If you want a break from frenetic, crazy South East Asia, Laos (pronounced without the 's') is the place to go. In terms of food and culture it's strongly influenced by neighbouring Thailand, but the slow, simple pace of life is worlds away - it's said that PDR stands for Please Don't Rush. It's unspoilt, stunningly beautiful and peaceful... except for the massive karaoke systems in every village.
We arrived in Laos at Houay Xay, through the northern border with Thailand, and caught the boat down to Luang Prabang. From there we rode through the mountains to Vientiane then east to the Vietnamese border beyond Lak Sao.
General guide
- Drive on the left.
- Budget around 100,000 kip per person/per day for food and accommodation.
- Food and drink stalls are basic with no fridges and only fruit or packets of food.
- The main roads are generally in good condition with a seal and km markers to various towns, but only 2 lanes and no hard shoulder. Minor roads are variable quality and often just dirt.
- Watch out for pedestrians, animals, kids playing and plants being dried on the road.
- GT rider produce the best map at 1:1.6 million, although it's not topographic.
- Some towns have multiple names e.g. Pak Ngum/Ban Hai, Thabok/Thapabat, Ban Nahin/Khoum Khan.
- Guesthouses and restaurants, even outside tourist areas, are signed in English.
- The only good bike shop is in Vientianne, so bring spares and tools.
- The climate is cool in the mountains, hot in the lowlands and dry so lips, fingers and toes can become chapped.
- A 3% government levy is charged on all credit card transactions.
- If you are vegetarian, it's safest to emphasise you want food with vegetables and food without meat (see below).
Vocabulary
- hello = sabaidee (sa-bah-dee)
- please = kaluna (kah-loo-nah)
- thank you (very much)= kawp jai (lai lai) (cop jai - rhymes with high - (lie lie))
- bicycle = lo teep (low teep)
- how much? = tao dai? (tow - rhymes with cow - dye)
- toilet = hawng nam (hong narm)
- where is... ? = ...yu sai? (you sigh)
- vegetarian = kin j (kin jay)
- food without meat = bo kin sin (bo kin sin)
- food with vegetables = kin pak (kin pack)
- noodle soup = foe (fur)
- no problem = bo penang (bo pen yang)
- 1,2,3,4,5 = nung (nung), sawng (song), sam (sam), si (see), ha (ha) - the same as Thai numbers