Laos travel guide

Hereunder is the mini travel guide for anyone who plan to travel Laos:

How to get there

By plane

The international airports at Vientiane and Luang Prabang are served by national carrier Lao Airlines and a few others, including Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways (Luang Prabang only) and Vietnam Airlines. Some seats on flights of Vietnam Airlines are reserved for Lao Airlines (codesharing / better price). Pakse is the third international airport, with flights to/from Siem Reap (Vientiane - Pakse - Siem Reap by Lao Airlines).

Laos used to be off-limits to low-cost carriers, however Air Asia now flies to Vientiane from Kuala Lumpur three times a week. Another cheap option for getting to Vientiane is to fly to Udon Thani in Thailand with discount airlines Nok Air or Air Asia and connect to Nong Khai and the Friendship Bridge via shuttle service directly from the airport (40 minutes); from here Vientiane is just 17 km away.

By train

At present, Laos has no international train links, but the Thai railhead at Nong Khai is just across the Mekong from Vientiane. However, the long-awaited extension across the river to Dongphosy is finally nearing completion, and trains may start running across the border as soon as May 2008.

By land

Most border crossings open for foreigners, with an indication where visas on arrival can be issued, are listed on the web site of the National Tourism Administration. This list is unfortunately incomplete.

Cambodia:

Visa on arrival for Laos is currently not available when entering from Cambodia overland, however it IS possible to get a Cambodian VOA when travelling in the opposite direction. The nearest Cambodian town is Stung Treng, and the border is a 90-minute speedboat ride away. Note that the border is lightly used and both Customs officers and transport providers have a reputation of gouging foreigners.

China:

Boten (Luang Namtha) - Mengla (Yunnan)
Boten Vien Tian - Luang Prabang - Kunming (Yunnan)

Myanmar:

Foreigners cannot legally cross the Laos/Myanmar border.

Thailand:

The busiest crossing is at the Friendship Bridge across the Mekong between Vientiane and Nong Khai. It's also possible to cross the Mekong at Huay Xai / Chiang Khong (with easy bus connections to Chiang Rai and points beyond on the Thai side), Tha Khaek / Nakhon Phanom, Savannakhet / Mukdahan (via the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, opened early 2007), and elsewhere. Lao VOAs valid for 15 days are available using the ferry route.

Vietnam

There are at least six border crossings that can be used by foreigners. These include:
Donsavanh - Lao Bao
Keo Nua Pass
Nam Can
Tay Trang
Bo Y (nearest town on Vietnamese side being Ngoc Hoi and on Lao side Attapeu)

Activities

Trekking is a popular way to explore the mountains and forests in Laos. There are many well designed 1-3 day trekking trips available that usually invole an overnight stay in rural ethnic minority villages. If you are planning a trek, using a trained local guide is strongly recommended as trekking in Laos is still a relatively new activity. Resident guides have intimate knowledge of indigenous plants, animals and local culture, and hiring guides through a tour operator or guide service will make your trek more educational. If you want to visit a Lao National Protected Area booking a trek is one of the best ways to do it.