Laos



Luang-Prabang
Vientiane
Vang-Vieng

Overview

Office name: The Laos People's Democratic Republic
 
Flag: The flag consists of three horizontal strips, middle blue strip is twice the height of the top and bottom red stripes. In the middle is a white disc.
 
Capital: Vientiane
 
Government: Socialist Republic
 
President: Lt. Gen. Choummaly Sayasone
 
Prime minister: Bouasone Bouphavanh
 
Population: 6.5 million (2007)
 
Local time: GMT + 7
 
Area: 236,800 km2/ 91,429 sq. miles
 
Drives on the: Right
 
Religions: Buddhism: 85%; Christianity: 8%, Caodaism: 3%; Other: 4%
 
Ethnics: Lao Loum (lowland) 67%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao (Mien) 9%, Vietnamese 2%
 
Official Languages: Lao
 
Other Languages: French, Vietnamese
 
Calling code: 856
 
Voltage: 220V AC 50 HZ
 
Independence: July 19, 1949 from France
 
Internet Code: .la
 
Currency: Kip
 
Notes: 1,000; 2,000; 5,000; 10,000; 20,000; 50,000
 
Coins: none
 
Geography: Laos is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Burma (Myanmar) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west.

Weather

Laos has two distinct seasons - the wet and the dry.

Laos' wet season runs from around May to October, and as with many Southeast Asian countries, 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' dry season has two distinct sub-sections - first comes the cool dry season and then comes the hot dry season - the former is one of the most popular times to visit Laos, the later less so. The cool dry season runs from November to February and the hot dry season from March to April. What the hot season lacks in length it makes up in ferocity - they don't call it the hot season for nothing.
 
What makes the hot season even more unbearable is the smoke factor - from March to May farmers set fire to rice stubble and degraded (and not-so-degraded) forest to improve soil fertility in preparation for a new rice crop. The resulting fires bathe most of Laos (including Luang Prabang) in a layer of smoke which, aside from ruining vistas and photos can become really irritating to the eyes. March to May in Laos.
 
The cool dry season on the other hand is an excellent time to go. Temperatures are relatively low, the air is cleaner and, particularly in November and December, the rivers are high enough to make river travel a breeze. Not surprisingly, this period in Laos is the peak season.
 
Summary
 
Dry season runs from November to April. November to February are cooler while March and April are blisteringly hot. April is the hottest month.
 
Wet season runs from May to October, though it may start a little early in a couple of Laos' northern provinces. August is the wettest month.

Tourism Information

Vientiane is the capital city of Laos and its seat of government. As a former French Indochinese state, Vientiane has a compelling history of colonial domination and internal conflicts that have ravaged the country in the past. Despite this, the pace of life in the capital is surprisingly slow and laid-back. Vientiane (pronounced ‘Wieng Chan’ by the locals) houses several interesting Buddhist monasteries as well as bustling markets.
 
This ancient city has become the centerpiece of tourism in Laos, a city of majestic buildings and serene natural surroundings that has survived decades of war and revolution. UNESCO has declared Luang Prabang a World Heritage site.
 
 
Plain of Jars
The Plain of Jars archaeological site is believed to be over 2,000 years old. Huge jars of mysterious origin are arranged haphazardly in over a dozen different groupings, including several hundred in five major groups. Each jar weighs about 6.6 tons and is fashioned from solid stone that does not appear to come from the area. Archaeologists believe the jars were used for burial purposes.
 
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Students of war history will want to visit the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which played a prominent role in two wars – it was used by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War and by the Viet Minh in the war against the French in the fifties. The trail runs parallel to the Vietnam-Laos border and consists of a network of gravel roads and dirt paths.
 
Pha That Luang
The most revered national monument in Laos is a fitting representation of Buddhist religion and the country’s sovereignty. It is surrounded by a series of high walls with windows, said to be erected by King Anouvong in the early 19th century as a defense against invaders.

Transportation

There are flights from Vientiane's Wattay airport to Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Yangon (Rangoon) in Myanmar (Burma) and Kunming in China.

It is now legal for non-Thai foreigners to cross the Mekong into Laos at the following 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 harrassing than a slight delay. It's possible to cross to or 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.

It is now possible to travel to every province in Laos by some form of public road transport. Regular buses ply Rte 13 between Luang Prabang and Savannakhet. Other routes in the South, eg, Pakse to Sekong, typically use flat-bed trucks mounted with carriages and seats. The alternative mode of getting around is river transport. The main thoroughfares are the Mekong, Nam Ou, Nam Khan, Nam Tha, Nam Ngum and Se Don. With the increase in road travel, river passenger services are declining year by year, but you can still catch long-distance ferries (called heua duan, express boats, not to be confused with the extremely fast heua wai, speed boats) between Huay Xai and Vientiane. For shorter trips it's usually best to hire a river taxi or, in the upper Mekong, a speed boat.

There are a few taxis in the larger towns, plenty of three-wheeled motorcycles and, for shorter distances, pedicabs. Bargaining skills will be required. Small 100cc motorbikes can be rented in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet. Bicycles can be rented in Vientiane, Savannakhet, Don Khong and Luang Prabang.
 

Search Tours

Support online

Booking via Internet
Tour & Hotel booking information
General Information
Chat with meChat with me

Weather

Ha Noi

No significant clouds
  • No significant clouds
  • Temperature: 13 °C

Ho Chi Minh

Scattered clouds
  • Scattered clouds
  • Temperature: 24 °C

Vientiane

Few clouds
  • Few clouds
  • Temperature: 25 °C

Phnom-Penh

No significant clouds
  • No significant clouds
  • Temperature: 26 °C

Siemreap

No significant clouds
  • No significant clouds
  • Temperature: 28 °C

Newsletter