
Getting There by Air
The national airline of Laos is Laos Airlines (website: www.laos-airlines.com). There are no direct flights from the USA or Europe; flights are mainly via Bangkok, China or Cambodia.
Departure Tax
US$10; children under two years of age and transit passengers are exempt.
Main Airports
Vientiane (VTE) (Wattay) is 3km (2 miles) from the city (journey time – 20 minutes). To/from the airport: Taxis are available (be prepared to bargain). Facilities: Bank/bureaux de change, bars, post office, restaurants and car hire.
Getting There by Water
It is possible to travel from Chiang Mai (Thailand) to Luang Prabang by speedboat, slow boat or by a deluxe one-day boat. The slow boat takes about two days and usually involves an overnight stay in Pak Beng. The speedboat goes from Houei Xay on the Laos border to Luang Prabang in around six hours.It may also possible to travel the Cambodian part of the Laos-Cambodia crossing by slow boat or speed boat, instead of by bus or taxi (see Getting There by Road). Visitors should be aware that accidents can and do happen when traveling at high speeds along the unpredictable Mekong river.
Getting There by Rail
There are no railways in Laos, but the Thai system stretches from Bangkok via Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai on the Laos/Thailand border. A ferry and a bridge link the Lao side of the Mekong, 19km (12 miles) east of Vientiane.
Getting There by Road
It is possible to enter Laos from Thailand at Nong Khai over the FriendshipBridge. Other border crossings include Chiang Kong (Thailand)–Houei Xay (Laos) in the north; Mukdahan (Thailand)–Savannakhet (Laos); Chong Mek (between Pakse and Ubon Ratchathani); Nakorn Phanom (Thailand)–Tha Kek (Laos) and Jouay Kone (Thailand)–Xaingnabouri (Laos).It is possible to enter Laos by road from Vietnam either at Quangtri or at the border post of Lak Xao near Vinh. Laos can also be entered from China, from Mengla in Yunnan province to Luang Nam Tha.Overland travel to Myanmar is not feasible owing to security risks.Despite the official line, some travelers have managed to enter Laos from Cambodia between Strung Treng (Cambodia) and Don Det (Laos) with some degree of hassle, although this crossing is by no means reliable. Check for the latest information locally. The best place to try to arrange this is from Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands).

For a traveler it is crucial to understand and know about the weather and the climate conditions in Laos and Indochina through out the year. As many information providers just tell you what others have told we try to give you wider picture of what climate in Laos and Indochina has on offer.
Visas are required for all foreign visitors to Laos. A fifteen-day visa on arrival can be bought for $30 (US dollars cash only, plus one photo), but is only available to travellers entering Laos at Wattay Airport in Vientiane, Louang Phabang Airport or at the Friendship Bridge between Thailand’s Nong Khai and Vientiane. If entering Laos from Chiang Khong in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province, you can obtain fifteen-day visas through Chiang Khong guesthouses and travel agencies: processing takes 24 hours and costs the baht equivalent of $50. Thirty-day visas can also be arranged here for much the same price but take three to four days to process .If you want to enter Laos via somewhere other than these border points, or if you want a longer visa, you will have to apply for an advance visa at a Lao embassy or a tour agency. Many visitors opt to do this while staying in Bangkok or Hanoi. In Bangkok , you can obtain thirty-day visas directly from the embassy for B750-1050, depending on nationality, plus an additional B300 “fax” charge; fifteen-day visas cost the same. You need one passport photo, and processing takes two days (or 12 hours for an extra B300). An alternative option is to go through one of the travel agents in Bangkok’s Khao San area, who charge B1200-2000 for a fifteen-day visa, and twice as much for a thirty-day visa; allow three working days for processing. The Lao consulate in Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand can also issue visas, though fees and processing times are variable.Travellers from Vietnam can get visas for Laos at the Lao embassy in Hanoi or at the consulate in Da Nang . The embassy in Hanoi charges $25-35 for thirty-day visas, depending on nationality. In Da Nang , a thirty-day visa costs around $50 and takes two days; for an extra $13 you can get it on the spot. A seven-day transit visa costs $30 (two days), but you must exit to Thailand from Savannakhet. The Lao Embassy in Hanoi does one-month “visit visas” ($50-70; seven days). Transit visas ($25-40; four days), are only valid for five days and for one province (so not an option if you’re travelling via Cau Treo). The one-day express service costs an extra $20.Transit visas, good for only ten days and non-extendable ($25-30; allow three working days), are offered at the Lao embassy in Hanoi for travellers to Bangkok who wish to make a short stopover in Vientiane, and are also offered by the consulate in Kunming, China.In Vientiane, you can apply for visa extensionsat the immigration office on Hatsady Road. Most travellers are charged $3 per day, but you could pay as little as $1 per day; similarly, the length of your visa extension is up to the official on duty. Officially, only the immigration office in Vientiane can issue visa extensions, but it’s always worth trying in other towns. Both airport and border immigration offices generally charge $5 per day for overstays.Reporting inAs recently as the early 1990s, you had to get special permission to visit any province other than Vientiane, reporting to immigration on arrival in every new province and getting the required rubber stamp. This “reporting in” procedure - jaeng khao - has now been officially done away with throughout the country. However, there is no telling if and when word from above will bring new vigour to the old rubber-stamp game, so always check with other travellers. If in doubt, seek out the local immigration office, if there is one, or the police station.Airport departure taxWhen leaving Laos by air or via the Friendship Bridge, you’ll have to pay a departure tax equivalent to US$5, payable in US dollars, Thai baht or kip. At other border points, officials may levy small “fees” for arriving or departing during lunch, late in the day or at weekends
When to go?
This land-locked mountainous country is gaining a reputation as an ecotourist destination. Its many rivers criss-crossing the country and unspoilt national parks are ideal for activities such as trekking, kayaking and caving. The capital, Vientiane, and the other major towns have been spared major modern developments with traditional and colonial architecture still dominant.
When making Laos travel from the north to the south you will never find two places that have the same environment and style.In Vientiane , we can find the attractiveness of an old town by the river and ancient temples.
Generally speaking, the higher you are, the more rain you get, and the towns along the Mekong River south of Vientiane get the least rain.As with Cambodia, the most obvious effect of the wet season is damaged infrastructure.Landslides are common, as are severely rutted roads. While the road network is generally far better (that is, sealed) than Cambodia’s, the topography of Laos (pretty mountainous) lends itself to landslides, some minor, some not-so-minor. Also, with all this rainfall, the rivers can become beastly and delays due to bridges being down are not uncommon. Don’t be surprised if your trip takes longer than expected.All in all, land transport during Laos’ wet season can be slow and soggy.On the upside, boat transport comes into its own during the great wet. Rivers are high so the slowboats can make better pace. Along the Mekong River many of the rapids are submerged, helping the slowboats with their deeper drafts, but if you’re considering a speedboat trip, be warned that the heavy rainfall brings a lot of refuse into the river, and hitting a submerged log at 50km/h can be very messy. This is yet another reason not to get on a speedboat.Other advantages of this season are lower temperatues, cleaner air and smaller crowds