Seeing Laos on Foot or on 2 Wheels

I thought Thais in northern Thailand was a relax bunch until I visited Laos.

You will naturally slow to a pace where you can actually lounge on a cup of coffee for 2-3 hours without feeling the rush to go anywhere, even in the capital city of Vientiane. I know one can do this anywhere but in Laos, you don’t even have to make an effort to relax.

There are no cycling lanes in Vientiane but the traffic is relatively light even during the day. Combined with the less frantic pace of life in Laos, one has plenty of opportunity and routes to wonder around with minimal effort.

 

Luang Prabang prohibits large vehicles within the town vicinity under the UNESCO guidelines which makes the walking or cycling experience even more appealing.

 

Moreover, this is a good way to promote environment-friendly tourism and to stay healthy at the same time.

You can easily rent one for 25,000 Kip (about US$3/RM10.) Some guest houses or hotels provide complimentary bicycles for their guests.

Sure, the rental is more expensive than places like Chiang Mai or Siem Reap which is US$1-1.50. However, the air quality, road surface condition, and traffic flow are much better in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

From Vientiane to Luang Prabang, and back

(November 2009)

There are 2 options for the direct route: the less scenic route by plane or the more scenic route by bus.

Other differences: 35 minutes and approximately US$85 by plane vs. 8 – 10 hours and approximately US$15 by bus.

Obviously, the plane option is a straight-forward affair on a Fokker from Wattay International Airport in Vientiane to Luang Prabang International Airport serviced by Laos Airlines.

For the bus option, you journey starts at the Kiew Lot Sai Nuan bus station.

The first 2 hours of the bus ride from Vientiane to Vang Vieng is uneventful along a relatively straight stretch of paved road. The subsequent 6.5 hours of ride is challenging to say the least. The picturesque mountainous region coupled with the poorly paved road at times made for a bumpy and windy ride.

This is why you are provided with a bottle of drinking water and a small plastic bag before the bus departs the station. The plastic bag serves both as a trash bag and a sickness bag.

The bus configuration is not standard as some buses are with 2 + 2 seats in a row (2 on the left of the center aisle and 2 on the right), some with 2 + 1 seats in a row, and some with a combination of the two. The 2 + 1 seat configuration is logically the most comfortable as the seats are wider.

Most of the buses have a tiny toilet with just enough room for a medium-sized person to fit in.

If and when the toilet is not in a usable state for various reasons, the bus driver normally makes a quick stop in the middle of a deserted stretch of the road The frequent travelers automatically get off the bus to find a convenient location to relief themselves. It’s actually quite a sight :-)

The bus does stop for a half-an-hour lunch break 5.5 hours into the journey at a rather spacious and clean restaurant in the highland area.

 

The lunch, provided as part of the bus fare, is a choice of either a bowl of rice noodle in broth or a plate of steamed rice with your choice of 2 of the 5 – 6 available vegetables and meat dishes displayed on the serving counter. Note that some Laotians do not practice lining up in a queue.

  

Take the opportunity to enjoy the view of the mountain range behind the restaurant. It takes about 3 hours to reach Luang Prabang from here.

 

For the bus journey from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, the lunch stop is in a village restaurant about an hour before Vang Vieng.

 

The VIP bus fare from Vientiane to Luang Prabang is 115,000 Kip. If you book from a guest house or hotel, the cost is around 160,000 Kip which includes a tuk-tuk ride to the bus station. (US$1 is approximately 8,000 Kip.)

The VIP bus fare from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, however, is slightly less at 95,000 Kip.

The standard bus is air-conditioned but is less plush and is slower. The luggage compartment is ON the bus.

Note 1: The bus makes some stops to drop off or pickup passengers along the journey.

Note 2: Prepare something with a strong but soothing aroma, such as an ointment or an aromatherapy oil, to mask the contagious air in when a sickness bag is in use.

Note 3: When you get off the bus in Luang Prabang, there are tuk-tuk to take you to your intended destination. If you are looking for accommodation, there are numerous guest house staff ready for your patronage.

How Safe is Laos for Travelers?

(November 2009)

This is the next question I normally get from those interested to find out more about this potential travel destination.

Regardless of where you are around the world, you should always avoid poorly lit and/or deserted areas, particularly back alleys.

In Vientiane, I feel completely safe and at ease walking alone even after midnight. There is always a convenience store, a pub, a guest house, a food store, or an internet cafe that stays open well beyond the usual bedtime within a few steps away. There is the occasional ‘sir, you want massage’ or ‘sir, you want lady’ enquiry but the offer is always proposed in a courteous and unobtrusive manner.

One of the restaurant proprietors told me that normally, due to the low traffic volume and low crime rate, I would not see any police officers in the city. However, with the upcoming Commonwealth Games in December 2009 which is held in Laos for the first time, the authorities dispatched all the police officers to be stationed around the city to be trained in directing the traffic, answering tourist enquiries, etc. I thought that was funny.

With the exception of Vientiane and Singapore, no other ASEAN capitals gives me that ‘safe’ impression.