Laos
Currency : Laotian Kip
Visa : 30 day visa on arrival, or e-visa
My Laos Itinerary
Laos is part of the classic banana pancake trail and for good reason. From the Mekong River to the mountain valleys of Vang Vieng, this country has so much to offer. It still seems relatively untouched by mass amounts of toursim. I spent just 7 days here, but made some incredible memories in that short space of time.
The history of Laos is a sad one. Laos is the most bombed country in the world per capita. They suffered hugely during the Vietnam war with more than 2 million tonnes of bombs dropped on them.
The Slow Boat – Pai – Pak Beng
I opted to take the slow boat. I had heard so many mixed opinions on taking this boat, but for the experience I decided I would take the boat- and honestly it didn’t disappoint.
I paid 2,700 baht for the trip which included:
- A van from Pai – Huay Xai
- A stop at the White Temple in Chiang Rai
- Accommodation for 1 night in Huay Xai
- An omlette roll before embarking the slow boat
- 2 days on the slow boat.
At 8.00 am we were collected by our bus and started the 8 hour journey toward Huay Xai. Before crossing the boarder we stopped in Chiang Rai at the white temple and walked around for 45 minutes. The temple is beautiful to look at from the outside, a beautifully unique piece of architecture. I was confused however by the paintings of different disney and pixar characters on the inside?
We picked up some snacks in 7/11 before getting back on the bus and heading toward immigration. For me I found the immigration process quite stressful.
Before we got to the border our bus stopped at this building on the side of the road to get our pictures taken for the visa. When we arrived at the immigration we were told we wouldn’t have to pay anymore for our visa. The form we had to fill out was ever so slightly confusing and we ended up having to pay 1$ to the immigration officers when we handed in the visa slip and another 1$ as we passed the inspection point. It is just something to be aware of! We were then loaded onto another double decker bus, assigned a lady who would show us to our accommodation.
Our accommodation was a cute little homestay in the heart of Huay Xai, run by locals. The rooms were simple and nothing glamarous, but that is all part of backpacking!
In the evening we took a walk around the town and ate in a small local restaurant near our accommodation and treated ourselves to some pancakes from a street vendor.
In Huay Xai there is an eco-tourism project called the Gibbons Experience where you live in tree houses connected by ziplines on a 3 day, 2 night tour. It was highly recommended by people we met and I will definitely go back at some point to check it out!
Day 2- It is slow boat day! I was really excited to be setting off down the Mekong River. It is really important you buy snacks and drinks in advance as there are limited options on the boat and they are quite pricey! We bought sandwiches near the pier prior to boarding.
The slow boat we were on was a barge like wooden boat crammed with what looked like recycled bus seats. The seats were worn and left barely any leg room while the hum of the engine added a strangely calming ambience to the air. The boat was 50:50 tourists/ locals. The boat was used as a postal service, so people would often hop off the boat into the banks with a mail bag slung over their shoulders. You could see the slow basic life the people of Laos lived and it made me appreciate everything I have so much more.
The journey was magical for so many reason. There was no phone signal so everybody was forces to speak with each other and share their stories. The journey honestly made me forget about any worries I had and just to enjoy the moments of pure tranquil and bliss as clouds rolled over the tall green mountains that surrounded us.
In the evening the boat docked at Pak Beng and immediately we were surrounded by a crowd of people trying to get us to stay in their accommodation. We stayed in a homestay with the group of friends we had made along the way. The town had such a raw feel to it with basic buildings dotted around.
To eat we found this restaurant called Sabaidee. The restaurant was so cute. Their menus were handwritten into little diaries and the books were filled with messages from previous customers offering advice, inspirational messages or just their favourite option off the menu. I opted for the buffalo curry and it did not disappoint! I can’t forget how beautiful the view was overlooking the Mekong River!
If you have time in the evening head to the Hive Bar to watch the sunset!
Pak Beng – Luang Prabang
Where I stayed: The Funny Riverside Hostel https://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/p/317337/funny-riverside-backpackers/&utm_source=shared_property&utm_medium=clipboard&utm_campaign=317337
Before you head off on your final day along the river make sure to pick up food again!!! It will be a long 8 hours otherwise. The second day was filled with the same peace and tranquility as the day before with the beautiful green mountains contrasting against the brown Mekong River. As the day was coming to an end I was itching to get off the boat, as beautiful and as appreciative I was to be on this journey.
The boat stops about 3km upstream, so we had to bargain with the tuktuks outside to get into Luang Prabang. The hostel was beautiful with a perfect mix of a social and chill environment.
The next day we woke up at 11.00am to head to the famous Kuang Si Waterfalls. On the walk to the falls we passed by a bear sanctuary. The waterfalls seem unrealistic when you see them with a cascade bright turquoise waters spilling down limestone rocks into an infinite amount of pools. It looks like something straight out of a postcard. Here you can swim, Jump into the pools and just wander along the forest area. Beware of the fish in the pools…. They bite!!!
In Luang Prabang, nightlife is limited due to bar curfews. After 10.00pm everybody piles into tuktuks and heads 3km out of town to a bowling alley! It is essential that you go here while on your trip for a unique night out experience.
There are many things to do in Luang Prabang such as if you wake up at 5.00am you can watch the monks walk down the streets and accept offerings from locals.
In the evenings we would head to the Luang Prabang Night markets. There is a massive food court with unlimited amount of options on food, ranging from rotis, to barbeques to chicken feet. The street alongside closes at night and local vendors open stalls selling ornaments and souveneirs. It was here I found the most unique souvenir on my travels. This family claimed souvenirs were made from metal scraps from unexploded bombs that had been left behind after the Vietnam war, melt them down and make them into objects such as spoons and buffalos. Although I am not too sure of the authenticity of these souvenirs it brought the attention of how important the history of Laos is.
Another cute thing to do in Laos is to go to a jewellery making workshop along the river. I went to one called The Garden of Eden. It was such a wholesome experience and was great for the rainy day we were having. We paid roughly 50,000 kip for the experience which also included a huge fruit platter!
Vang Vieng
Where I stayed : Vang Vieng Chill House Hostel https://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/p/331792/vang-vieng-chill-house/&utm_source=shared_property&utm_medium=clipboard&utm_campaign=331792
To get from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, a group of about 10 of us took a train. While we were waiting for the train we decided to pass the time by playing Uno. Unfortunately we quickly learned that was a mistake. Two officers came over to us, picked four people from the group including myself, took our passports from us and lead us to a detainment room. I was sh**ing myself. The officers told us we could go to jail for the night, or up to three months depending on how sorry we were. ORRRRR we could pay 250$ pp. They were trying to accuse of us gambling. They told us we could only play cards if we had had a baby in the last month or someone we knew had died. We had to go outside and think about how sorry we were before returning and bargaining them down to 66$ pp. We probably could have bargained harder in retrospect, but to be honest I was so scared I didn’t know if bargaining would even work.
So yeah that’s basically how I got arrested for playing Uno. I was in foul form for a couple of hours after that. I will write a piece about the few unusual laws in Laos you may not be aware of!
When we arrived in Vang Vieng we took a lift from one of the open back jeeps outside to the Chill House Hostel. On a Friday they have an offer of free unlimited beer for 1 hour, so you best believe we made the most of that offer.
The weather wasn’t on our side in Vang Vieng unfotunately, however we made the most of it while we could. When the rain let up we hired these buggys and drove to lagoon 4 with them. We drove through little villages and past vasts amount of mountains with the same misty clouds pouring over them. It was such a beautiful drive. We spent the day at the lagoon, swinging off ropes into the water and taking a little zipline across the water. I honestly like my inner kid had begun to shine through. After about two hours of being there it started bucketing down rain. We eventually had to make the decision to drive home in the buggys. The rain was pelting us feeling like hailstones hitting our skin, the buggys were sliding all over the road and we were getting absolutely drenched. It was such a fun day and I would recommend to anyone going to Vang Vieng to spend the money and rent a buggy!
The next day, it rained pretty much all day. We had organised to go paramotoring for sunset. Luckily the weather pulled through for 6.30 and we were able to go ahead with our plans. We paid 250,000 kip for this activity. We didn’t go through an official company which was probably a bit silly of us and that’s why it was so cheap, but Oh my days was it the best money I ever spent. 15 minutes in the sky just looking at the town below, flying through the clouds and over the mountains. It was insane. I had tears in my eyes on the descent.
For my final night in Vang Vieng, we went to the Jungle party and had an amazing night out there! Remember to watch out for the drains in Vang Vieng. They have wide open drains along the streets and I ended up falling down one and cutting open my leg!
Stomping Around the Globe 