Any tips on Laos?

[fedssocr]

I spent a week in Laos back in December. Hornet, etc have some guys but not a huge amount.

 

the Nomadicboys blog has some LP info

http://nomadicboys.com/discover-gay-laos-luang-prabang/

 

It's a very interesting country. I was only in LP for a few days and then spent the rest of my time in the south which is beautiful.

[Joeblack]

LP seems to be a relatively quiet place.

Anyone has more information to share on the area?

[Brummbaer]

The whole country is quiet. I spent a week with my BF in LPQ and VTE last christmas. Lao PDR stands for Lao - please don't rush. There is a national nightly curfew (midnight I believe), so from about 11 or 11:30 pm the lights get switched off and it seems they fold up the sidewalks.

Sex between a Lao national and a foreigner is forbidden by law unless they are married to each other, hotels and guesthouses are not supposed to let Lao nationals and foreigners stay in the same room. No idea, if that is enforced or checked, proceed AYOR as they would call it in the old Spartacus Guides.

You'll have seen the touristy sights of both places inside of two days. In the old royal palace in Luang Prabang there is supposed to be an interesting exhibition of all the royal automobiles used by the king until 1975 - but the palace was unfortunately closed the two days we were in LPQ.

Gay bars like in Thailand don't exist except for one bar in VTE which we didn't find. There are some gay owned/operated places. Gay life is much more hidden than in LOS.

 

In Luang Prabang we stayed at 3 Nagas (4* belongs to Accor Group) and in Vientiane at Mercure (Accor too) because I had Accor Points to burn. IBIS in VTE would have been the better choice for Location. Both hotels had no problem with a Thai and a European sharing a bed. 3 Nagas were especially helpful. Cute staff at both places, too. 

 

We flew in from Bangkok to Luang Prabang with Lao Air, be prepared that Visa on Arrival takes about 45-60 minutes of queueing at the first counter, then another half hour at actual Immigration. My BF as Thai national just got his entry stamp and already had all our luggage off the belt before I finally was through. LPQ to VTE we used Lao Skyway - they own 2 chinese built 60-seater turboprops, one of which is out of service since it had an accident after landing about a year ago - a couple of 8-12 seaters and a few old russian helicopters. Costs about US$ 40 one way. We left VTE to BKK on Bangkok Air (again, I have about a quarter million miles on a frequent flyer account with german AirBerlin, so I used air miles to pay for that flight).

 

If you want a quiet week or two, Lao is your destination. Lao PDR reminds me of LOS in the 1980/1990ies.

[vinapu]

Quiet but worth a trip. Luang Prabang can keep one occupied for few days just with sightseeing, trip up the river to 1000 Buddhas caves  is very interesting. If one is overtempled nice braek at waterfalls can be had for a day.

 

I was very impressed with Plain Of Jars at Phonsavan but my advice will be to spend night there and 1 day trip was very exhausting , not even as much for me  but for my driver.

 

[Joeblack]

Thanks for the tips, vinapu!

[Guest]

There might be laws, but that doesn't completely stop prostitutes plying their trade.   Sadly the ones wandering the streets of Vientiane late at night were mostly female.

From 2 visits to the country, the sum total of visitors to my hotel room is one lad in Luang Prabang & one in Vientiane. Additionally, there was some fun in a sauna in another town & a few naughty massages in Vientiane.  

 

Luang Prabang is a great place to visit.  One of the best in SE Asia.   Also, take a trip out to the waterfalls.  

 

As for the debauchery, why not schedule your trip so you indulge for a few days in somewhere like Bangkok or Pattaya first ?

[Joeblack]

I'm in Bangkok for a week, then off to laos via Vientiane and then LP.

[Brummbaer]

You might get a shock seeing prices at food stalls or shops. US$ 1 = 8,000 LAK or  1,000,000 Kip = US$ 125 

Shop around for changing money, exchange rates vary, VTE has better rates than LPQ, for example, or use one of the many ATMs around.

ATMs will spit out 100,000 or 50,000 notes. Use one or two of those in a supermarket to get smaller notes. If you buy a coke or snack for 7 or 8,000, small vendors will not have enough change for the 50,000 or sometimes even 20,000 note.

 

And, I almost forgot, get rid of your Kip before leaving the country. You won't be able to change them anywhere outside Lao. Well, you might be able to sell them on ebay as collectors item

[Joeblack]

That's cool...

Was also told that the Thai baht was commonly used as a second unofficial currency there?

Would it be a good idea to bring baht in smaller denominations there?

[vinapu]

 

As for the debauchery, why not schedule your trip so you indulge for a few days in somewhere like Bangkok or Pattaya first ?

and get acquainted with some Lao boy working there, you may take him to Laos with you

[Joeblack]

lol... Free tour with boy...

[Brummbaer]

That's cool...

Was also told that the Thai baht was commonly used as a second unofficial currency there?

Would it be a good idea to bring baht in smaller denominations there?

 

in Vientiane near the border to Thailand that might work, But in Luang Prabang prices were higher when my BF tried to pay in THB. Those guys accepting the foreign currency will have to change it in to Kip sometime later and will not give you the best rate. What we did was take out 500.000 Kip out of an ATM the first day, then saw how long that would last us (about 1 day for 2 persons, eating out, buying things at the market). Took out more the next time. Any left over Kip spend at duty free or exchange to baht when leaving. There are exchange booths in VTE airport. 

 

There are night markets in Vientiane Chao Anuvong Park / Quai Fa Ngum next to Mekong river and in Luang Prabang on Sisavangvong road by the Royal Palace, but you'll have to look hard to find products made in Lao. 

[Joeblack]

Ic... Most of the products are mass produced China stuff?

Looking forward to my trip to Laos soon!

[Brummbaer]

Most of the tshirts actually had tabels with "made in Thailand"

[vinapu]

 

There are night markets........ and in Luang Prabang on Sisavangvong road by the Royal Palace, but you'll have to look hard to find products made in Lao. 

In Luang Prabang they have this program  where locally made good are bearing sticker  " made in Luang Prabang".

 

I'm proud owner of 'made in Laos" T-shirt with Plain Of Jars picture on it. 

[Joeblack]

Hope to get some

Lao jewellery...

Some Lao clothes

And some Lao tea

[vinapu]

all available, don't expect much from Lao tea, in this respect Laos is not excatly Sri Lanka nor Kenya

[Joeblack]

Really?

I saw some tea sold apparently from trees that were more then 400 years old...

[witty]

Try some nice coffee from the Bolaven plateau.

[Moses]

Tea from Laos is just average. witty gave you right advise: check coffee instead of tea.

[Joeblack]

Back from Laos... the place is amazing... however prices are on the high side... probably because most of the foodstuffs were imported!

 

But I will definitely be back there in future!

[fedssocr]

I was there last December and had a great time too. LP, cruise on the Mekong in the south, Bolaven Plateau. It could be a great "eco tourism" destination with some marketing.