Our Route in Laos.

Pratical informations, informations pratiques, notre route et points gps

Tuesday 30 March 2010


Our route through Laos [60 days]

1st Journey, February 12 - Mars 12, 2010

2nd Journey, Mars 13 - April 22, 2010

From Houay Xay (North West) to Vientiane.


2. Changing money, ATMs,Visa card

It’s best to bring both US dollars and Thai baths, they can be exchanged everywhere and you can pay with either. If you are still in Cambodia remember that ATM provide Dollars. Euros are exchanged in main towns. You can find ATM’s providing Kip only, in main towns, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Oudoxai, HouaiSay.


3. Financial summary

The rate was at that time 11000 kip to a euro and 8500 kip to a dollar. On average we spent 15 Euros per day without gasoil.


4. Third-party insurance:

In Laos we didn’t buy third-party insurance.


5. Carnet de Passage:

All border crossings were a piece of cake. The Carnet de Passage which is well none, was completed each time within a few minutes. We crossed the following borders: 1 trip
- Thailand to Laos: Chong Mek (Thaïland) to Pakse
- Laos to Thailand: Vientiane 2 Trip
- Thailand to Laos: Chieng Kong (Thailand) to Houai Xay. Crossing the Mekong by Ferry, the weight is not limited.
- Laos to Thailand: Vientiane


6.Visa:

Get into Laos: At the border you get a 30 days visa for 30 US dollars. Extending your visa, which costs 3 US dollars per day, is not a deal, it’s cheaper to check out to Thailand, as "run visa" or 2 months visas in Embassy, is actually free and get back to Laos later.

Check out Laos: Easy to stamp out. Enter in Thaïlande, 15 days run visa free, or you have to applie a 2 months (20$) Visa at the Thaï embassy in Vientiane.


7.Car, diesel, petrol stations, roadmap

Diesel and petrol stations: The diesel price is rising at a shocking rate, and varying a lot in the country. We found GO every where, even in small villages in 200 liters tanks.


8.Car:

During 60 days of travelling in Laos we covered XXXX kilometres [an average of XX kilometres per day]. We had no car maintenance in this country, except the basic one I done my self.


9.Traffic:

Driving in Laos is no problem. People are relaxed, also when driving. There are no rules, like nowhere in Asia, but as in the rest of Asia, people drive very slowly, so there is no problem. Moreover, there is little traffic on the roads. In Laos people drive on the right side of the road.


10.Roads and road maps:

There are tool gates on all major roads; we paid 5000 kip (which is less than our category!) National Highway 13 from south to north is good. A lot of the national are asphalted, mainly the one going to China or Vietnam. The one from Boten (China Border) to Oudonxai is on work, it takes 6hours to us to us to do it. Once off the National Highways you’re right away on laterite roads which vary from good to terribly bad.

The Rough Guide map [Laos] was all right for the regular roads. For our jungle adventure fron Paksan to Phonsavan, the map was utterly inadequate. We also used the Rotweiller Map [1] for Garmin GPS, which is really a basic one, as you have very few in formations on. The GT Ridersmap is a good alternative or even better, to have as a supplement to the Nelles map. Each map shows different roads and villages, which can be handy.


11.Public transport

In Laos we took the car ferry to cross the Mekong River [1000 baths per crossing].


12.Paid accommodation and bush camping

Of the 60 nights we spent:
- 60 unpaid nights.

Bush camping on the road are few, take the one you see, next one can be very far... Bush camping is easy in Laos since there is so much space and few people. Apart from that, people leave you very much to yourself, which makes camping very peaceful and quiet, and safe.


13.Internet

In Champasak, Savannaketh, Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, Oudomxai you’ll have no problems. It is more difficult fareaway. Connections are reasonable to good. It’s no problem to find internet cafés where you can connect your laptop.


14.Daily expenditures

We hadn’t cooked in South East Asia. So far, we haven’t buy food.


Food:

Laos has no spicy food. You can find cheap food stalls along the road with fried rice, noodles or noodle soup. It’s more difficult in the north. The towns have restaurants with a larger variety of dishes. Beer Lao tastes very good (Lao Beer). Laos restaurant are the most expensive in South East Asia, for less good food.

Water:

We still filter our water, which works just fine. For those who doesn’t have filter, the best way is to refill with pure drinking water available in 20 litres tank.

Gas:

There is no gas or LPG in Laos, no way to refill. I see only one factory on the main road 20 kms north of Luang Prabang.

Read also the diaries, where you may find more...click

Portfolio

Attached documents

Footnotes

[1] Le site: http://rotweilermaps.com/

1 Message

  • Our Route in Laos.

    6 September 2012 20:29, by Pat
    Hello Marc. I have read your travel through SEA. It’s exciting. I was also there last year doing Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I liked these countries for different reasons. As for Laos, I agree that the lodging and food were more expensive than in the other countries, especially Cambodia. As for the food, I have to say Laos had very spicy food, like in Esaan, than Thailand. We had this papaya salad and minced meat dish that were very spicy, but excellent. In you article for Lao food, you showed dog heads. I think it’s very offending to Lao people because the Lao, like their Thai cousins, don’t eat dog meat. They would find it sickening. You see dogs everywhere in Laos but people don’t eat them. It’s specifically the Vietnamese and Chinese ethnic people living in Laos (and maybe their high-ranking Lao leader comrades who were trained in Vietnam) who eat such thing. My high points were Luang Prabang, Chiang Mai, and Siem Reap. Regards, Pat