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There are a few things that you need to
know and seriously take into account
prior to your visit to Laos. This will
make your travel experience much more
enjoyable and you will have to best time
of your life in Laos.
Visa Matters
Visitors traveling to Laos for the
purpose of tourism need a visa. An easy
way is to book a tour to Laos with an
authorized travel agency abroad who has
a formal contact with one of local tour
operators. This agency will provide you
with the necessary form, enabling you to
apply for the visa at your nearest Laos
embassy or consulate or you can make
contact directly with local tour
operators.
If you book a tour to Laos and you are
resident of a country that dose not have
a Laos embassy or in case of urgency,
you can obtain the visa upon arrival
only Vattay airport and Friendship
Bridge which both are the international
border checkpoint in Vientiane. To do so
you will need to meet at least some of
the following conditions:
- Pay a fee
- Have a return air ticket or a valid
visa from a third country.
- Have a confirmation of Hotel in Laos
PDR.
- Certificate of a bank statement or a
life insurance
Custom
- Antique items for example Buddha
images and other old artifacts are
prohibited to be taken out of Laos. If
you have already traveled from
neighboring countries, you are advised
to declare you belongings to the customs
to avoid any problems when leaving Laos.
Health
- There are no requirements for
immunization before entering Laos. Like
other tropical countries, Malaria is a
problem in Laos. It is a good idea to
prepare some kind of mosquito repellant
so that you can use it especially at
night.
Dos & Donts
How respect and use your head; Eyes and
common sense will guide you well in
navigating Laos's culture safely. When
in Laos, try and do as the Laos do and
remember: don't touch heads, don't lose
cool with people, and don't flash your
flesh. The rest about manners: Shoes
left outside, accepting host's greeting;
not upsetting religious feeling. The
Laos are friendly and hospitable. A
minimum of effort will make your trip
smooth and memorable.
Getting Around
The most convenient way of
travelling from a province to another is
by air with
Lao Aviation. It has daily flights
from Vientiane to almost all of the
cities in Laos. There are also regular
buses linking cities in the north to the
south. However, some parts of the road
are still under construction, this makes
it difficult especially when travelling
in rainny season.
For short trips within town tuk tuk
(motorized tricycle) and taxi can be
used. There are a number of places that
you can rent bicycles so that you can
cruise through the city at your
convenience.
Seeing and
Doing
When
traveling in Laos, you should try to
visit the important landmarks of the
main cities around the country. For
example, in Vientiane the landmark is
Thatluang stupa, Patuxay, Budha Park...,
Each place will give you different
feelings from one another. See our
highlights.
If you are in Laos at the same time of
some religious ceremonies, take some
times to see what people are doing. This
will give you the best experience of
Laos. Some ceremonies or festivals that
you should not miss is Lao New Year,
Boat Racing Festival, Thatluang Festival
and other provincial festivals.
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