Luang Prabang

[Neo]

Good thread, interesting read and first attempt with photos, practice makes perfect.

Outa greens for ya.

[Mr Earl]

Good pics. i did a report on that a while back. I got lucky with my pics MTD wanted them published in some magazine.

When I was there Laos was a weird place. Kinda uptight. Luang prabang particularly contrived.

[Phuketrichard]

Am in Luang Prabang now and its HOTTER than i have ever seen it in Phuket.

SO far am not to impressed and it is more expensive than phuket for food and drinks( except Beer lao which s only 10,000 kip for a large bottle)

Plenty of places to stay and nice GH's on the river, ( $20-30/night with air con, wifi in room and breakfast) but it must be unbearably crowded in high season when its full.

Did the river trip up to Pak ou caves yesterday, nice 2 hour trip up by slow boat and 40 minutes at the cave was enough and an hour back.

Entered at Chaing Kong in Thailand with my own car an been driving. some nice roads and some really Bad ( 1 stretch from Luang Namtha to Udomxai 70 kms of shit where we averaged about 35 kms/hour.

People are friendly and western food everywhere

[Vientianeboy]

"except Beer lao which s only 10,000 kip for a large bottle"
You are getting ripped off.

[benbaaa]

I quite like Laos, but I've never seen anything of Luang Prabang except the airport.

But the money does my head in. Went to a cocktail bar in Vientiane ('cos I'm posh). The drinks were priced in dollars. I paid in Baht. The change was in Kip.

[ENT]

That's because it's a deadly communist plot to confuse the farang.

[benbaaa]

It worked.

[Phuketrichard]

Took the trip by slow boat ( and it was slow) 2 hours up to the Buddha caves, 1 hour back, nice traveling by river and got 3G service all the way. Didn't do the waterfall as we have those in Thailand

[begorra]

I and my Thai lady will be flying BKK-Luang Pradang (Laos) in late September staying there we would appreciate info on hotels where you found good,location,food,cost ect.
there. we will have 6 days on this trip. Will my Thai friend need a passport and visa to travel in Laos ?. many thanks in advance.

[Phuketrichard]

Thais need passport but get 30 days free stay stamp on arrival

plenty of hotels on the river from $20-30/night.
food is a bit more than Thailand BUT huge portions and very tasty, nice night market ( but nothing sold there you cant find everywhere in Asia)

WE dd the river trip up to the caves, nice get away for the day 2 hours up, 1 hour back

[Marmite the Dog]

Do the have electricity there? My girlfriend wants to charge her phone. My God! Do they have a mobile phone service there or does she have to use one of those antiquated 'land line' things?

[Phuketrichard]

Its the 21 century!!!
Was out in the middle of the Mekong heading north and got great reception 3g and all on a Laos sim card

[CB79]

Great little bar called Utopia with its own beach volley ball court at the back.

Although, randomly when that was shut some Laos Ladyboy had opened a little bar in her house just over the road.

Was a bit weird creeping through her house with her elderly parents there to go for a piss. But hey needs must.

[begorra]

A few mre random thoughts:

Visa on arrival needed for most nationals - but not Thais. The posted price was 35$ US for a brit (different countries, different prices). Pay in dollars!! I made the mistake of paying in baht, they charged me 1400 baht, nearer 46US$ !!

You also need a photo for your visa application - luckily I had one

Everywhere was happy (even happier in most cases) to take Thai baht over the local currency (Kip). There were several ATMs that dished out kip so no probs getting money.

more when I remember it...

We arrived at the airport on to Immigration,large sign noting the cost of visa @$30
but they ask $35 = $1 processing fee. we stayed at the Villa Santi hotel, fantastic.

[begorra]

Yes a lot Chinese now in Luang Prabang (good and bad) and crime and corruption has gone up. But still it remains a very pretty town with a nice atmosphere.
Night life is not too much still...the government seems to be more strict than a couple of years ago. Now many places start closing at 11.30 PM.

Food-wise it is ok but I think Thailand does a lot of things better in that respect. Luckily the noodle soup is always good

Lot's of pretty ladies here though, just most of them quite conservative.

We found that after 9pm the town closes down except your hotel up to 11pm and that's but a nice place ti visit.

[Yemen]

Been 10 years since I was in LP and enjoyed my 3 days there. Did not enjoy the bus trip to Vientiane except for the cute Laos girl who was very friendly, she wanted me to spend time at her home in Vien Vian. Thai GF had no sense of humor when she found out. Advice to self--keep mouth shut.

[laosTraveller]

Very enjoyable reading these travel stories. I wonder what Laos will be like 10 years from now.

[mingmong]

But the money does my head in. Went to a cocktail bar in Vientiane ('cos I'm posh). The drinks were priced in dollars. I paid in Baht. The change was in Kip

That's a Classic Ben

[Phuketrichard]

Ive heard LP is just a smaller version of Chiang Mai. Lots of tourists and a fake atmosphere.

I find it totally different,
More laid back, on the river, smaller, better choices of accommodations, great food, traffic 1/10 of CM, very walkable city.
just don't go in High season when its full

[nidhogg]

Ive heard LP is just a smaller version of Chiang Mai. Lots of tourists and a fake atmosphere.

I find it totally different,
More laid back, on the river, smaller, better choices of accommodations, great food, traffic 1/10 of CM, very walkable city.
just don't go in High season when its full

I agree. Still, LP will just have to struggle on without "beerandpizza"s discerning custom.

Win all round.

[Scottish Gary]

LP as everyone says is a nice relaxing town where its good to spend time with your wife/GF just roaming around chilling out. If you do what I did however and go on your own you will be bored out your mind after a couple of days. The food is good and Beer Lao is nicer than its Thai equivalent but the three nights I was there I was in my bed alone at midnight every night stone cold sober saying to myself ''I wish to fuck I was in Pattaya''

[ossierob]

I'll put it on my to do list also.....thanks

[Seekingasylum]

LP as everyone says is a nice relaxing town where its good to spend time with your wife/GF just roaming around chilling out. If you do what I did however and go on your own you will be bored out your mind after a couple of days. The food is good and Beer Lao is nicer than its Thai equivalent but the three nights I was there I was in my bed alone at midnight every night stone cold sober saying to myself ''I wish to fuck I was in Pattaya''

God, what an oaf you are. I suspect most decent folk with any discernment avoided conversation with you like the plague.

I have been there on my own and struck up no end of pleasant conversations with many people but then, I am an attractive person full of wit and charm.

I stayed at the Villa Santi and ate in the evening at the L'Elephant restaurant which has a nice bar very much in the colonial style and with interesting patrons to match.

Quite why low end dross from the mongering classes should wish to go to somewhere like LP and then express disappointment at the lack of prostitutes is somewhat mystifying. I suppose in their crude way they just assume all Asian women are like Thai whores and will fuck anything, no matter how gross, for the price of a decent meal.

[Simon43]

I did a short stint a couple of years back as Headmaster of the international school in LP.

The town is very nice to visit as a tourist, but is VERY quiet if you're living and working there. Very little to do apart from enjoying the scenery (I had an off-road motorbike and did long trips at the weekend across the mountains).

...and then express disappointment at the lack of prostitutes

There was no shortage of whores, if one knew where to look and was discrete about it. Since this was all illegal, one had to be very discrete.

My problem was that every Lao person in LP seemed to know that I was the Headmaster, and would greet me at the night market, (just before I popped off to a 'venue' for some nookie...). I became rather paranoid about all this.....

[rickschoppers]

Good travel information since I live near Udon and a flight would not be too expensive. Since I usually have a multiple entry Non-Immigrant O visa, I usually just drive the short distance to Nong Kai and walk into Lao after obtaining a visa and then walk right back out to Thailand to get my 90 day stamp. Never been forced to have a picture for the visa and US dollars are always better to have.

I may just take a flight and spend a couple of days in Luang Prabang with the wife as a side trip. Probably less expensive than PP or Vietnam even though those are two places I would like to visit. Thank you for the pictures and I would like to ask what hotel you stayed in?