Things You Should Know About Laos - PART III

Hi to all once again,
this would be our final installment for the Laos must-knows, so please read up on the previous ones if you haven't done so yet. I hope to see all of you guys on Friday in VS @ 2 in the afternoon as i have a meeting with Khooky to discuss about our itinerary (hint: Cambodia might be included!). Do try to come if you have any doubts or comments regarding this trip, thanks!

JW

Transport:

Laos is a large country with a small population; with its' mountainous terrain and rainy monsoons road construction is more of a challenge. Getting around in Laos would rely mainly on boats, buses or even bikes.

Boat: Prices vary according to vessel size, number of passengers, length of journey or even time of the day. There are many ferries and boats for hire up and down the Mekong river which we will be doing our service at Sipandon. Do not expect sheltered decks or even life jackets, as a boat ride is very cheap though it is rather dangerous.

Bus/lorry/songthaew: This would be the main form of 'public' transport. Expect glassless windows, narrow seats with little legspace and sharing the bus with livestock or sacks of farm produce. These include old Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicles, mostly running on poorly maintained roads. The roads in Laos are quite unpredictable due to frequent stops, weather conditions that affect the mud tracks and more often, vehicle breakdowns. Expect to have unprecedented stopovers along the way; patience is the key word here.

Bicycle/Motorbike: These are more common in Southern Laos where bike and motorbike rentals are available to tourists, charging by the day or mileage. We plan to ride around the Bolaven plateau on trusty motorbikes we saw in Vietnam for the thrill and experience over a few days. Sipandon is also best enjoyed on a bicycle, which can be covered within 2 days to finish all the sights.

Car/car hire: A car can be rented for US40-80 day with a driver. This would be too expensive although it would be an alternative to non-existent taxis in Laos. Furthermore, only one of us can drive not counting those who mastered their skill from a screen, thus this would be just a mode of transport that we would not be counting on as we would not know the roads in Laos well enough to drive.

Hitchhiking: This would be a productive way of getting around for free however desperate it sounds. Most Lao drivers are friendly and would stopover for a ride to the nearest village or town, although these would most probably be trucks and lorries delivering goods as privately owned vehicles such as cars are rare in Laos.

Safety concerns:

Accidents: Road accidents are common in Laos as the roads are unpaved and narrow, so we would have to take note of the following. When taking buses, try to get a seat in the middle toward tghe aisle to minimise serious injuries, while avoid taking speedboats as these do not have life jackets and are very likely to capsize when travelling speeds of up to 70km/h.

Theft: Like every foreign country, tourists have to exercise precaution with their belongings and be wary of things happening around them. When we leave the guesthouse or sleep for the night, do remember to lock the doors before doing so. If we were to take a crowded bus, watch your bags and try not to put any money in your pockets. There have been incidents where theiving duos on motorbikes snatch belongings from unwary people, so please exercise caution at all times. Do note that most shops and restaurants close by 8pm daily and some even earlier, as the town's electricity is cut by around then. Thus avoid going out at night as the unlighted streets would pose a danger to anyone.

UXO: Also known as unexplodede ordance, these are remnants of the Vietnam war towards the eastern border of Laos. It poses a threat to anyperson passing by and ranges anything from land mines, mortar shells and even cluster bombs. 130 people die from UXO in Laos every year according to reports from the the UN, thus never touch an object on the ground that might be an UXO no matter how defunct or old it may appear. Although we might not be going near the conflict zones, we never know when we would run into something like this.

Water: Water in Laos is unsafe to drink directly from the tap and sources such as rivers, so only consume mineral water in serrated (sealed) bottles. Check that the caps have not been unscrewed or drink from bottles with corks or tops. With regards to ice, try to refrain from drinking it although water served in most restaurants are mostly safe and boiled. You might also want to bring some iodine tablets for water purification purposes just to be safe.

Bilharzia is one of the more serious health problems in Southern Laos due to its' close proximity to the Mekong River. You are strongly advised to avoid bathing or swimming in rivers or deep fresh water bodies as the disease takes weeks to develop and can do irreversible damage to your internal organs!

Food:

Lao food receives its' influences from neighbors Thailand, Vietnam and China and even France during her occupation. Examples include rice and noodles as the staple food, fermented fish sauce (Vietnam) and even French baguettes being sold on the streets. To be able to find Halal or vegetarian food would be difficult, although the latter can be requested before ordering at Lao restaurants. Laos is also well-known for its' homegrown coffee on the cool Bolaven Plateau, which is something hghly recommended locally for its' freshness. Lao like to eat noodles with beef or chicken slices (just another way of saying its' pho...) and sticky rice, somewhat like glutinous rice with a dipping. However, it is also possible to find other food such as simple steamed white rice, stir-fried chicken, fried rice etc. in Laos. Fish caught from the Mekong is also widely-eaten in various dishes, such as soups. The local speciality would be the Lap, a 'salad' consisting of minced meat or fish mixed with garlic, chillies, shallot and eggplant etc.


Costs:

The recommended cost is around 20 US dollars a day if we scrimp and save, such as by staying at guest houses and eating at less extravagant Lao restaurants, taking cheap public transport and walking if necessary. If you are planning on buying some extra souvenirs, i would suggest bringing more money there to use. However, do note that price tiering is common amongst tourist areas and we might end up paying for more than we should (e.g. transport, accommodation rates) . Fix a price with the seller after checking prices around to gain a better idea and avoid getting cheated.

Note: Tipping is not a Laos custom, do so as your own whim!

Below are some of the hitherto costs in Laos that i hope would give a better estimate for the daily expenditure:

Entrance Fees to Museums/monuments : 1 USD
Standard Lao meal per head: 1-10 USD, depending on where you eat. (1USD = local restaurants!)
Bottled soft drinks (e.g. 7-Up, Pepsi) and mineral water: 2000 Kip (canned drinks are more expensive)

Eggs & baguette breakfast: US$1

One litre of petrol: US$0.50

One litre of bottled water: US$0.25

Bowl of fo\ve (rice noodles): US$0.40

Souvenir T-shirt: US$2.50

Note: not forgeting transport, accomadation and miscellaneous costs!