Laos
Links to Laos Embassies and Consulates
Fast Facts
Coutntry Full name: |
Weights & Measures: Metric |
| Population: 6,520,000 |
Country Dialing Code: +856 |
| Languages Spoken: Official - Lao |
Time Zones: GMT/UTC +7 |
Electric Plugs:   230V 50Hz |
Currency: Name: Kip Code: LAK Symbol: KN |
Exchange rate:
Weather
The best time to visit is between November and February, when it rains least and isn't too hot. This is also the main season for both national and regional bun (festivals). If you're heading up into the mountains, May and July can also be pleasant. Roads can be washed out during rainy season (July to October), but there are plenty of river travel opportunities. Peak tourist months are December to February and during August, although there are relatively few visitors at any time.
The annual monsoon cycles that affect all of mainland Southeast Asia produce a 'dry and wet monsoon climate' with three basic seasons for most of Laos. The southwest monsoon arrives in Laos between May and July and lasts into November.
The monsoon is followed by a dry period (November-May), beginning with lower relative temperatures and cool breezes created by Asia's northeast monsoon (which bypasses most of Laos), lasting until mid-February. Exceptions to this general pattern include Xieng Khuang, Hua Phan and Phongsali Provinces, which may receive rainfall coming from Vietnam and China during the months of April and May.
Rainfall varies substantially according to latitude and altitude; the highlands of Vientiane, Bolikhamsai, Khammuan and eastern Champasak Provinces are wettest.
Temperatures also vary according to altitude. In the humid, low-lying Mekong River valley, temperatures range from 15°C (59°F) to 38°C (100.4°F), while in the mountains of Xieng Khuang the temperature can drop to 0°C (32°F) at night.
Money & Cost
Sample Price Guide
internet access per hour
US$ 0.60-3.00
large bowl of rice noodles
US$ 0.60
litre of petrol
US$ 0.80-1.00
litre water bottle refill
US$ 0.25
souvenir t-shirt
US$ 3.00
homestay with Lao family (without meals)
US$ 2.00
bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang
US$ 9.00-11.50
budget room with air-con
US$ 6.00-10.00
restaurant meal
US$ 2.00-10.00
Currency
Name: Kip
Symbol: KN
Average Room Prices |
|||
Low |
Mid |
High |
|
US$2.50-15 |
US$16-50 |
US$50+ |
|
Average Meal Prices |
|||
Low |
Mid |
High |
Deluxe |
US$0.50 -1 |
US$1-3 |
US$3+ |
US$3+ |
Getting there and around
Getting There
It's possible to enter Laos by land or air from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam or China. Land borders are often remote and the travelling can be tough either side, but the actual frontier crossing is usually pretty simple. The only real prerequisites for entering Laos are a passport with six months' validity and a visa if you are crossing at one of the few borders where you can't get a visa on arrival, such as the Cambodian border at Voen Kham.
Flying into Laos is refreshing in that you don't need to shop around - only a few airlines service Laos and prices don't vary much.
There are three international airports in Laos. Wattay International Airport (tel: 021 512165) in Vientiane; Luang Prabang International Airport (tel: 071 212856) and Pakse International Airport (tel: 031 212844). Lao Airlines is the national carrier and monopolises the majority of flights in and out of the country, though many code-share with airlines such as Thai Airways, China Eastern Airlines and Vietnam Airlines. The international departure tax can be paid in kip, baht or US dollars.
Most land crossings involve changing transport at the border, even when you've paid for a 'direct' bus. Five of the crossings on the western border with Thailand involve quick boat trips across the Mekong. Generally Laos issues 30-day tourist visas at crossings that are open to foreigners.
It's possible to bring your own vehicle into Laos from Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, with the right paperwork, and Lao customs don't object to visitors bringing bicycles into the country.
Getting Around
Lao Airlines is the only airline in Laos. It handles all domestic flights, with Vientiane as the main hub. Its schedules are increasingly reliable but flights still get cancelled semi-regularly. During the holiday season it's best to book ahead. At other times, when flights are more likely to be cancelled, confirm a day or two before.
Stunning roads and light, relatively slow traffic make Laos arguably the best country for cycling in Southeast Asia. Simple single-speed bikes can be hired cheaply in most places that see a decent number of tourists. Mountain bikes can also be hired in a few places, including Luang Nam Tha, Vientiane and Vang Vieng.
There are more than 4600km (2860mi) of navigable rivers in Laos; they are its traditional highways and byways. Sealed roads and buses, however, mean that the days of mass river transport are waning. But it's still worth doing at least one river excursion while in Laos. The most popular river trip - the slow boat between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang - is still a daily event and relatively cheap for the two-day journey.
Every river in the country has some boat traffic and chartering a boat is easy enough. For shorter trips, it's usually best to hire a river taxi. There are many different types depending on the distance you need to cover.
Long-distance public transport in Laos is either by bus or sǎwngthǎew (converted pick-ups or trucks with benches down either side). Destinations that were all but inaccessible by bus a few years ago now see regular services. Private operators have established services on some busier routes - particularly along Rte 13 and on international routes - offering faster and more-luxurious air-con buses, known as VIP buses, which are also pretty good value. That's not to say local buses have disappeared completely. Far from it. You can still do the main routes by local bus, and on most journeys off Rte 13 you won't have any option.
History
Pre-20th-Century History
The country has long been occupied by migrating Thais (including Shans, Siamese and Lao) and Hmong/Mien hill tribes. The first Lao principalities were consolidated in the 13th century following the invasion of southwest China by Kublai Khan's Mongol hordes. In the mid-14th century, a Khmer-sponsored warlord, Fa Ngum, combined a number of scattered principalities around Luang Prabang to form his own kingdom, Lan Xang ('a million elephants'). The kingdom initially prospered, but internal divisions and pressure from neighbours caused it to split in the 17th century into three warring kingdoms centred on Luang Prabang, Wieng Chan (Vientiane) and Champasak.
By the end of the 18th century, most of Laos came under Siamese (Thai) suzerainty but the territory was also being pressured by Vietnam. Unable or unwilling to serve two masters, the country went to war with Siam in the 1820s. This disastrous ploy led to all three kingdoms falling under Thai control. By the late 19th century, France had established French Indochina in the Vietnamese provinces of Tonkin and Annam. The Thais eventually ceded all of Laos to the French, who were content to use the territory merely as a buffer between its colonial holdings and Siam.
Modern History
During WWII, the Japanese occupied Indochina and a Lao resistance group, Lao Issara, was formed to prevent the return of the French. Independence was achieved in 1953 but conflict persisted between royalist, neutralist and communist factions. The USA began bombing North Vietnamese troops on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in eastern Laos in 1964, escalating conflict between the royalist Vientiane government and the communist Pathet Lao, who fought alongside the North Vietnamese. By the time a ceasefire was negotiated in 1973, Laos had the dubious distinction of being the most bombed country in the history of warfare.
A coalition government was formed, but when Saigon fell in 1975, most of the royalists left Laos. The Pathet Lao peacefully took control of the country and the Lao People's Democratic Republic came into being in December 1975. Laos remained closely allied with the Vietnamese communists throughout the 1980s. Laos cemented ties with its neighbours when it was welcomed into ASEAN in July 1997.
By the late 1990s, the economy was in such poor shape - having experienced inflation of over 100% and a depreciation of the kip by more than 500% - that the resolutely socialist country did something they'd never done before. They devised a 'Visit Laos' campaign in order to attract the tourist dollar. Although it was not a huge success, the kip was dragged back from its death bed and inflation was reined in a little.
The economic crisis sparked some political unrest. A small student demonstration against the monopoly of political power by the LPRP was ruthlessly crushed and its leaders given long prison sentences. Lao dissidents in Thailand attacked a border customs post, provoking a swift Lao military response. A series of small bombings in Vientiane and southern Laos was also blamed on expatriate dissidents, while Hmong 'brigands' attacked transport in the north. The government responded by increasing security, and by 2004 the Hmong insurgency had all but collapsed.
Recent History
Meanwhile the Lao tourist industry continued to grow. In 1995 Luang Prabang was placed on the Unesco World Heritage list, and Wat Phu, the ancient Khmer temple near Champasak, followed. Other parts of the country are opening up to ecotourism, including the Bolaven Plateau, the Plain of Jars, and the far north. An added attraction is that many of the country's colourful minority tribes live in these regions. Laos now attracts over a million tourists a year (well over half of them Thai), and the figure is likely to rise.
Laos does not suffer severe population pressure, but there is a steady migration into the cities due to increasing disparities between urban and rural living standards. The government has shown little inclination to address this problem, or the abysmally low education standards, or poor health facilities for a rural population faced with diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS. Some NGOs and foreign aid programs are trying to help, but human resources remain poorly developed.
Source: www.lonelyplanet.com
BGN | BRN | KHM | GUM | FSM | IDN | MHL | MYS | MMR | MNP | PLW | PHL | SGP | LKA | THA | TMP | VNM
