Welcome To Laos - Here you can find what are you looking for !

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 reasons that are soon become apparent, Luang Prabang is often described as the ‘Jewel in Laos Crown’. Even though the town is well and truly on the tourist trail, it has nonetheless managed to preserve its natural splendor and inherent charm, exuding a missed-out-on-modernization vibe.

The majority of the city’s sights can be reached on foot, so getting a map and making your way to the many temples (33 to be exact) is a good way to soak up the surroundings and observe the way of the Lao people, and the large monk community. The wonder of the ancient temples is apparent at first glance; the gentle and unassuming nature of the locals, given the chance, will also leave a lasting impression.

Wat Xieng Thong

Wat Xieng Thong is a masterpiece of Buddhist architecture from the 16th century, impressing visitors with its golden facades and mural paintings. The temple was used for the highest royal ceremonies and to temporarily house the bodies of deceased kings. Built in 1560, by King Setthathirat, Wat Xieng Thong remained in royal benefaction until 1975. Placed on the northern tip of Luang Prabang, the magnificent structure is fringed by the river.

The sim (main building) is thought to represent classic Luang Prabang architecture with its sweeping roofs. The rear wall of the sim has an interesting ‘tree of life’ mosaic set on a red background and the temple’s interior is stenciled with gold images of the former King Chanthaphanit (of whom no written history exists). A smaller adjoining building, houses a reclining Buddha created in classic Lao style - a rarity.

Royal Palace Museum

Built as a residence for King Sisavang Vong and his family in 1904 by the French, like Wat Xieng Thong the palace was built on the riverfront, to be in direct view of arriving official visitors. Displaying traditional Laos motifs fused with French beaux-art styles, many of the rooms have been preserved since the day of the revolution when the royal family was forced into exile by the Pathet Lao.

Locals believe the palace to be haunted by ghosts and few will venture inside after dark. Inside, the walls feature murals and paintings depicting typical Laos life. It is advisable to visit the place first to stock up on some knowledge before taking the temple tours, ultimately making them more interesting.

Wat Wisunarat (Wat Visoun)
Built in 1513, this is the oldest temple in Luang Prabang. Originally built with wood the temple was remade with brick and stucco after it was set fire to by Black Haw riders in 1887. The sloping-style of the roof is a distinctive feature due to the fact that it is a not a common Laotian design trait. Inside the building is a stupa that was commissioned in 1503, complete with small Buddha images made from precious materials and sacred objects, many of which were stolen when the Haw invaded the temple.

Mount Phousi

These temples were recently constructed in comparison to the more historic Wat Visoun and Wat Xieng Thong. Situated at the top of 100 metre Phousi, the pinnacle of the hill is host to many temples.

The gilded stupor at the top of the hill is built on a huge rock and glistens brilliantly over the horizon. The abandoned temple of Wat Pa Huak resides a short walk away from the top with a wide terrace that overlooks the museum.

Wat Mai Suwannapumaram
According to some sources the Chinese Haw found this temple too beautiful to destroy it. Situated next to the Royal Palace Museum, the gilded facade and relief panels tell the story of the highest incarnation of the Buddha Vessentara. A good choice to follow the Royal Palace Museum.

The Feeding of the Monks

The saffron clad monks in Luang Prabang occupy a generous proportion of conversational and visual space. Watching or taking part in the morning food procession that sees the monks walking through and collecting food donations from locals is a heart-warming and culturally telling experience.

Each temple takes a different route around town, making sure that there is a steady flow and pace as the monks receive their alms (food donations). Woman should note that you must always keep your head lower than the monks’ and your feet (always bare) should never ever be pointed at anyone. It’s considered a grave insult. Also your shoulders and knees should be covered. The novices are happy to practice their English with tourists so feel free to indulge in some light-hearted conversation and perhaps learn something new about Laos culture.

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.

Laos has three seasons

The monsoon effected period lasts from May to October in which quite some rainfall is registered. It is humid and we find amazing structures of clouds as well as lush and green nature, full of life! Bring a raincoat and you will be fine as most roads are well maintained these days. If you can’t stand the humidity make sure you AC rooms booked ahead. July and August is experiencing quite a demand. September is the strongest rain month.After the monsoon period in Laos there is a dry period from November through to April, sometimes May even. This is what most people call the high season!! Means many other people on the hot spots, clear skies at least until january and later on a lot of mist, dust and slash an burn smoke in Lao mountain areas. Great temperatures easy to travel, cool evenings, clear rivers (not the Mekong) and highest room rates you can expect!From March until the approaching monsoon which can actually vary quite a bit, the country (Laos and Cambodia) experiences its hottest and very dry weather. The best time to visit Laos is the time you can handle best and depends very much on your expectations and information gathered before you travel.From our experience we can say even if you travel in the wildest rainy season you experience maybe much more about Laos than others in December crushing out with only other foreigners and learning and seeing less…its finally up to you!

Choose your weather for your purpose of travel

If you want to travel Laos overland is not really depending on climate and weather! As most roads are all weather roads you can get away from all “major” places. Though forget the hidden valleys and donkey trails in the Lao mountains…that’s mud-only in rainy season.Especially if you travel with rented car you can even enjoy the rainy season in a good way as it hardly ever rains for really long…its more the heavy, short blast kind of rain!

If you want to Trek in Laos

,You would prefer some dry weather if you go trekking or at least good rain protection and good walking shoes if you come to Laos for Trekking in August for example. Trekking and hiking in Laos in the dry season is surely great, especially shortly after the rain (e.g. October). In March and April Laos is getting really hot!!

If you want to Kayak in Laos and water activities

such as multi-day river travel is great if you have beaches especially if you do camping in Laos. This is possible from October to May! In other months you have to overnight in villages and prepare for high brown water and fast going rivers not without dangers. For day trips this is all fine, but remote rivers we not recommend to travel in July-September!

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?
The ideal time to visit Laos is the cool season between November and February. By November, the rains are usually over, all rivers are navigable and roads are passable.The hot season (March to May) is very dry. During this season, some rivers are harder to navigate and boat journeys in remote places may not be accessible. Travellers should take the Lao New Year (14th - 16th April) into account when planning a trip as accommodation may be harder to find.The rainy season (June to October) whilst the country at its most beautiful and lush can be difficult to get around in remote places by road.
What to do?
The capital Vientiane, located on a curve of the Mekong River, is interesting and attractive with its old town, ancient temples and tree linear boulevards. To the north, Luang Prabang offers chances for light trekking tours to surrounding rivers and hills (i.e. Mount Phousi, Kuang Si Waterfalls). In the south the Angkor era temple of Wat Phu is one of the jewels of the Mekong.For adventurers, tours off beaten track to remote areas and villages including mountainousLuang Namtha or the Bolaven Plateau in Champassak.

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.

Tourism newcomers
Laos is one of the few Communist countries left in the world. Until 1988, tourists were not allowed access to Laos, but now it is perfectly feasible to travel all over the country, preferably with a recognised tour company, although plenty of backpackers do it independently. The number of tourists is expected to continue increasing over the next few years as more and more people discover the delights of this laid-back country of mountains and rivers.

Unspoilt and undeveloped
For now, Laos remains relatively isolated and undeveloped. Its capital, Vientiane, is more like a big village than a crowded Asian hub and life throughout the country is slow paced. Most people come to Laos and make a brief tour of Vientiane and UNESCO World Heritage-listed Luang Prabang with perhaps a brief detour to the mysterious Plain of Jars. But those who make the effort to explore further afield will be well rewarded with luscious landscapes, friendly people and unique glimpses of a country hardly changed for over a century.

On the journey to conquer the beauty of unspoiled nature and culture over Asian countries, Laos is one of the “can not be missed” destinations. Despite the development of the tourist industry in Van Vieng, Luang Prabang and parts of the Mekong Delta, Laos still remains a small country with a primitive infrastructure; it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications.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.Travel to the North of Laos , there is an incredibly romantic Luang Prabang while the far northern provinces of Phongsali, Luang Nam Tha and Udomxai offer tremendous opportunities for trekking to minority villages and communicate with the locals. Especially, in the northeastern centres, we can reach mountainous region full of caves and waterfalls of Xieng Khouang, a worldwide famous destination of vast plateau with plain of jars.The far south of Laos offers unrivalled remote districts and is slowly developing into a trekking centre in its own right. Although many shoot straight down to the far south to Si Phan Don, there is a lot to see and experience in between — don’t be too hasty. Attapeu, Pakse ad Salavan are all worthy considerations.For those who look for cultural and eco –tourism as well as be willing to put up with fewer tourist luxuries, Laos offers outstanding potential.

The currency of Laos is the Kip. The Kip is not freely convertable, which means that you can’t get it outside of Laos, and any you leave with can’t be exchanged.The Kip is not very stable, but fluctuates widely around the 10,000 Kip per US$1 mark. For the purposes of this guide, we’ve shown approximate rates using this figure.Kip notes come in 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 denominations. There are no coins. With the largest note just 10,000 Kip, if you change just US$50 you’re going to end up with a huge wad of bills. The good news is that you don’t really need much cash in Kip. Many larger purchases may be made with US Dollars or Thai Baht. You just need Kip for small purchases like entrance fees, taxis and meals.Most tourist centers will have bank operated exchanges where you’ll get the best rate. These will most typically be open until the early evening hours and on Saturdays.

Laos has two distinct seasons — the wet and the dry.Laos’ wet season runs from around May to October, and as with many Southeast Asiancountries, the wet season is characterised by a downpour for a few hours each day rather than all-day torrential downpours. While the rainy season tends to strike Laos pretty much uniformally, there are a couple of regional oddities. Laos’ wet season tends to hit Phongsali a little early due to it catching a bit of rain from southern China, while Hua Phan and Xieng Khuang tend to get a little early rain from Vietnam.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

Laos is a communist single-party socialist republic. The only legal political party is the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The head of state is President Choummaly Sayasone, who also is secretary-general (leader) of the LPRP. The head of government is Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh.Government policies are determined by the party through the all-powerful nine-member Politburo and the 49-member Central Committee. Important government decisions are vetted by the Council of Ministers.Laos’ first, French-written and monarchical constitution was promulgated on May 11, 1947 and declared it to be an independent state within the French Union.The revised constitution of 11 May 1957 omitted reference to the French Union, though close educational, health and technical ties with the former colonial power persisted. The 1957 document was abrogated on 3 December 1975, when a communist People’s Republic was proclaimed. A new constitution was adopted in 1991 and enshrined a “leading role” for the LPRP. The following year, elections were held for a new 85-seat National Assembly with members elected by secret ballot to five-year terms.This National Assembly, which essentially acts as a rubber stamp for the LPRP, approves all new laws, although the executive branch retains authority to issue binding decrees. The most recent elections took place in April 2006.The assembly was expanded to 99 members in 1997 and in 2006 elections had 115.