The land of million elephants’ has always fascinated tourists with its original temples, wonderful waterfalls, strange Buddha statues and last but certainly not least, the friendly people here.
Transportation
The main mean of transportation in Laos is ‘Tuk Tuk’ and ‘pickup’ ( a type of small trucks). Car schedules are always available at any bus station or travel company.
Some tips to save your time and money when traveling around in Laos:
- Share tuk tuk with other visitors
- Buy pickup tickets one day in advance and should not buy round – trip tickets
When to visit?
Visitors will need at least 5 days to visit all the most famous destinations but normally, people will spend 8 to 9 days for the trip. Travellers may visit the country at any time in the year. However, you need to know exactly in which season you will visit so that you can decide what to bring, sunscreen or a raincoat.
Cuisine
Basically, Laos cuisine has many things in common with its neighbor, Vietnam. Some dishes that visitors should try when visiting Laos are the grilled dishes, sausages or sticky rice. And Beer Lao, which is hailed as one of the best type of beer in the Southeast Asia, would be a perfect option for drink.
What to bring?
- Passport
- Laos guidebook
- Hat, gauze mask, sunglasses, sunscreen
- Drugs
- Insect repellent
- You can use Kip (Laos’ currency) or USD in Laos but it is advisable to use Kip.
Places to visit
Among all those destinations in Laos, Luang Prabang is the place that deserves spending your time and money the most. Visiting this ancient capital, you will have the chance to discover lots of magnificent temples such as Wat Visunarath, Wat Mai, Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Aham or Wat Sene temple.
Also, don’t forget to visit the top of Wat Tham Phousi in the afternoon to enjoy the sunset over Mekong river and the panoramic view of Luang Prabang. Doing some shopping at the night markets (which are open from 5p.m to 10p.m), buying some souvenirs or trying some original dishes would be great options. Other no less interesting places are the Royal Palace Museum, Tat Khuangsi waterfall, Pak Ou caves, Phanom and Xieng villages which located on the other side of the river.
The temples are located quite close to each other and are open from 8a.m to 5 p.m. If you want to get inside the temples for visit and praying, you will be charged a fee.
Xieng Khoang, which is home to the famous Plain of Jars, is the second suggested destination in the journey to conquer the ‘Land of temples’. After having discovered this amazing place, if you have time, you may also want to wander around in Ang, Lat Sen and Sua villages to know more about the country’s life and culture.
There is a daily bus from Xieng Khoang to Luang Prabang every morning.
The most recommended mean of transportation for discovering Vientiane is bicycle (with the leasing fee of around 1USD per hour). There are many famous places for you to visit in Vientiane including Patuxay statue, Black Stupa, Pha That Luang, Wat Simuang (also known as ‘Mother Temple’, where the monks tight some small red threads on the wrists to bless their people) or Sisaket temple (a museum with thousands of large and small Buddha statues).
