one, unless the group is big or people are not fit enough to do it in one go, or you really want to walk slow. Also, sometimes, when a group is slow, they just skip the descent from the waterfall and do only zip lines and descents from the trees. We were very happy that our small group of three (plus two guides) was fit and quick.
There is another company doing a similar tour, but as we saw their zip lines, Vang Vieng Adventure really looked much cooler.
Price: for a group of 1-2 people 104 USD per person, for a group of 3-4 people - 84 USD per person. The price goes down somewhat for bigger groups, but we wouldn’t recommend to do it in a group bigger than 4, because you will spend too much time waiting for each other at the zip lines.
Lunch: after descending from the waterfall, we had a nice lunch cooked by our guides and rested in a small hut up in the mountains with amazing views. Those who do the trek in two days, spent the night there.
Tubing- oh, the famous tubing of Vang Vieng :) Due to a number of accidents on the river in the past years causing deaths of tourists, tubing has been restricted. A lot of bars were closed down. When we were there, three bars were open - one at the very beginning, and the other two side by side a little bit further down the river. The current was not strong at all, so it would take you around four hours flouting without stops. Of course, nobody does that! Stopping at the bars is the whole point.
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To get to tubing you have to go to the original organizer (an agency located on the other side of the street from Hally’s Coffee (google map), pay 6 USD, get your tube (which is literally a tube from a tractor tire) and wait till a mini van gets full and you will be dropped at the start point up the river. The end of tubing is in Vang Vieng. It is operating from 9:00 till 18:00. Everything is quite civilized and well organized, just not as many people doing it as a few years before.
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Things to take with you? All you need is a swimming suit to wear and a small waterproof bag for your money and mobile phone. It’s best to wear water shoes or sandals fixed to your feet, so you won’t have to worry about keeping your shoes in a waterproof bag. Sunscreen, a hat and a pair of sunglasses would be useful too, because you will spend several hours in the sun on the water.
COOL SPOTS:
- Super taste fruit shakes on every corner.
- Bar that shows FRIENDS all day long, serves bottle of whiskey TIGER for 1 USD (google map)
- Tara Villa with rice paddies for Instagram photo hunters (google map)
- Market in the former airport (google map).
How to get from Vang Vieng to Vientiane?
Only ground transport is available. It takes 4-5 hours. Minivans leave every hour till 16:00, price: 8 USD.
Of course, you are dropped 7 km from city center in Vientian, taxi/tuk-tuk ride cost another 10-20 USD.
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VIENTIANE
We have spent only one night in Vientiane. It definitely had a calm city vibe, with little coffee shops and restaurants, we wished we had another day to spend there.
Taxi ride to the airport: 50 000 KIP (5.5 USD).
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CULINARY DISCOVERIES
Laos cuisine is famous for sticky rice, green papaya/mango salad, sun-dried beef/pork, minced meet salads (larb) and spicy soups. Check-out one of the best websites on Lao food.
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