For those seeking
more detailed tips and advice on the more popular
areas, please click on the following links listed
below:
Vientiane
Luang Prabang
Customs
and Immigration
A valid transit, tourist visit, business, diplomatic,
or service visa is required. All foreigners may enter
and depart Laos via Wattay Airport or via one of the
following entry points: Nong Khai (near
Vientiane), Chong Mek (near Pakse), Nakhon Phanom
(opposite Tha Khaek), Chiang Khong (opposite Huay Xai)
and Mukdahan (opposite Savannakhet). Boarder crossings
are open between 6am and 6pm
Use of the
Friendship
Bridge spanning the Mekong at Nong Khai is hampered by
controls on foreign-registered vehicles, but
individual travellers should experience nothing
more
harassing than a slight delay. It's possible to cross
to/from Vietnam via Lao Bao or Kuen Neua if you have a
valid visa. It may also be possible to cross into
Cambodia at the border town of Voen Kham, in Champasak
Province. Entry to Laos is also possible from China's
Yunnan Province at Boten.
Departure
Tax
There is a US$10 airport departure tax for all
foreign and local travellers.
Visas A visa can now be obtained upon arrival
at the airport and other official entry points.
However, certain regulations apply. If you book a tour
to
Laos
and you are resident of a country that does not have a
Lao embassy or in the case of any urgency, you can obtain the
visa upon arrival at the International border
checkpoint. You will however need to be carrying
documentary evidence that your visa has already been
approved.
Warning: If travelling by car rather than arriving by
aeroplane, be careful of touts trying to take you to
'visa offices.' These tend to be profit agencies that
will help you fill out the visa form
and help process the application but will cost you a
further US$15-20 per application on top of the official
US$30. Skip this and head directly to the border
crossing and the official immigration
office for an application. These 'visa offices' may
save you 20-30 minutes of time queuing up to get the
applications at the border and filling them out and
submitting, but are not worth it at US$15-20 per
person. The forms are in English and quite easy to
understand.
Communications
Forget about bringing your
mobile unless you are a subscriber of
Thailand's AIS network, as very few other carriers
have roaming agreements with the Shinawatra network in
Laos. International telephone, fax, telegraph
and telex services are available at post offices,
hotels and business centres in the main cities, in
outlying areas, some
or all of these may be non-existant.
Several radio stations broadcast in Lao. The Lao
National Radio carries news in English, French and
Thai. There are daily TV broadcasts, with two local
channels,Thai television and satellite reception.
When calling Laos from overseas, the country code is
856. In Thailand, where calls to Laos are rated as
local ones, the international access code is 007.
Country Code-856.
Tourism
Authorities
(Guide to expected behaviour of visitors)
The National Tourism Authority of Lao PDR publishes a
handy booklet that provides guidance to visitors on
how to enjoy their stay in the country and not offend
the sensibilities of the citizenry. Some of the
following more important rules are good to know before
you arrive:
-
Show respect and use your head and eyes and common
sense will guide you well in navigating Lao culture
safely.
-
Try and do as the as the Lao do and remember; don't
touch heads, don't loose your cool with people and
don't
flash your flesh. The rest is about
manners,
shoes left outside, accepting hosts' greetings and
not upsetting religious feelings.
-
In Buddhism and general Asian society, the head is
very important to the souls and its purity, while
the feet walk the earth and all that is deposited on
it. Raising your feet to head-height, putting them
on furniture or pointing with them
is taken as a deliberate insult or sign of
barbarism.
-
A kiss or embrace from a stranger is insulting and
humiliating.
Traditionally, Lao people use the
'nop'
on meeting and using it will win you instant friends
if performed sincerely.
-
Public displays of affection are taboo in Lao
society, so don't cause shock or embarrassment
by kissing or cuddling in front of people.
-
Modest dress and discreet behaviour will ensure you
don't attract unwanted attention or embarrass
others.
-
Appearance - Bodily hygiene and cleanliness are of
the highest standard in Lao and a visitor's failure
to meet these standards is not well received. Wash
yourself and your clothes daily or prepare to be
laughed at and avoided!
Etiquette
Lao people are frank, open and friendly, and they possess a
strongly developed sense of courtesy and respect.
Everyone who adheres to the latter will receive a warm
welcome.
The Nop The generally
accepted form
of greeting among Lao people is the
nop.
It is performed by placing one's palm together in a
position of praying at chest level, but not touching
the body. The higher the hands, the greater the sign
of respect. Nonetheless, the hands should not be held
above the level of nose. The nop is accompanied by a
slight bow to show respect to persons of higher status
and age. It is also used as an expression of thanks,
regret or saying good-bye. With western people however
it is acceptable to shake hands.
What to Wear
Light-weight washable cotton or cotton-blend clothes are
suitable.
Do
not bring nylons and other synthetic clothes as these
tend to make you sweat more. A coat or thick jumper is
needed for the winter and in upland areas.
Tip: Bring a
good supply of clothes and or be prepared to launder
frequently as the heat will take its toll and local
standards are high in terms
of personal hygiene. At least two changes of clothes a
day would be recommended. Skip the rain coats and
stick to rubber sandals and umbrellas for the rainy
season. A good pair of athletic sandals or sneakers
(running shoes) will prove invaluable.
Currency The Kip is the official currency of
Laos. The bank notes are presently in denominations
of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 Kip.
Money can be exchanged at banks, authorized shops, or
hotels. Bring a combination of a visa card as well as
US$ travellers cheques and US$ notes. There is a 3-5%
mark-up for using credit cards in Laos and you are
often a long way from an ATM, so conserve cash and use
your credit card for paying things like your hotel
bill or airline tickets.
All
major currencies such as the US
Dollar, French Franc, DM, Yen, Baht and others can be
exchanged at banks that are located in all major
towns. In Luang Prabang and
Vientiane
competitive rates are offered by numerous
authorized private exchange bureaus. One exchange
facility is available at Wattay Airport in Vientiane.
Exchange bureaus and banks will cash traveller cheques
in major currencies. Furthermore,
most domestic and foreign banks in
Vientiane
allow cash withdrawals on Visa credit card or Master
Card. In case of journeys to remote areas it is, of
course, advisable to take a good supply of Kip with
you.
Banks Banque pour le Commerce
Exterier Lao, Sethathirath Bank, Nakornluang Bank,
Joint Development Bank, and Thai branch banks.
Electricity 220 volts at 50 HZ
Transportation
Public transportation is by bus, taxi and samlo
(rickshaw). There are both
metered
and un-metered taxis. No railroad is available in
Laos. Lao Aviation, Thai Airways International,
Cambodia and Vietnam Airlines connect Wattay Airport
of Vientiane to Bangkok, Yangon, Hanoi, Hochi Minh
City, Phnom Penh and Kunming, China. Domestic flights
shuttle daily between Lao cities. Mittaphab Bridge
across the Mekong to Thailand is another access point
that opened in early 1994.
Culture
About 60% of Lao,
mainly the lowland Lao and a sprinkling of Thai
tribes, are Theravada Buddhists. Every Lao Buddhist
male is expected to become a monk for a short period
of his life, usually between school and starting a
career or getting married. The main non-Buddhist
'religion' is phii worship, a spirit cult which is
officially banned. Hmong/Mien tribes practise animism
and ancestral worship, and some
follow a Christian version of the cargo cult,
believing Jesus Christ will arrive in a jeep, dressed
in combat fatigues. A small number of Lao - mostly the
French-educated elite - are Christians.
Religion is a
major part of daily life and remains
the practice of the massive majority. Show respect in
temples
and shrines, watch how locals behave in such places
and follow suit. Dress neatly when visiting temples
and religious shrines. You should never go shirtless,
or in shorts, miniskirts or hot pants. It is
acceptable to wear shoes when walking around a temple
compound, but not inside the chapel where the
principal Buddha image is kept. Visitors are welcome
to relax and be peaceful in all temples.
Every Buddha image
is regarded as a sacred object, no
matter
how big, small, old or new. Never climb onto a Buddha image
to take a photograph or do anything which might
indicate a lack of respect.
Keep your head lower than the Buddhas and monks.
Buddhist priests must not be touched by a woman nor accept anything from
the hand of one. If a woman gives anything to a
monk, she first hands it to a
man,
who then presents it. Don't turn your back on a
Buddha, when you walk away from one do so in reverse,
then turn and walk away when you have gone a
respectable distance.
Language
The official language of
Laos is Lao, as spoken and written in
Vientiane.
There are five main dialects in the country, each of
which can be divided into further sub-dialects. All
Lao dialects are closely related to the languages
spoken in Thailand, northern Myanmar and pockets of
China's Yunnan Province.
Health
Medical and dental facilities are
mostly operated by the government.
Private clinics and pharmacies are available in the
major cities. The International Clinic is operated under the
supervision of the Ministry of Health, to accommodate
foreigners and diplomats.
Medicine and Emergencies
See your physician prior to leaving for Laos and bring
your own mini pharmacy/good supply with you in terms
of plasters, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, etc.
Wounds go septic twice as fast as in temperate
climates. Things such as contact lens solutions which
are readily available in Thailand are very difficult
to find - so rely on glasses or bring your own supply.
It is also recommend
that you get medical evacuation insurance prior to
leaving for Lao. It is relatively inexpensive and most
policies generally cover doctors bills, hospital
charges, provide air evacuation for serious injuries
that cannot be treated in country, translators via
phone, medical consultations via phone etc.
Medicines from
France, USA, Russia, Thailand and China are widely
available in
most pharmacies
In case of a
medical
emergency
the following institutions
may
be able to assist. They all operate up-to-date
medical
clinics.
-
International Medical clinic, Fa Ngum Road (next to
Mahosot Hospital) Tel: 214018, 214022, 214025
-
Sethathilath Hospital, Nongbone Road Tel:
412783
-
Friendship Hospital (150 beds) Pholthong Road Tel:
413302, 413303-6
-
Australian Embassy Clinic, J. Nehro St. (near the
Australian Embassy)
Tel: 020 511061, 020 511462, 413603
-
Swedish Clinic, Sok Pa Luang Road (Close to the
Swedish Embassy)
Tel: 315015
Useful Emergency
Contact Numbers
In Vientiane province, the police can be
reached at the emergency number 212520 (Immigration
Office) or 212248, 212251, 212769
(National Tourism Authority of Lao P.D.R.).
Environment
You will rarely be alone in Laos, even when you
seem to be, and pollution is not well received. Bins
are scarce, so use your plastic bags to return rubbish
to towns or villages.
Drugs
Don’t…the penalties may be severe for you and even
worse for the Lao society. Not only that but your stay
within the country
may
land up being a lot longer than you expected.
Travel Warning
As of 2001, most areas of the country are considered
secure. The western portion of Rte 7 in Xieng Khuang
Province, between Muang Phu Khun and Phonsavan, has
recently opened to regular bus traffic though you are
advised to ask around on arrival to make sure the
situation is still safe. The Saisombun Special Zone,
considered a 'troubled' area, is definitely not safe.
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