Laos travel tips

1.Best time to visit Laos

The greatest time to take a Tour in Laos is from October to March, when the weather is mild and dry. And the greatest time to go by river is between November and January, when the Mekong River, Laos’ principal waterway, has high water levels that make transit simple.

2.Laos Visa

To enter Laos for tourism purposes, citizens of the following countries are able to travel in Laos without a Laos Visa: Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Russia, Japan, South Korea and ASEAN Countries.

And the below countries can get the Visa on Arrival at the airport in Laos or apply for the E-Visa before flying to Laos and can apply by this link: https://laoevisa.gov.la

US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgary, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, etc.

With the above countries, although you can get the Visa on Arrival (VOA), in our experience you should apply and receive Laos E-Visa before flying to the country instead of getting a VOA. The reason is that applying and receiving Laos E-Visa by yourself now is quick and simple. Moreover, with E-Visa available, when you arrive at the airport in Laos, you will be able to enter the country quickly and you don’t need to wait too much time at the airport to apply for a VOA.

When you start to apply or after receiving your Laos E-Visa, kindly take time to double check and make sure all the information in the E-visa are exactly with the information in your passport and in your international flight (Ex: full names, number of passport, date of expiry, date of birth, gender, period of entry Laos, name of airport/City when entering Laos, etc.)

3.Do’s and Don’ts in Laos

Pick up some Laos phrases

Learning a few Lao phrases is a good way to impress and mingle with the Laotians. When greeting, you can say “Sabai dee”. It is Laos’ equivalent of “hello” and literally means “it goes well”. When you want to thank someone, you say “Khob chai”.

Bargain when doing shopping

Good bargains can be made when buying in local markets or doing shopping on the streets but not shopping malls that usually have price tags on commodities. The best tip is to lower the price about a half, or if you are still not satisfied, just walk away gently. You have the right to bargain but don’t be too greedy and tight-fisted.

Bring cash

When traveling in Laos, cash will be your best friend as for some small shops on the streets, they accept cash only. With US$ 50 buying you a little over a million Laotian Kip, you become an instant millionaire the moment you arrive in Laos. Lao currency, the Kip, is available in 50,000K, 20,000K, 10,000K, 5000K, 2000K, 1000K and 500K notes.

1 USD will be around 22.000 Kip Laos

Wear respectful clothes

Whether you are visiting tourist attractions or just walking in the streets, you should make sure you’re not wearing revealing clothing. Always be sure to cover your arms, shoulders, and knees, especially when entering temples and other sacred sites. If you unfortunately discover you are dressed too revealingly, you might have to put on a Lao skirt before you enter the sacred places.

Take off your shoes before entering a temple

You don’t have to remove your shoes when you just want to walk around the temple grounds. But if you want to go inside the temples/pagodas, take them off before you enter and put them in a dedicated location.

Don’t give gifts to children

Giving kids money, stationery, or any other form of gift will not really help them. Instead, it encourages begging, which is already an epidemic in many underdeveloped countries.

Don’t drink homemade or unlabeled alcohol

When you are in Laos, especially in Vang Vieng, do not drink any homemade or unlabeled alcohol, it may contain harmful substances, particularly methanol.

Don’t ride a motorbike here

We advise against hiring motorbikes as Laos is notorious for motorbike accidents, but if you do hire one, heed sensible advice on traffic rules before heading out onto the seemingly chaotic roads.

4.Popular local foods in Laos

Khao Niaw

Khao Niaw is a Laotian sticky rice dish, often served with sliced ​​mango. To make the sticky rice delicious and sticky, the sticky rice must be soaked in water overnight before cooking in the next morning, then transferred to a covered container and placed in a pot of hot water.

Or Lam

Or Lam is a fiery stew that includes vegetables such as beans, eggplant, lemongrass, cinnamon, wild mushrooms, herbs, chili, and Mai Sakaan as its key components. To boost the flavor of this meal, it can also be prepared using various types of meat, such as beef, chicken, or buffalo. Lao sticky rice can be served alongside this meal.

Larb

When visiting Laos, you cannot forget to discover a specialty dish called “Larb” (also known as minced meat salad) in the local eateries. The meal is cooked with minced pork and is garnished with mint, cilantro, and green onions as well as fish sauce, lemon, and chili.

Sai Oo-ah (Sai Ua)

Sai Oo-ah (Sai Ua) is one of those Lao meals that will have you ordering a second plate as soon as you finish the first. According to numerous food bloggers, this is “worth your time coming to Laos just to try this dish.” Tourists refer to Sai Oo-ah as fried/grilled sausage, which has a sweet and oily flavor. When served hot, this meal is ideally served on a banana leaf.

Tam Mak Hoong

The meal Tam Mak Hoong, commonly known as papaya salad, has the ideal balance of all flavors — spicy, sour, salty, and sweet. Green mango, green banana, and other ingredients, sliced or thinly sliced, combined with seasonings such as fish sauce, chile, lemon, salt, and sugar.

Sien Savanh

Lao style beef jerky is a snack that is frequently eaten with beer. Sien Savanh is produced with beef or buffalo meat that has been marinated in a mixture of garlic, fish sauce, ginger, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and black pepper before being sun-dried. Locals prefer to cook this meal over an open fire for a smokey taste, and it is best eaten with sticky rice or dipped in chili sauce.