Vientiane  is actually pronounced "Wieng Chan", and the letter x is always  read as a plain old "s"

Today Vientiane is the largest city in Laos, with an estimated population of 210,000 in the city itself and some 700,000 in Vientiane Prefecture.

Pha That Luang, the That Luang Stupa, the most important religious monument in Laos. 

Laos is officially Buddhist, and the national symbol, the gilded stupa of Pha That Luang

The hot season is from March to May, when temperatures can soar as high as 40°C

how much (tao die), cheap (took) and expensive (peng)
Hello in Lao is "Sabaidee" 
goodbye in Lao is "Saukdee"
The easiest way to avoid MSG is to say bo sai peng nooa

A typical budget in Laos is around US$15-20 a day. You can get by on less or a lot more, but for $20 you'll get an okay room and three meals with some left over for transport.

Into the toiletries bag throw sun screen and insect repellent. Mosquito coils are also a good idea. A small pocket size torch will come in handy when the electricity goes out or for investigating caves. Condoms, of course. Passport photos come in handy for visas.

Assuming you're sitting around by the river doing nothing, you could survive on about US$7 a day: $3 for a basic room, $3 for food if eat only noodle soup and Lao street food, and $1 for water and other minor costs. 

From the airport to the centre of Vientiane town costs $5

Entry permit extensions (sometimes referred to as "visa extensions") are available from the Immigration Department in Vientiane  (US$2 per day) and via agencies elsewhere in Laos (who will courier your passport to Vientiane and back again, around US$3 per day minimum of 7 days). 

You can take a jumbo or taxi for US$6. You can buy a taxi coupon before you leave the airport building for $6. Rides to the airport should be cheaper, around $3 by tuktuk. 

Minibuses are quicker and more expensive, however that doesn't mean they are necessarily better.

A common form of local transport (less than 20 km) in Laos is the jumbo, A jumbo should cost no more than 10,000 kip (about US$1) for short journeys of 1-5 km. 

Th Lan Xang to Pha That Luang, charge a fixed 1000K. Tuk-tuks lined in front the Mekong bank restaurants or other busy areas will try to charge you 30-50K even for short trips. It's not worth trying to bargain as they won't go anywhere with a normal (5-10K) fare.

Normally, just get into the town center (for instance the Nam Phu square) and start looking around along Thanon Setthathirat and its side streets. You’ll find something within minutes except it's "high season" (January) where it will be really difficult to find room: book in advance!

Room rates may vary depending on the season: high season is something like October through April or May; low season June through September. 

Some places insist on an early nightly curfew and lock the front door without giving you a key. If you wish to enjoy the nightlife (what there is of it), make sure that you will be able to stay out and, more importantly, get in again.

Internet cafes are ubiquitous in Vientiane, particularly along Thanon Samsenthai and the east end of Thanon Setthathirat. The going rate as of September 2007 is 100K/minute, usually charged in 10 minute increments. 

dogs - whether stray or just owned by irresponsible idiots - are dangerous, especially at night. Stay on well-lit/busy streets. 

The only bus likely to be use to the casual visitor is the bus to/from the Friendship Bridge, which continues on to Buddha Park for a fixed fare of 5000K. (The bus to Wattay International Airport goes near the airport but not quite into it.) The main terminal is on the east side of Talat Sao. 

Most guest houses and hotels can arrange bike rental for around 10,000 kip per day. (The cheapest is apparently Douang Deuane Hotel, 8,000 kip, though their bikes aren't the best.) 

Prices for a single gear bike start at about 50$, Mountainbikes at about 80$. 

You can usually choose to leave your passport, your driver's license, about 1,000 baht, or a comparable amount of kip or dollars as a deposit. But take extra care when the roads are wet, because many are unsurfaced (even in the city center), and they can be muddy and slippery - innocent-looking puddles sometimes conceal deep potholes. 

Some temples (indicated below) charge an entry fee of 2,000/5,000K for Lao nationals and foreigners and are open 8AM-4PM, with a Noon-1PM lunch break.

Wat Si Saket now signposted as Sisaket Museum.
Haw Pha Kaew. Thanon Setthathirat (opposite Wat Si Saket).
Black Stupa. Thanon Bartholomie (off Thanon Samsenthai near the US embassy).
Pha That Luang. Thanon That Luang (2 km east from Patuxai).
Wat Si Muang. Between Thanons Setthatirat and Samsenthai, about 1km east of the center.
Wats Onteu, Inpeng, Mixay and Haisok are along Thanon Setthatirat right in the town center.
Patuxai ("Victory Gate"). 
Lao National Museum. Thanon Samsenthai (next to Lao Plaza Hotel).
COPE Visitor Centre. Ku Wieng Road at the Waterpark near Green Park Hotel. Open 9AM-6PM every day.

Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan). Located some 24 km from the city, it's about 6 km to the east of the Friendship Bridge - hence it's well worth visiting on the way into or out of Laos if you're crossing the Friendship Bridge, thereby saving you an extra 48 km round trip if you visit from and return to Vientiane. Getting transportation from the Buddha park can be difficult so it is best to hire a tuk-tuk for the entire Vientiane - buddha park - friendship bridge (or vice versa) trip. Another idea is to take the bus. No. 14 leaves Talat Sao station to Xieng Khuan for 5,000K oneway, and it is no problem to flag down a bus on the way back or to the Friendship Bridge. 

If you are out to admire temples Luang Prabang is the place to go, not Vientiane. 

A reputable agency organising adventure tours and eco-tourism is Green Discovery Laos in Thanon Setthathirat next to Kop Chei Deu. 

Go for a traditional Lao massage. Prices range from US$3-6/hour, Papaya Spa.

Wat Sok Pa Luang (the forest temple), 10,000 kip for the sauna with free tea, but the 30,000 kip 1h massage is bizarre and not recommended. 

Your masseur or masseuse will be grateful for a tip. The staff will be happy if you have the decency to take a shower before you go there. They won't say anything to your face, but smelly foreigners make their job less than pleasant. 

The French Cultural Centre (Centre Culturel et de Cooperation Linguistique) on Th Lane Xang has a (French) library and a small theatre that shows plays and films. 

There is an operator in Laos that offers not only bike rentals but full support and tour guidance for self drive trips, Remote Asia Travel based in Vientiane.

Phongsavanh Bank on Thanon Samsenthai is Vientiane's newest and privately owned bank and operates a currency exchange until about 16:30 on weekdays, and for shorter hours on weekends.

BCEL's main foreign exchange counter is on the corner of Thanon Fa Ngum (the river promenade) and Thanon Pang Kham

ATM maximum amount per withdrawal is about 230 USD.

ANZV: Allows withdrawals of up to 2,000,000 kip per transaction (around 230 USD) with a 40,000 kip transaction fee.

BCEL: Withdrawals are limited to 700,000 kip per transaction (a bit more than 80 USD); however, you may make up to ten of these in one day. Mastercard and Maestro are readily accepted; Visa is currently not. BCEL charges a fee of 20,000 kip per transaction. 

Other local banks: Maximum withdrawal 1,000,000 kip per withdrawal, maximum 3 withdrawals/day. 

Credit cards are accepted by travel agencies and in better restaurants and shops, but many charge a 3% fee, take it or leave it. 

Morning Market (Talat Sao - corner of Thanon Lane Xang and Thanon Khu Vieng) - a large collection of indoor stalls selling, well, pretty much anything. Expect to pay about one third or one quarter of the first price you are offered. Despite the name it is still struggling into operation at 9AM and remains open until around 4PM. 

Phimphone Minimart on Thanon Setthathirat next to JoMa.

Riverside Minimart on Thanon Fa Ngum, the Mekong promenade. 

City Minimart on Thanon Samsenthai opposite Wat Si Muan

Ban Anou Night Market is only about 1 block long and starts setting up at sundown, but it has some of the best cheap eats in town.

Noodle shops can be found all over the town. They typically serve Vietnamese-type noodle soups (pho), often also fried rice and other rice or noodle-based dishes. Prices are very moderate: around 1 USD for a large bowl or plate. There really is no need to go hungry in this town, but it is advisable to eat in places where there are many customers: there the food is likely to be good and fresh. Avoid empty places where the only guests are the flies buzzing around the food on display. 

Nam Phou. The first and arguably the best of the restaurants around the Fountain (Nam Phu), with good food and exceptional service. A favourite of NGO types. 

Note that everything is supposed to close down before midnight before the start of the unofficial curfew, although clubs generally stay open until 1-1.30AM. The most notable exception is the extremely popular Don Chan Palace Hotel Nightclub which is open until 4AM on the weekend. 

A one-way traffic regime is in place (but not the police enforcing it), and parking regulations have also been introduced. Of course, it is still anarchy on the roads. Foreigners beware: markings for pedestrian crossings have been painted on the new roads, but the local drivers regard them as decoration. Don't rely on them! 

One Laotian experience definitely worth trying is the herbal sauna.
The procedure for a visit usually goes like this:
1. Enter and pay first. The going rate is around 10,000 kip, plus around the same if you want a massage afterward.
2. Head for the changing room, take off your clothes and wrap yourself up in a sarong (usually provided).
3. Keeping yourself modestly sarong-clad, head over to the shower or water bucket in one corner and wash up.
4. Plunge into the sauna room itself. It will be dark, hot and steamy inside, with intense herbal scents of lemongrass and whatever the sauna master is cooking up that day, and you will soon start to sweat profusely.
5. When you've had your fill, head outside, sip on a little weak tea and marvel at how the tropical heat of the day now feels cool and refreshing.
6. Repeat at will. 

The Vientiane airport for example will exchange your kip into dollars. 

The largest bill is only 50000 kip, the other notes in common circulation are 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000 and 20000 kip

However, as for example euros get pretty bad rates compared to US$ when exchanged in Laos, getting a cash advance in US$ and changing it to kips might actually save money compared to bringing euros with you to Laos. 

Expats living in Vientiane routinely get cash from ATMs in Nong Khai or Udon Thani (Thailand), where the maximum per transaction is mostly 20000 baht, or ten times what you'll get in Laos. 

Many shops start an hour's lunch break at noon, and some maintain the (now abolished) official French two-hour break. Nearly everything is closed on Sundays, except restaurants and many shops.

US$20 a day is a good rule of thumb, though it's possible to get by on less than US$10. A basic room with shared bathroom can be as little as US$2 in Vang Vieng or as much as US$8 in Vientiane  or Luang Prabang. Meals are usually under US$5 for even the most elaborate Lao, Thai or Vietnamese dishes (western food is more expensive), and plain local dishes can cost less than US$1. A local bus from Vientiane to Vang Vieng costs US$2.50; the slow boat from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai costs US$20 for both days. 

Handmade Lao silk is one of the most attractive things to buy.
Expect to pay around US$5 for the fabric and US$2 for labour. 

The Talat Sao (Morning Market) in Vientiane has dozens of small shops selling 100% handmade silk scarves or wall hangings from US$5 upwards depending on quality, intricacy of design and size. Beware cheap synthetic fabrics sold as 'silk' imported from China and Vietnam. Be careful also of 'antique' silk. There is very little left but new fabric can be made to look old and worn. Still attractive, but don't pay more than US$30-50. In markets, always bargain: it is expected, but keep smiling... 

The staple here is sticky rice (khao niaow)
The national dish is laap
Another favourite is tam maak hung (som tam)

The national drink of Laos is the ubiquitous and tasty Beerlao, made with Laotian jasmine rice and one of the few Lao exports.

A large 640 ml bottle shouldn't cost more than 12,000 to 15,000 kip in restaurants.

Rice liquor, known as lao-lao, is widely available and at less than US$0.30 per 750 ml bottle is the cheapest way to get hammered. 

Lao coffee (kaafeh) is widely reckoned to be amongst the best in the world.

Crime levels are low in Laos, although petty theft (bag snatching) is not unknown and seems to be on the rise.

Lao hotels are not permitted to allow a foreigner and Lao national in the same hotel room together.

"Number One" condoms are available for 1000-5000 kip for a pack of 3.

Drugs are a large problem in Laos and should be avoided at all costs.
Methamphetamine is widespread and often offered in "special" or "happy" shakes along the backpacker trail. 

Criticism of the Lao government or the Communist Party in any way, shape or form is unwise. 

Other mosquito-born diseases, such as dengue, can be life-threatening, so make sure you bring at least 25% DEET insect repellant and ensure that you sleep with mosquito protection like nets or at least a fan.

Dress respectfully (long trousers, sleeved shirts) when visiting temples and take your shoes off before entering temple buildings and private houses. 

As with other Buddhist countries, showing the soles of your feet is very poor manners. Never touch any person on the head. Despite prevelant cheap alcohol, being drunk is considered disrespectful and a loss of face. 

Respect for monks is part of Laotian life, and the monks take their duties seriously. Remember that monks are forbidden to touch women.

Some undertake a vow of silence, and will not answer you even if they can understand and speak English. It is best not to compel them to stand next to you for a photograph, or start a conversation, if they seem reluctant. 

Internet cafés can be found in larger towns, however access speeds are usually painfully slow. The most reliable connections are in Vientiane, and usually cost around 100 kip/minute, with the cheapest offering 4000 kip/hour. GPRS via mobile phone is also an option, if you have a local or Thai SIM. 

Tourist and expats tend to prefer Tigo or M-phone (Laotel), while locals could have any of the four networks. 

Tigo has agreements with over 100 International phone networks - see roaming with Tigo. Another popular choice, they also have low-cost international rate of 2000 kip/minute to many countries, if you buy their SIM card and dial "177" instead of "+".

Local prepaid SIM cards can be purchased in various shops and stores without any paperwork (at least for M-Phone and Tigo). 

However, beware - if your Thai SIM has International Roaming switched on, your phone will use Lao network when your Thai network is not available, and the roaming charges will be significantly higher. 

As of January 2006, sending a postcard to most of the world outside Asia costs 7000 kip. 

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Huay Xai
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Huay Xai (also Houayxay, Houei Sai, etc) is the capital of the Laos  province of Bokèo. It lies on the banks of the Mekong river, which forms the border to Thailand. More or less a transport stop-over, there is not much to see in the small town. 

Pay a visit to the market. The best time is early morning. To get there, follow the main road south along the Mekong. After passing a hill, there is a turn-off to the left, which you should follow until you reach the place. 

BAP Guesthouse Seriously, avoid this place. 

Manirath Guesthouse right next to the soi that goes to the ferryboat to Thailand. Doubles with attached Bathroom from 160 Baht/40000 Kip. Clean and good value. 

There's a local bus to Luang Prabang, US$14, 12-15 hours. The bus station is 7km from the town. However, if you buy the ticket at the bus station rather than through your guesthouse or agent then the price is 100000 kip (around $12US). We were told the journey would be 10 hours but it turned out to be 15.5 hrs, so be prepared. 



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Malaria
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Symptoms of malaria mimic common flu, with an infected person suffering fever, headache, and vomiting usually within 10 to 15 days after the mosquito bite. This means that you may become sick when you're already back at home, so be aware of that. 

Even before considering prophylactic medications, there are important anti-insect measures that should be used. Avoiding mosquito bites (i.e. using DEET, screens, and proper bed netting) when mosquitoes are obviously present is important as well. For those sensitive to DEET, or dislike its smell, repellents containing Picaridin (e.g. Cutter Advanced) are available in limited areas. This has been shown to be as effective as DEET, and has almost no odor. 

