Laos Travel Tips

Below is a list of Laos travel tips that we believe would be useful for anyone planning to visit Laos.

All are about common sense but because of cultural and traditional differences; it will make a great difference in your travel trip if you know and understand some of their culture.

Laos is a landlocked country and little visited by the outside world. Most parts of the country has still been unchanged for centuries. Lao people are friendly and eager to welcome you to visit their country.

Following are some useful travel information you need to know before you leave home.

Entry requirements:

Visas:
Conditions of the visa change regularly. Please contact the nearest Laos Embassy for the most up to date information.
Passport validity:
Your passport should have a minimum validity of 6 months, or entry to Laos may not be permitted.

Local laws:

Using, possessing, trafficking and manufacturing illegal drugs are serious offences in Laos.
Sexual relationships between foreign citizens and Lao nationals is prohibited, except when the two parties have been married in accordance with Lao Family Law.
It is compulsory to carry an ID document or a passport with you at all time.
Photographing or visiting military sites is prohibited.

Customs And Traditions:

Nop is the traditional greeting which can be used to say "thank you" and "goodbye" as well.
Remove shoes when entering temples and homes.
Ask permission before taking pictures of people.
Do not touch people or children on their heads.

Health:

You should seek medical advice before traveling to Laos and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. Highly recommend Travel Insurance Center for your insurance need!

In Laos most medical and dental facilities are running by the government. Only in major cities private clinics and pharmacies are available. For Diplomats and foreigners there are international clinics to look after them. Most pharmacies in Laos have medicines from USA, France, Russia, Thailand and China.

Laos travel tips about Money:

Currency:
Lao Kip (LAK)
Currency Exchange:
Thai Baht and US Dollars are the easiest currencies to exchange. They are also widely accepted in shops, markets and hotels in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs:

Major credit cards are accepted in the more upmarket hotels and restaurants only.
Traveler's Checks:
Limited acceptance. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in US Dollars or Thai Baht.

Laos travel tips about transportation:

Road Travel
There are buses and private coaches running from major cities to another. Taxi and TukTuk are the best mean of transport to travel around the city.

River Travel:
There are slow boats and speed boats operating in daily basic. Take special precaution when traveling by speed boats particularly in the dry season, November to April. Life-vests and crash helmets should be provided and worn.

Air Travel:
The national airline of Laos is Laos Airlines. It flights domestic route daily from major cities to another. There are no direct flights from the USA, Australia or Europe; flights are mainly via Bangkok, Vietnam, China or Cambodia.

Laos travel tips about Communications:

Telephone:
Country code: 856. The General Post Office (GPO) offers public telephones for national and international calls. There are also card phone booths available.

Mobile Telephone:
Roaming agreements exist with a few international mobile phone companies. Check with your service provider for more detailed.
Internet:
Internet cafes are located in the major towns and are becoming increasingly common in places frequented by backpackers.
Post:
Post Office is located beside the Morning Market in Vientiane. Postal service is inexpensive and reliable but it can take around two weeks to/from Western countries. A courier service is recommended for urgent or valuable mail.
Press:
English-language newspapers include the Vientiane Times.
Le Rénovateur is a French-language newspaper.
The Lao-language daily is the Vientiane Mai.
Radio:

Several Radio Stations but Lao National Radio is the national radio station broadcasts news in Lao, English, French and Thai..
TV Station
There are two TV stations, Lao National Television (LNTV) and Laostar TV.

Time:
GMT + 7.

Vientiane Time Now!!

Electricity:
230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Duty Free:
Goods listed below may be imported into Laos without incurring customs duty:

500 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500g of tobacco.
One bottle of alcoholic beverage and two bottles of wine.
Personal jewelery up to 500g.

Note: Exportation of antiques such as Buddha images and other artifacts is prohibited.

In this page about Laos travel tips we add additional governments websites from four different countries and from World Health Organization for you to do more research about Laos and hope these will help.

Australia Nationals:
Website: Smarttraveller.gov.au/Laos or Top 10 travel tips

British Nationals:
Website: www.fco.gov.uk/Laos

USA Nationals:
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/Laos

Canada Nationals:
Website: Voyage.gc.ca/Laos

World Health Organization:
Website: World Health Organization/Laos

Hopefully, this Laos travel tips will help you enjoy your trip in Laos.

Thought For The Day:"Turn Your Hobby into Revenue"

My hobby is to travel. I have visited many places in the world and I finally fell in love with Laos. Therefore, I created this web site using Site Build It! to let the world know about this country and earn extra income from it. You do not need any experience or web site programming to build a web site with Site Build It!
See results for yourself here how other people started a successful business based on their knowledge and experience rather than their own product or service.