A landlocked country sandwiched between Vietnam and Thailand, the energy in Laos is one of peace and calm in comparison to the buzz found in its immediate neighbors. Laos was my last travel destination in my South East Asia backpacking trip, and I’ve prepared a bunch of Laos travel tips for backpackers for your next Laos adventure.
Since I didn’t have any expectations, what I found when I arrived was really quite a pleasant surprise. Laos is very much an underrated travel destination and unlike anywhere I’ve ever been!!
From the greenest landscapes I have ever seen to epic limestone mountain hikes, countless waterfalls and scenic waterways, it was easy to fall in love with Laos immediately!
However, Laos is not really set up for tourism in comparison to Thailand and Vietnam so visiting the best places in Laos requires a bit more work than other destinations. Infrastructure is poor and travel is long, bumpy and expensive. Coming prepared with some good Laos travel tips will help ease the learning curve of travel in the country.
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15 Things to Know for Laos: Travel Tips for Budget Backpackers
1. Don’t do drugs in Laos.
Or at least take extreme caution if you do – especially in Vang Vieng. This news may bum you out, I know Vang Vieng is famous for parties, but the city has had problems with drugs in the past and now the local police have stepped in to closely patrol the city. If caught, you may have to pay a huge fine or bribe (the rumor is $500), and there could be more severe consequences. This is probably my most important Laos travel tip – be safe everyone!
2. Research what you need for the Laos tourist visa on arrival.
No Laos travel guide is complete without covering the simple basics of the visa situation. Depending on where you’re from, Laos offers a visa on arrival for quite a few countries, making entry into the country fairly easy and pain free. However, there are a few things you need to have prepared and with you when you arrive to ensure smooth processing with Laos immigration.
For the Laos tourist visa on arrival, you’ll need:
- One passport photo.
- Cash in US dollars, regardless of where you’re from. The fee varies between $30-$45 depending on where you’re from. American citizens must pay $35 USD.
- A $1 service charge in USD.
- Completed application form: flight attendants will give you the needed form on the plane. There’s an arrival and departure card so make sure to hold onto the departure card for when you leave Laos. Immigration will ask for it.
I didn’t see anywhere to get USD before the visa counter in the Luang Prabang airport, but I must admit I didn’t look too hard. I recommend coming with USD just in case.
3. Laos can be expensive (comparably).
If you’ve never traveled in Asia before, you may not agree with where I’m coming from, but compared to the other countries in SE Asia, I felt Laos was actually kind of expensive. After chatting with a few of the local folk who work in tourism, it kind of made sense.
Laos is a poor country. Many of the people live lives without money but rather in a barter system of trade (something that is changing fast). The country’s infrastructure isn’t really made for travel and tourism is quite low compared to the neighboring countries. This means of course that tourist services such as intercity travel, tours, accommodation and western food is a little pricey in comparison to other places in the region.
4. ATMs in Laos.
Some countries can make it difficult to withdraw money with a foreign card, but I actually had zero problems in Laos. I was able to withdraw successfully from Viet Laos Bank and BCEL.
The fee was generally 20,000 kip / $2.30 USD per transaction and 1,500,000 kip / $172 USD max ATM withdrawal.
5. Travel is very slow.
And the roads are very bumpy. Laos is a country that really isn’t ‘setup’ for tourism. The infrastructure and roadways aren’t as developed as other countries which makes driving between two places quite slow, even when actual distances aren’t so far.
It’s important to factor in these slow travel times into your itinerary. It’ll take up a considerable amount of time. To give you an idea of travel time via bus between the major destinations. For example, the bus ride from Vang Vieng to Vientiane took us about 5 hours even though they’re only roughly 100 miles apart.
6. Take advantage of Laos’ sleeper buses.
You’ll most likely travel around Laos via sleeper bus as it’s the cheapest option. That or ‘VIP bus” or minivan which really aren’t all that VIP. But if you’ve never taken a sleeper bus before, here’s some tips so you’re not caught off guard on your ride!
- Most have one small mattress for two people, without a divider. So if you’re traveling solo, you may be cuddling up to a stranger.
- Your big bag will go under the bus. Take all of your valuables with you into the cab – leave nothing of value in your bag. It’s not unheard of for people to experience theft on these long rides.
- You’ll need to take your shoes off before getting in. The bus staff will provide you with a plastic bag for you to keep your shoes in while you’re on the bus.
- Your bus will probably be old. And probably uncomfortable. And things may not work or work too well (a/c way too cold or too non-existent)
- If the bus is overnight, they may not make many stops for food or to use the bathroom so be sure to eat dinner and bring snacks if needed.
- But most buses will have a toilet onboard for you to use while driving. It’s an interesting walk when the bus is moving, fast and around the bumpy and twisty Lao roads!
- Buy bus tickets directly from the company if you can, as hostels and travel agents in town will mark it up. Sometimes the bus terminal is far from the city though, so in that case just prepare for that additional markup.
- The scheduled times the bus company gives you, probably aren’t accurate. I had one ride where I arrived two hours early (3:30 am instead of 5:30 am) and one ride where I arrived two hours late.
7. Laos has a culture of no tipping.
There is no local custom for tipping in Laos and it’s not necessary. I do always tip my tour guides as that seems to be a nice gesture but for restaurants, it’s not needed.
8. Laos has two seasons: rainy and dry.
You’ll want to make sure you know which season your trip coincides with as this is can greatly impact your visit. The rainy season typically runs May – October and the dry season November – April. When it rains in Laos, it can really pour, but during my time there it always seemed that the rain came in distinct times. It rained very hard for maybe two – three hours, and then blue skies for the remainder of the day. Or it would just rain the entire day.
I actually didn’t mind traveling during rainy season as it’s the low tourist season meaning less crowds, cheaper prices and more of the country to myself! And I kind of liked the atmospheric effect of the rain and low hanging clouds on the countryside. That and the grass and mountains were SO green because of the rain!
9. The history of war runs deep in Laos.
Many aren’t aware of the US’s involvement in what is called today The Secret War, and honestly, I wasn’t until I arrived in Laos. Basically, during the same time as the Vietnam War, the US dropped millions upon millions of bombs over Laos in a secret operation to fight against communism that was in Laos as well as in Vietnam. The number of civilians murdered is quite shocking and a stain on American history.
The effects are still felt today, with an estimated number of 80 million UXO (unexploded ordinances) believed to still exist in Laos today.
10. Be careful of UXOs.
The number of UXOs in Laos creates so many problems in the country today. Because of the large expanse of land that is contaminated by these bombs, fear and danger prevent many local farmers from growing crops. This, in turn, hinders the economy and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Not only that, but hundreds (believed 200-300) of people die annually from these UXOs.
So as a tourist, it’s extremely important that you do thorough research for where you’re going and to not go too far off the beaten track. I don’t tell you this to scare you – most of Laos and everywhere a normal tourist would venture is really quite safe – but I do believe it’s important to be informed as a visitor.
11. Beware of scooter theft.
If you have any plans to rent a scooter while visiting Laos, scooter theft is actually quite a big problem. I’ve never heard of this in any other SE Asian country, but I guess it’s not recommended to leave your rented scooters outside at night. Most hostels and hotels have special parking to protect your bike. You’ll probably also want to take precautions to always lock up your bike with a chain and lock on the wheel, as well as to lock the handlebars.
12. Beware of petty theft.
As with anywhere, keep an eye out for pickpockets and other petty theft. Laos has a big scooter population so there are reports of drive-by thefts – drivers grabbing bags and phones right off of people walking by. As with anywhere, just be cautious.
13. Laos is a nature lover’s paradise.
If you’re big into the outdoors and hiking, Laos is the place for you. It’s truly an adventure destination, no beaches, and not many parties, and the hikes are incredible. Some are challenging, long, short, easy but most rewarding you with stunning views.
14. The food is meh.
I hope this Laos travel tip doesn’t offend, but the local food in Laos isn’t something to write home about in my opinion. Especially coming from Thailand and Vietnam. Eating local was waaaaay cheaper, but sometimes it was necessary to eat western.
15. Prepare for the bathroom situation.
I always feel inclined to include the bathroom situation in these travel tip guides. Anyways, in Laos many public restrooms will charge you to use the facilities – often 2,000 – 5,000 kip / $0.25 – $0.50. They often give you toilet paper when you pay, but not always. If you don’t pay for a toilet, prepare for no tp and no soap.
Do you have any Laos travel recommendations to share? Comment below!
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, if you click my links and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Learn more on my disclosure page. Thank you for your support!
