How ‘Backwards’ is Laos?

(November 2009)

That’s the first question I get from everyone who learns that I just returned from a trip to Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Like many Westerners whom I met thought Malaysians lived with Orang-utan in tree houses, many Malaysians and Singaporeans think that Laotians live in villages without modern amenities and facilities.

  

Most are often surprised when they learn that modest guest houses costing US$10/room/night and fancy hotels costing a couple hundred US$/room/night are available with cable TV, wireless broadband, etc. They are even more surprised to learn that one can easily find Western-style cafes with good to great coffee and pastries, and the numerous French bakeries and restaurants all over Laos.

The capital, Vientiane, with its size and buildings, exudes a feel like one of the many towns in Malaysia, e.g. Ipoh, Seremban, etc. However, the roads in Vientiane are more organized, cleaner, and in a better surfacing condition than its neighbors, including Malaysia. You certainly won’t find chaotic traffic with blaring honks, trash-lined streets, and dust-polluted roads. Honestly, I find Vientiane cleaner than all other ASEAN capitals, with the exception of Singapore.

Banks, licensed money changers, ATM’s, internet cafes, and convenience stores may not be as heavily populated as Thailand but are again more tourist-friendly than many other ASEAN capitals.

One can easily travel anywhere with the readily available tuk-tuk’s and taxi’s. If you are more environmentally, health, and wallet conscious, you can rent a bicycle which is a safe form of transportation in this low-traffic and low-crime city.

In terms of tourism infrastructure, Laos is still behind Thailand but not by a wide margin. In fact, I think the tourism-related information, transportation, accommodation, and activities in Laos are more accessible in a less stressful manner than many of its neighbors, such as Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and yes, even Malaysia. This observation is made by comparing the respective capital cities.