We didn't know much about Laos, but we had the impression that it would be an amazing country. So it was. Of the 29 days Stay in this small and often forgotten country of Southeast Asia, we have many good memories.

Here we bring our travel guide to Laos for backpackers. A complete guide to our trip through Laos. Visa, currency, when to go, travel, how much it costs, what is the best and the worst, reference prices, transport and more!

VISA

To enter Laos both by land border and by an airport it is necessary that you process the visa upon arrival. The price is 35$ And you will need two photos. The time of stay is of 30 days.

CURRENCY

The official currency of Laos is the Kip (LAK). You can calculate the exchange rate updated in the following table.

WHEN TO TRAVEL

In Laos, there are two seasons: rains (from May to October) and the dry (from November to April). It cannot be said that it is best to visit it in this last era. Being a very long country there are differences between the north and the south. For example, in the dry season in the north it can get quite cold, however between the months of March to May in the south it is almost unbearable heat.

VACCINES

In Laos there is a risk of dengue and malaria, but in the latter case you don't have to worry too much because it is mostly concentrated in rural areas. The most tourist and urban areas are free of Malaria.

The recommended vaccines They are: Hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever and tetanus (you probably already have it).

• More recommendations from the Foreign Ministry for Laos
• More recommendations from the Ministry of Health

BUDGET

(€ 1 = 10,479 kips). Laos is a cheap country, especially for the issue of accommodation: it is easy to find a double room for 3-4 euros! Although eating and especially transportation is not as cheap as for example in neighboring Thailand.

In total, in the 29 days of traveling through Laos we have spent each354,52€, with a daily average of € 12.23 thus broken down:

• accommodation: the total sum of the last 29 nights in Laos, per person, is € 74.91 with a daily average of € 2.58 (The cheapest night cost us € 1 each and the most expensive € 4!) The rooms where we were normally had a fan and private bathroom, in some cases also wifi. Prices are higher in big cities, where getting off 60,000 kips is very complicated.

• Food: in total we spend € 127,015 each per day are € 4.38 for lunch, dinner and sometimes breakfast. We haven't found many street places to eat, and if we found them, they weren't much cheaper than the restaurants ... the exception is maybe Luang Prabang where in the night market you can eat an all-you-can-eat dish for € 1.

• Transport: here the “rule” of € 1 per hour of travel is not valid, transport is more expensive and due to the state of very slow roads… in total we spend € 111.56 each, with a daily average of € 3.85 . In many cases (especially in the north) it is more profitable to take a minivan than local buses, just as expensive and slower.

• Tickets / activities: here we include kayak rental, the visit to the cave of Kong Lor, museums, temples ... In total the cost was € 24.05, daily average of € 0.84.

• Various: several purchases, such as toothpaste, t-shirts, scissors etc ... in total € 16.51, daily average of € 0.57.

Some reference prices

• Double room: 30,000-60,000 kips
• Loaf of bread: 2,000 kips
• Snack: 10,000-15,000 kips
• Rice noodles dish: 15,000 kips
• Western food: 20,000-50,000 kips
• Big beer: 10,000 kips
• Water: 2,000-5,000 kips
• Drinks: 5,000 kips
• Gasoline: 10,000 kips / liter
• Bike rental: 10,000 kips / day
• Motorcycle rental: 50,000-60,000 kips / day
• T-shirt: 20,000-40,000 kips

PLUG

The plugs that can be found in Laos are of three types: the A with two flat pins; Type B with three flat pins, or Type C, the European with two round pins, like the ones in the picture. You can buy a universal adapter or get a specific one as soon as you reach your destination.

ITINERARY

Our trip to Laos for free lasted 29 days. We enter the land border of Huay Xai from Thailand and we traveled from north to south, making stops at:

• Luang Namtha
• Muang Ngoy Neua
• Luang Prabang
• Phonsavan
• Vang Vieng
• Vientiane
• Kong Lor Cave
• Pakse - Bolaven Plateau
• Champasak
• Don Det - 4,000 islands

HOW TO MOVE

Transportation in Laos is one of the weak points of this country. The only way to move is in local bus or tourist minivan. The former are usually quite uncomfortable and very slow tartanas, the latter are faster but going on them is a bit crazy due to the very bad conditions of the roads. Calculate an average of about 35 km per hour. The price is higher than in neighboring countries (€ 1.5 - € 2 per hour).

WHAT TO EAT

Another of the negative points of Laos. The culinary culture in this country is not too interesting and the diet we carry on our trip through Laos was based on the typical rice and fried noodles. Of course, you can be almost certain that everything you eat has not been processed or genetically modified.

If food is something that does not stand out in Laos, your beer is delicious! Lao Beer, point the name, one of the best beers we tried!

THE BEST AND THE WORST

This is one of our favorite sections, here we tell you anecdotes of the trip, personal sensations of the place, things that we have loved but also that we have not liked anything ... in short summary of our passage through Laos.

The best

• Muang Ngoi Neua: a paradise where you can spend your days lying in the hammock, reading, listening to music and resting accompanied by a beautiful natural setting.
• The boat trip to Luang Prabang, with fabulous scenery and reaching the most famous city of Laos at sunset was wonderful.
• Be able to see the most rural Laos, passing through isolated and built villages on the cliffs of the northern mountains.
• The Phonsavan Hmong New Year seemed to us for a second to be at the April fair, although instead of Sevillians there was Hmong dancing hehe.
• The Wiener-shnitzel of Vang vieng mmm, and of course the kayak excursion through the green waters of its river.
• Take a few quiet days in Vientiane, walking along its banks and watching hundreds of Laotians doing aerobics, cycling, playing basketball, walking their dogs ... And all accompanied by beautiful sunsets.
• The Kuang Si waterfall, near Luang Prabang, with its cool and inviting waters!
• Kong Lor's cave deserved to divert our route to this corner of Laos!
• The motorcycle tour of the Boulaven Plateau, freeeeeeedom!
• Eat gnocchi with ragú in the restaurant “Frice e Luanje”, as I would like to eat them now !!
• Crossing the Mekong in an improvised wooden boat, which seemed to end the Titanic from one moment to the next.
• The hammocks of Don Det on the banks of the Mekong, and the meat barbecues of our favorite bar.
• Luang Namtha's most handsome dog, that when you caressed his neck he began to bostizar!

Worst

• Transport, apart from expensive, sometimes gives you the feeling of not going safe, either because of the thousands of bumps in the road or the crazy driver on duty.
• The illegal fees that make you pay at the borders, both to enter (because it was Sunday) and to leave (because there the local rule was this, literal words of a guide).
• In general the atmosphere of Vang Vieng, nothing to say, tastes are tastes, but we found it a bit sad that MANY travelers, arrived in Laos only by the Tubing without trying to know anything more about this country.
• Phonsavan prices in the clouds for being “hmong's new year”.
• That on the last day they tried to scam us at the Don det hotel, they wanted to charge us two more nights saying that we had checked in 2 days before the actual date, so we had a ticket with the arrival date of a purchase made in Pakse ... but we had a hard time and said goodbye to Laos with a bitter taste ...

OUR ITEMS

These are the posts we have written:

• VISAS FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA (FOR SPANISH CITIZENS)
• LAOS TRAVEL GUIDE FOR BACKPACKERS
• 4,000 ISLANDS: MON AMOUR HAMMOCK
• BACKPACKING BY CHAMPASAK BY MOTORCYCLE
• EXPLORING THE BOLAVEN PLATEAU BY MOTORCYCLE
• KONG LOR CAVE: 7 KILOMETERS AMONG DARKNESS
• VIENTIANE, THE QUIET CAPITAL
• VANG VIENG: WELCOME TO DISNEYLAOS
• PHONSAVAN: END OF YEAR HMONG AMONG JARRAS
• NAVIGATING TO LUANG PRABANG
• A LEMONLAO IN MUANG NGOI NEUA
• SABAIDEE LAOS: OUR FIRST STEPS

OUR PICTURES

These are our best photos: Google Photos photo album.

And remember that at the end of each post there is useful information about each place!

We hope our travel guide to Laos for backpackers be useful to you For any doubt, question or curiosity do not hesitate to write to us and we will be happy to help you.

Video: BACKPACKER GUIDE: LAOS. HOW TO TRAVEL LAOS. (April 2024).