Visa Arranging a visa in Europe takes a lot of time. You have to send your passport to the embassy, and they will then send all the information to Laos and wait for the return. After the right documents have returned, it takes one more week. Addresses in Europe are:
- Am Lessing 6, 5330 Köningswinter 1 GERMANY, tel ..../22321501
- Avenue Raymond Poincaré 74, 75116 Paris, FRANCE tel ...../45530298
It's easier to arrange your visa in Bangkok. We got ours with express service. That means you'll have to wait 2 hours for 1350 Bht. Without the express service, it's cheaper (about 1000 Bht), and it takes 1 day. The embassy is on Soi St. Louis 3, a side road from THANON SATHON TAI. You can only apply in the morning. Bring 2 ID photos.
When crossing the border at the NONG KHAI friendship bridge, it is also possible to get a 28 day visa for the same price.
I heard different reports about the length of the visa. At the embassy in Thailand, near the border of NONG KHAI and the border at CHONG MEK you'll get 28 days (always check your entry stamp). I met people who entered Laos in HUAY XAI and only got a visa for 14 days. It is easy to extend your visa in Vientiane, but no more in Luang Prabang (10/99).
We also heard that you can get a 28 day visa when at the airport.
Permits Some hotels in Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang say you need a registration stamp from the police office. We never got one, and we never had problems at control posts or at the border.In fact, we once went to the police office to get a stamp, and we were simply sent away.
Getting in and out of the country By air
Vientiane has an international airport. Most travellers enter the country overland. There are direct flights from:
- Bangkok-Vientiane
- Hanoi-Vientiane
- Saigon-Vientiane
- Chiang Mai-Luang Prabang (Angel Air)
- Kunming-Vientiane
- Pnom Penh to Pakse and further to Vientiane
For more details on schedules, have a look at this excellent site.
International departure tax is 5 US$ (10/99).
Over land
Coming from Thailand, there are 5 legal border crossings, crossing the border costs 10Baht:
- Chong Mek-Pakse
- Mukdahan-Savannakhet
- Nakhon Phanom-Tha Khaek
- Nong Khai-Vientiane
- Chiang Khong-Huay Xai
If you want to enter Vietnam, you best go to LAO BAO. Make sure this border crossing is in your visa. We met people who wanted to cross in the North near Dien Bien Phu (Vietnam), but they did not succeed.
Crossing the border at Nong Khai is pretty straightforward:
- Get your exit stamp from the Thais
- Then get on a bus to cross the friendship bridge (10 Bht)
- Then get your entry stamp from the Lao authorities
- Then get a ride into town for 20 Bht with a Tuk Tuk
Money matters The national currency is the Kipp, but in a lot of places you can also pay with Bath. When changing money, be aware that the rates change every day.
- Bank: 1 US$ = 7000 to 7800 Kipp
- Black market: 1 US$ = 7500 to 8300 Kipp
If you want to change money on the black market, it's best to change in hotels or on the markets. Ask around. Make sure you have new and clean dollar bills Banks can change TC's.
In some banks you can have cash advances with your VISA card, and some hotels and restaurants accept VISA.
Hotels You can easily distinguish 3 types of hotels: 3 or 4 star hotels: you'll only find a couple of them in Vientiane (f.i. Royal Dokmaindeng hotel, Laohotel Plaza....) and some in Luang Prabang (f.i. Villa Santi, Auberge Calao, Phousi hotel...). Prices range between 40 and 300 US$.
In other bigger cities you'll find middle class hotels. Sometimes they're the top class in town. Prices go between 20 and 50 US$.
You can find budget hotels and guesthouses everywhere for between 1 to 15 US$. They are safe, friendly and clean.
Like in other countries, the price for accommodation in the capital is a bit higher then in the rest of the country.
Here are some hotels we stayed in:
1) Vientiane:
- Vannasinh guesthouse: double with bathroom + fan: 5 US$ pp
- Siry guesthouse: double + bathroom + AC: 5 US$ pp
2) Vang Vieng:
- Kamphone guesthouse: double + bathroom + fan: 10.000 Kipp pp
3) Luang Prabang:
- Heritage guesthouse: double + bathroom + fan: 20.000 Kipp pp
- Chaling guesthouse: double + fan: 14.000 Kipp pp
4) Nong Khiaw:
- Philasouk guesthouse: double + bunk bed: 5000 kipp pp
5) Luang Namta:
- Darasavath guesthouse: double: 5000 Kipp pp
6) Udomxai:
- Si Van Kham guesthouse: double 5000 Kipp pp
7) Muang Sing:
- Viengxai guesthouse: double + bathroom: 5000 Kipp pp
8) Savannakhet:
- Riverside resort: double + bathroom + fan: 11.000 Kipp pp
9) Pakse: Vannapha guesthouse: double + bathroom + AC: 20.000 Kipp pp
Safety Until 1994, it was almost impossible to travel by road.
Now most of the country is safe to travel. Route nr. 13 as well as the road from Luang Nan than to Udomxai is safe.
The only road of which the safety is questionable is the one from Kasi to Phonsavan. The last attacks from Hmong guerillas date from 1996-1997. The goes for route 6 between Paksan and Phonsavan.
Take care when you visit the villages near the Vietnam border. There are still a lot of mortar shells, landmines, munitions, cluster bombs etc... Stay on the roads.
Lao people are friendly and honest, so theft is not a real problem for the moment.
Medical matters Malaria
Laos is a C area according to the WHO. This means that Lariam is the drug of choice.
It's not so easy to find good info in the medical press on malaria in Laos. the statistics they have are not as good as in Thailand f.i. I did find one article dating from 1992 with as title "The malaria situation and antimalaria program in Laos", but it's not very detailed. Nevertheless, here are some important remarks:
- The prevalent parasite is Plasmodium falciparum (20 to 75% of the cases), followed by P. Vivax (5 to 25% of the cases). PS: P. Falciparum is the most dangerous).
- There is widespread resistance to Chloroquine (73% of the cases), almost none to Lariam (only 2,5%) and none to Quinine (0%).
- The incidence of malaria has been reduced due to a DDT eradication program.
For more info on side effects of Lariam and Doxy, have a look at the "Medical Matters" section of this site.
Hepatitis A
If you travel with a backpack and don't mind eating in cheap restaurants, it's easy to catch Hepatitis A. Chances of getting infected range from 1/300 to 1/50 per month depending on your standard of travelling. It's not dangerous, but you will be sick for some weeks.
There is a good vaccination for Hepatitis A nowadays, so ask your doctor. You need 2 shots (used to be 3 shots) at 0 and 6 months, although if you can it's even better to postpone the second shot till after 12 months. They are expensive, but they protect you for 10 years.
Hepatitis B
You can only get this through sex and blood transfusion. Since prevalence of Hepatitis B is much higher in SE Asia then in the Western world, it might be wise to get vaccinated.
Get your shots at 0, 1 and 6 months. They are equally expensive as hepatitis A.
Typhoid fever
There is also a good vaccination consisting of 3 pills to be taken every 2 days. Take them early enough before you leave since it's better not to combine them with malaria pills, although these guidelines have recently changed (meaning you can combine them). The vaccination works for 3 years.
Travellers diarrhea
We always have antibiotics at hand in case of diarrhea. We take Ciproxine 250 mg two tablets at once and then another 3 tablets, one tablet every 12 hours.
|
