Laos part 1/2
Covid-19 decimated the tourism industries of many countries, and many are only now starting to recover. Amongst the worst affected was Lao. On our 2022 visit the place was like a ghost town, despite its southern neighbor, Thailand, rapidly restoring its tourism industry.
We entered the country from Nong Khai in northern Thailand and crossed the border at the Thai – Lao Friendship Bridge.
Checking out from Thailand was simple and fast. Many visitors to Lao need a visa (you can check if you do here) but most are able to get a visa on arrival (V.O.A) at the border crossing. Be sure to bring 2 passport photos with you as you’ll need these for the V.O.A. We’d been told that you must bring USD for the visa fee but the Lao official we had insisted on Thai baht.
From the border
Visa in hand we made our way across the border on a bus, with it dropping us at the nondescript town on the Lao side. This area is somewhat of a no man’s land and getting into Vientiane or elsewhere was tricky at the time of our visit.
There was sporadic, but cheap bus service from the border into the capital along with many touts offering “taxis” for inflated prices. We wanted to go to the train station just outside the capital and my partner, Natsasi, on discovering that she could understand Lao, managed to score us a collective taxi at a reasonable rate.
The new train
Since my previous visit to Lao the Chinese and Lao governments have installed a modern, high speed rail network that runs right up the middle of the country and well into China. Though this project is going to cost the Lao taxpayers for many decades to come, it has transformed the country, at least from a tourist perspective.
Arriving at the flash new station the whole place was closed and deserted except for 3 street food vendors and half a dozen backpackers waiting for the ticket office to open. After a 2 hour wait, we finally had our tickets and it was another 2 hours till our train to Luang Prabang would depart.
Luang Prabang
The train north was far better than any train I’d traveled on in Australia. Fast, clean and efficient, it had us in Luang Prabang many hours earlier than the uncomfortable chicken busses of yesteryear.
In Luang Prabang we stayed at My Dream Boutique Resort and our balcony had a great view over the Mekong River. The resort managed to book us a motor scooter for a reasonable rate and we certainly got our money’s worth.
Favorite places
On day 3 we took an entertaining 32Km ride out to the Kuang Si Waterfall. My last visit here was 15 years ago and much has changed. Firstly, there is now a flash new carpark and visitor center that never existed before, meaning you park your ride far from the waterfall.
What startled me the most was that the entire course of the waterfall has changed from my previous visit. I later found out that there had been a huge landslide which altered the course of the waterfall.
If you visit here be sure to take the hike to the top of the waterfall, few people do. Up top are great views but also boardwalk over the various ponds and mini waterfalls. There’ll also be a guy selling short boat rides which take you a few hundred meters upriver, be sure to go. The ride was beautiful and included a stop at a secluded swimming spot which most visitors never see.
On the way out of the waterfall complex there’s a small bear sanctuary which is run from donations. Many of the Moon/Sun bears were previously spending their lives in tiny cages in order to harvest their bile. Through the great work of the Australian run, Free the Bears, these animals are living far better lives.
Around town
Back in Luang Prabang we ventured to the usual sights such as The Royal Palace, Wat Xieng Thong as well as the local night market. Easy and cheap eating options abound at the market.
While we loved many places we ate, there was one stand out – Manda de Laos. With lush gardens surrounding an gorgeous lily pond, this restaurant served the best food we had in the city. I’d imagine this place will be busy when the tourists return, it’s too good not to be.
Those that have read my previous reports will know that I always seek out the finest in local coffee shops. There was a few decent places but Saffron Coffee, which was owned and run by an Aussie from Mudgee in NSW, had the best coffee. The owner roasts their coffee in house, and even more impressively, he kept his staff employed throughout the pandemic, despite the lack of visitors to the city.
When the time comes for you to move on from Luang Prabang, you’re likely to need a train ticket. The only place in town we could find was the official, government-run, Laos-China Railway ticket office. The office does not accept cash or foreign cards. Instead we needed a QR code to deposit funds into an account via the post office down the road. A bit of a PITA but better than taking a long trip to the train station.
Stay tuned for part 2 of our trip to Laos...