Laos Overview
Laos, formally the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), is one of the poorest nations in South-East Asia. A mountainous and landlocked country, Laos shares borders with Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, Thailand to the west, and Myanmar and China to the north. Thailand promotes itself as amazing, Vietnam can well be described as bustling, Cambodia's Khmer temples are awe-inspiring, Myanmar's junta is often described as brutal... but the adjective most often applied to Laos is forgotten. Although there are a few grand (but relatively unheard of) attractions, those visitors who are drawn by the laid-back lifestyle and the opportunity to knock back a few cold Beerlao while watching the sunsets on the Mekong will simply explain the attraction by revealing that the true meaning of "Lao PDR" is Lao - Please Don't Rush.
Laos History
Laos is squeezed between vastly larger neighbours. First created as an entity in 1353, when warlord Fa Ngum declared himself the king of Lan Xang ("Million Elephants"), the kingdom was initially a Khmer vassal state. After a succession dispute, the kingdom split in three in 1694 and was eventually devoured piece by piece by the Siamese, the last fragments agreeing to Siamese protection in 1885. The area east of the Mekong, however, was soon wrenched back from Siam by the French, who wanted a buffer state to protect Vietnam, and set up Laos as a unified territory in 1907. Briefly occupied by Japan in 1945, a three-decade-long conflict was triggered when France wanted to retake its colony. Granted independence in 1953, the war continued between a bewildering variety of factions, with the Communist and North Vietnam-allied Pathet Lao struggling to overthrow the French-leaning monarchy. During the Vietnam War (1964-1973), this alliance led the United States to dump 1.9 million metric tons of bombs on Laos in what was later known as the Secret War. In 1975, after the fall of Saigon, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of Vientiane and ended a six-century-old monarchy. Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with a gradual return to private enterprise, an easing of foreign investment laws, and admission into ASEAN in 1997. Despite being less than two hours by air from the westernized hustle and bustle of Bangkok, life in Laos has continued in the much same way it has for hundreds of years, although things are now slowly beginning to change. In the mid-90s the government reversed its stance on tourism, and then declared 1998 "Visit Laos Year" - but despite their efforts and all Laos has to offer, monks still outnumbered tourists throughout the country.
Laos Culture | Traditions | Customs
Despite its small population, Laos has no less than 68 tribal groups. About half are Lao Loum, "lowland Lao" who live in the Mekong valley. Officially, this group includes the Lao Tai, who are subdivided into numerous subgroups. Lao Theung (20-30%), or "upland Lao", live on mid-altitude slopes (officially defined as 300-900m), and are by far the poorest group, formerly used as slave labor by the Lao Loum. The label Lao Sung (10-20%) covers mostly Hmong and Mien tribes who live higher up. There are also an estimated 2-5% Chinese and Vietnamese, concentrated in the cities. Laos is officially Buddhist, and the national symbol, the gilded stupa of Pha That Luang, has replaced the hammer and sickle even on the state seal. Still, there is a good deal of animism mixed in, particularly in the baasii (also baci) ceremony conducted to bind the 32 guardian spirits to the participant's body before a long journey or other significant undertaking. Lao custom dictates that women must wear the distinctive phaa sin, a long, patterned skirt, although tribal groups often have their own clothing. The conical Vietnamese-style hat is also a common sight. These days men dress Western style and only don the phaa biang sash on ceremonial occasions. Dress respectfully (long trousers, sleeved shirts) when visiting temples and take your shoes off before entering temple buildings. Things in Laos happen slowly and rarely as scheduled. Keep your cool, as venting your anger will make everybody involved lose face and is certainly not going to expedite things, particularly if dealing with government bureaucracy. Respect for monks is part of Laotian life, and the monks take their duties seriously. Remember that monks are forbidden to touch women. Some undertake a vow of silence, and will not answer you even if they understand and speak English. It is best not to compel them to stand next to you for a photograph, or start a conversation, if they seem reluctant.
Laos Language
The official language of Laos is Lao, a tonal language closely related to Thai. Thanks to ubiquitous Thai broadcast media most Lao understand Thai fairly well, but it's worth learning a few basic expressions in Lao. French, a legacy of the colonial days, still features on signs and is understood by some older people, but these days English is far more popular.
Laos Climate | Weather | Seasons
Laos has three distinct seasons. The hot season is from March to May, when temperatures can soar as high as 38°C. The slightly cooler wet season is from May to October, when temperatures are around 30°C, tropical downpours are frequent, and the Mekong floods. The dry season from November to March, which has low rainfall and temperatures as low as 15°C (or even to zero in the mountains at night), is "high season" (when the most tourists are in the country).
Laos Money
The Lao currency is the kip, which is inconvertible, unstable and generally inflationary. The largest bill is only 50000 kip, though the largest notes in common circulation are 20000 kip or 10000 kip; withdrawing 1M kip from an ATM (about US$100) could result in 100 notes of 10000 kip each. This makes carrying large quantities of kip quite inconvenient. Fortunately, there is little need to do so, as US$ are generally accepted in shops catering to tourists (although typically at somewhat disadvantageous rates - about 5-10% less than the official rate is common), and Thai baht are also readily accepted in many areas. For short visits to the main centres there's little point to exchanging kip, as changing them back is a hassle in Laos and practically impossible elsewhere. More touristy places and banks are also starting to accept euros. So if you're from one of the euro countries, just bring some just in case. This could be cheaper than changing your euros into US$ or baht and then into kip. The first ATMs have recently arrived in Vientiane, as well as at Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao in Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Pakse. (There is also an ATM on test run in Luang Nam Tha). They accept MasterCard, Maestro and a few others, but do not take VISA. Relying on them is at this stage risky due to their ludicrous unreliability — but if it doesn't work the first time, keep trying every few hours. Many banks, travel agents and guesthouses will allow you to take out cash from a credit card as a cash advance. This usually occurs by withdrawing the money in US$ from the card as a cash advance; the card issuer will usually charge a fee (about 3%), the Lao bank involved will charge about 3%, and then the agent providing the cash advance might (or might not) charge another 3%, and then the amount is converted from US$ to kip at a poor rate to the US$, costing another 5% or so - hence, overall, these transactions are much more expensive than the typical charge for withdrawing cash from ATMs in other countries. Changing traveller's cheques is easy in any large village. Banks give good rates, but abide in morbid fear that a tourist might stumble upon them and change money. To avoid this unpleasant eventuality, they ensure that the banking hours are very restricted and that both Laos and European holidays are fully observed, with generous buffer days between the official holiday and resuming work.
Laos Communications
Internet cafés can be found in larger towns; however access speeds are usually painfully slow. The most reliable connections are in Vientiane. Mobile phone connectivity in Laos has mushroomed, with no less than four competing GSM operators. Postal service in Laos is slow and not particularly reliable, although outgoing mail is usually OK.
Laos Health | Safety
Crime levels are low in Laos, although petty theft is not unknown. Lao judicial processes remain somewhat arbitrary and, while you are unlikely to be hassled, if accused your legal rights may be slim or non-existent. Two points in particular to beware of. Sexual relations between a Lao national and a foreigner are illegal unless they are married, and marriage requires special permits. "Number One" condoms are probably the cheapest condoms in the world (and their quality seems to be ok). Drug use in Laos will result in heavy fines and expulsion at best, and imprisonment or even execution at worst. In the eastern parts of the country near the Vietnamese border, unexploded ordnance is a risk factor. Be careful if you leave the roads in this area and never ever touch anything that may be a grenade or other explosive, even if it seems old and harmless. One other note of caution: there has been some violence between Hmong rebel groups in the north against the main Laos government. This low-level insurgency has been brewing for years, and has been very sporadic. The main areas affected have been on Highway 13 (which runs from Luang Prabang to Cambodia, passing through Pakse and Vientiane). The last reported case was in 2003 around Kasi. Attacks have been on regular buses, not tourist buses. VIP and minibuses passing through these areas typically travel with an armed guard (with a machine gun!). If in doubt, ask fellow travelers in Luang Prabang about the current situation. Between 2003 and 2006 the primary forest in this area has disapeared - hiding would be difficult for snipers now. Laos is considered very malarial so anti-malarials are recommended. The usual precautions regarding food and water are wise. Bottled water is widely available.
Laos Visas
Several ASEAN nationalities can enter Laos "visa free"; all other tourists need a tourist visa. Most nationalities are issued a 30 day entry permit stamp if they apply for a visa in advance, but only a 15 day entry permit stamp if they obtain their visa on arrival, but this seems to have changed for American travelers at least, who are now being granted a 30 day visa on arrival across the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. When applying for a visa, one or two passport photos will be required. Lao nowadays issues 30-day visa-on-arrival at official border crossings. Visas can be obtained in advance from Lao embassies/consulates. The fee varies by nationality/embassy. Processing times also vary; 2-3 days is typical, or less (possibly same day, depending where and when you apply) if you're prepared to pay extra. In Phnom Penh the travel agencies can arrange the visa the same day (but may charge more) while getting it from the embassy takes a few days. There are Visa-on-Arrival facilities at the international airports in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, and at some (but not all) border crossings. Visa-on-Arrival facilities are not available when entering overland from Cambodia. Entry permit extensions (sometimes referred to as "visa extensions") are available from the Immigration Department in Vientiane and via agencies elsewhere in Laos (who will courier your passport to Vientiane and back again).
Some Southeast Asian travel destinations can be prone to violence, internal strife and health concerns. It is recommended that you check with your embassy or relevent government department for the latest travel advisory information before planning or embarking on your Southeast Asian vacation. Information presented on this website is distributed as an information source only. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, Southeast-Asia-Online.com makes no statements, representations or warranties about the accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability of any information contained on this website. Southeast-Asia-Online.com disclaims all responsibility for information contained on this website and all liability (including liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you may incur as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason.
Laos Travel Information has been derived in part from ‘http://wikitravel.org/en/Laos’ and is based on work by Michael Skragge, ruben, Aparna T, Stephen Atkins, John Fremlin, Itamar Berman, yoni y, jan, nang, Ryan Holliday, Mat Connolley, Joey Sheung, Brian Hnatiak, Michele Ann Jenkins, Evan Prodromou, Paul N. Richter, Yann Forget, Colin Jensen and Peter Donaghy, Wikitravel user(s) Episteme, Jake73, Thaihans, Texugo, Tniehoff, WindHorse, InterLangBot, Nzpcmad, Ront, Nikita Borisov, Pjamescowie, Bijee, Nils and CIAWorldFactbook2002 and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.
