Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Tailors in Vientiane

My husbond and I will be visiting Vientiane in a week, and we would like to know if anyone has got any good (or bad) experiences with tailors in Vientiane. Should we buy the fabric ourselves at fx Talat Sao, or is it better to buy at the tailor%26#39;s shop. Also, up to date info about nice guest house ranging fram 15-20 $ would be higly appreciated.



Thanks



Tailors in Vientiane


Depends what you want made. If you want a silk blouse, for example, I would buy the material at Talat Sao and take it to a tailor. If you want a suit or trousers the tailor will be able to oblige.



There are some very good tailors in the small soi leading to Nam Phou fountain. I have had some very fine work mad there.



Tailors in Vientiane


Thanks for the post, we probably won%26#39;t ge getting any suits, but more like shirts and maybe a dress, so I think we will opt for fabrics at the morning market, and head to the Nam Phou area to find a nice tailor.

Weather in Laos end of May - beginning of June

I am planning a trip to Cambodia (Angkor Wat)/Laos(Southern)/Thailand(Chiang Mai area and beaches)the end of May through beginning of June. What can I expect of the weather. I know one can not completely predict but... will things be completely rainy??



Weather in Laos end of May - beginning of June


Not quite the rainy season yet. It will be hot though, very hot. Book hotels with sw.pools.

ticketing

Can anyone advise me of a travel agent in UK who can and will book flights with Lao airlines ?



ticketing


Not sure but after being warned off the Laoair European agent by postings on TA I booked e.tickets on line on the official site :



www.laoairlines.com you can recognise it by the waterfall at the header.



Note :-it only works on microsoft explorer NOT netscape or Firefox.



I booked and paid on line , received e.ticket and confirmation by return with a link to Amadeus to check my flight details.



It worked a treat but although the status is shown as ';confirmed'; I always reconfirm my flights 48 hours in advance in case of time changes.



Our flight was a delight - brand new aircraft ,lovely service and great SMILES.



Enjoy Laos - we have been back only 2 weeks and already planning our return.



ticketing


Thanks. That is probably why I can%26#39;t raise them. Any special tips for Lao? Should I take any gifts for the children?




We were only in Vientiane and Luang Prabang and did not go to any villages with the opportunity to visit schools etc.



In past ,when visiting India and Burma,we have always taken school materials and given them , and maybe some cash , to the schoolmaster for use within the school. Much better than giving pens to kids on the street , that encourages begging.



Suggest you post the question on the forum.



We found the Lonely Planet very useful and you may find my detailed posts on the Green Park Vientiane and the Villa Santi Resort , Luang Prabang of use as they both have ';things we did'; sections.




If you have the time, arrange to visit a school or orphanage. A lot of places have a ';wish list'; and tehy can tell you what they need most. Handing out items at random indeed encourages begging, and is not advised. You can buy things at the market there, which will help the local businesses, instead of bringing stuff with you from home. It is also much less expensive, and you won%26#39;t have to schlep the items in your suitcase with you.




The ';Stay Another Day'; project is interesting. Its website is





stayanotherday.org/country/laos/introduction





and will point you in the direction of several worthwhile projects which need support.





The Makphet restaurant in Vientiane, as well as being the face of ther street kids project provided truly excellent food when we went there in Feb 2007.

getting from laos to cambodia

hey lads ne tips on getting from laos to cambodia???

getting from laos to cambodia

Yup- you can fly! Piece o%26#39; cake!

getting from laos to cambodia

fly with who??


Lao Airlines

www.laoairlines.com/timetable_new_i.html

They have daily flights from Vientiane to Phnom Penh %26amp; Siem Reap.


Vietnam Airlines do the trip too.

  • client time
  • Itinery Advice needed! Round Luang Prabang............

    My partner and I are planning a trip of 3 weeks in late May/June or August, to include the two day river cruise from Huay Xay to Luang Prabang and several days in Hanoi. We are interested in any comment/opinions as to:



    -which is the more suitable time to go,



    -what other sites might be of interest, and



    -any suggestions as to a suitable route.



    Bear in mind that we have previously covered most of Vietnam%26#39;s attractions except for the Sapa region and the wish to spend more time in Hanoi. Also, we have explored much of Thailand, but no further north than Chiang Mai. We prefer to fly the major link ups and are aware of Bangkok Air Discovery Passes, and can fly in through BK or HCM/Hanoi.



    Grateful for any comment./



    Itinery Advice needed! Round Luang Prabang............


    If you have seen most of Vietnam then you really should spend some time in the Sapa area - it%26#39;s wonderful.

    ATMs in Luang Prabang?

    I%26#39;m going back to LP in February. When there last July there were none (that I know of). Does anyone know if they have installed any since? Beats having to carry a lot of cash . .! Appreciate any comments.



    ATMs in Luang Prabang?


    Having just returned home from Luang Prabang a ATM is now on Sisavangvong Rd a bit after the Night Market. It accepts mastercard and was cirrus friendly but not VISA



    ATMs in Luang Prabang?


    Thanks very much for your advice. Would you know, if obtaining cash with a Cirrus card, is there an option to take it in USD instead of Kip (probably not)?



    Thanks again.




    Just dispenses kip, and sometimes runs out!





    I took US$ and Thb and had no problems.




    The ATM there takes debit cards and - apparently - Mastercard but not Visa. The limit per withdrawal is 700 000 kip, which I believe is around 70 USD. The latter can be used at several money exchanges. Our hotel was also happy to change Euro to kip, but beware - perhaps it was just just one guy, but he repeatedly ';mistakenly'; gave us too little!




    Does this atm only accept MC/Cirrus or can it do any of the following as well: PLUS, STAR, NYCE, Pulse, The Exchange ?







    Thanks




    We found that the exchange rates places would give you on Thai bhat in LP were all over the place so we found it better to use US dollars and have kip for smaller purchases.


  • make up school
  • Hours for The Royal Palace, Museum and Wats

    I have gotten confusing information on this topic. I understand that the hours the Royal Palace Museum is open are 8-11 am and 1-3 pm. Is this one and the same as The Royal Palace, and The National Museum? Or are they different? Also when can you get in to visit the Wats, particularly in town? Our first day, we were planning on taking a Tuk Tuk into town at around 4:00 or 5:00, visiting the Royal Palace, and the main Wat, before heading to the Night Market, a drink down by the river and then on to dinner. Will this work or are the above closed by that time? Also, any suggestions as to where to go for a drink along the Mekong? Thanks for any help.



    Hours for The Royal Palace, Museum and Wats


    The Royal Palace and the museum are one in the same and those times sound correct. The monks have prayer times in the evening and I am not sure how late you can visit the wats. We always went during the day. You can entertain yourself walking around the town though and having a drink before hitting the night market. There are several places along the river to the north (towards the peninsula) from the Royal Palace.



    Hours for The Royal Palace, Museum and Wats


    Thanks for the comments, but we%26#39;ve been and already returned from Luang Prabang a couple of weeks ago. We enjoyed it, and, naturally changed our plans as soon as we arrived. Hours are correct for Museum. We saw plenty of monks of all ages, and got to talk to some. Our trip up the Mekong to the caves was very enjoyable. The trek up to see the Buddas in the caves is not for the weak, especially if it is hot! But, the statues are pretty amazing. The weather in January is perfect...warm days, cool nights, and lots of ways to enjoy the town. Some very good shops and galleries, too.

    bangkok airways discovery airpass - which TA?

    hi, looking for some advice which TA to use in organising purchase of the discovery airpass - i%26#39;m based in syd, australia. the agents i%26#39;ve tried are either useless (ie. have no idea) or can%26#39;t (because they use wholesale consolidators!?)





    any suggestions?



    bangkok airways discovery airpass - which TA?


    Hi..We just booked our discovery air pass. Check out this page www.etravelblackboard.com/index.asp鈥?/a>





    the contact is there. We called them first then they said we can do it at any travel agent coz we have to pay cash only there. (i first heard we can only do it at selected agent) We ended up going there at australia squares or something not far from circular quay on george street.





    funny thing is the guy said we should book all the flights coz there limited seat but we couldn%26#39;t book any laos airlines coz laos air never updates their schedule..lol we have to identify the places we are going but we couldnt use lao air at all. Also you need to be quick...we leave on March 24 and will take bangkok air on 25 and there were only 3 seat left at that time and we take 2. Some days no seat at all. We wanna go from siem reap to luang prabang using siem reap air but siem reap air wont fly there after march 29 :( so we have to go back to bkk then luang prabang. Loas air has a flight there too but they couldnt book for us.







    Beside the sirfare you need to pay tax and $25 booking fee. We book bkk - siemreap siem reap - bkk bkk - LP and LP - bkk and ended up with about $600 AUD





    G%26#39;luck!



    bangkok airways discovery airpass - which TA?


    also send me an email if you need any info..i like to travel and have done some research on siem reap/LP..





    sorry for my poor english...i just noticed that i didnt use capital letters at all lol I%26#39;m not australian though just happen to live in sydney :P





    fishynemo (at) hotmail.com





    Cheers,



    Fishy




    thanks for the feedback aussieboi.





    yes, i saw that ';ad'; and was having a rant on another post elsewhere how it was annoying we had to go to agent who effectively didn%26#39;t know what to do! [sigh]





    i did call their office and they did say must go thru agent but i%26#39;ll try sneak into their office and get them to book for me... i was actually having a little luck with the guys from bestflights.com.au though i struck out on some of my preferred flights.





    i was planning a routing very similar to yours: BKK-REP-LPQ-BKK vv and initial plan was to go similar time to when you are heading, except i heard that was getting to the hottest time so i%26#39;ve actually brought forward by a month! what i found was siem reap airlines don%26#39;t fly REP-LPQ, only the other direction - bit strange really. and yes i found laos airlines a bit slow in updating their schedules - i was using a wrong flight no!





    your final price AUD600 - i presume that was per person? how did you pay? did they accept credit cards?





    cheers!




    Hi,



    Not sure about the price yet but should have been around $AUD600 pp (its 4 sectors) until today when the guy called us and said the price has gone up $US10 more per sector. We use 4 sectors so we have to add another $US40 doh We are going to pay this Wednesday. (its now $100 per sector not $90).. I will let you know the final price.





    If you go to their office you have to pay cash only...if other TAs, you can use CCs if they accept...I%26#39;m not sure who you talked to on the phone. If its the lady with some sort of Russian or Czech accent, she will tell you to go somewhere else. But if its a Chinese guy, hes very helpful.





    Cheers,




    Last month I booked our Discovery Airpass on Bangkok Airways. I went to www.bangkokair.com/contact. A contact us page lists their offices and agents world wide. There is one in Australia. For me, Los Angeles was the closest. I called them, got the costs and with only a few minor problems, got the bookings we wanted. The prices are lower than what we would have paid in Bangkok. Language was a small problem; if we couldn%26#39;t understand each other, another rep would take over. They do tack on surcharges for fuel and if you use a credit card. They honored my reservation for more than 2 days until I paid. You fill out a form from them when you use a credit card. I noticed they changed my flight schedule; I asked and they said there was no direct flight so we were routed through Bangkok but a departure time change fixed that. We fly from Bangkok to Luang Prabang, to Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, exactly as I wanted and when I caught a date error they were quick to fix it. They are prompt; when they say they will call back in 5 minutes, they do!




    The final price we paid for BKK-Siem Reap Siem Reap-BKK BKK - LP and LP -BKK is $AUD605 including booking fee.





    Cheers,




    Also booked in US through LA agent. Booked a total of 6 flights several months in advance. All went well until our last flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok. Although our itinerary showed all flights confirmed, when we arrived at the Samui airport we were booked on a later flight than what our itinerary showed. Fortunately we we had no connecting flights in Banbgkok and we were actually able to get on the orriginally scheduled flight via standby. Very lucky. Could have been much worse. I suggest confirming all flights directly through Bangkok Air when you arrive.

    local land tour/tailor-made programmes

    hi!

    has anyone joined the local tour companies for those guided tours? eg Exotissimo, Threeland Travel, 5 Stars Tour

    two of us will be travelling from Singapore via Bangkok on the 15th March, until the 23rd March.

    unfortunately, there aren%26#39;t any local tour agents in Singapore who are able to help us to arrange a tour.

    we are worried about language barrier, that%26#39;s why a local guided tour might be easier

    The places that we will be covering include Vientianne, Vang Veing, Xieng Khoung/Phonsavanh and Luang Prabang

    any suggestions?

    PS does the land transport really has AC, as advertised?

    local land tour/tailor-made programmes

    Yes it does have AC. Don%26#39;t worry about the language barrier. You will get by if you have even just a moderate sense of adventure.

  • What type of quilt do you like
  • Pregnancy and birth in Tokyo

    HI!



    My husband just got a job in Tokyo and we%26#39;re moving there pretty soon. I would like to get some advice on how to deal with pregnancy and birth i Japan since I%26#39;m already 4 and a half month pregnant; it%26#39;s our first baby so I%26#39;m concerned.



    Thanks.



    Mom-to-be



    Pregnancy and birth in Tokyo


    Hi I assume you don%26#39;t speak Japanese... R u going to have help/assistance in moving through your husbands new company? If so they are sure to help, Otherwise I personally have not had any children but would like to, and I have noticed that there seems to be a lot of ads (in english) for clinics that cater to pregnant women. I have also met foreigners who have had children here and had no complaints or horror stories. Lots of Happiness to you!



    Pregnancy and birth in Tokyo


    Thanks for your message! I%26#39;m not so worried any more :-)

    slow boat trip on Mekong

    I%26#39;ll be going to Laos in May and plan to take a slow boat cruise from Luang Prabhang to Houey Xai( 2D 1N). The tour we%26#39;re thinking of booking is about 235USD. Are these luxury tours worth it? I%26#39;m worried that we would be paying top nosh for an over crowded tourist boat.Any advice here.



    Or is it better to to book from Luang Prabhang when we are there?





    slow boat trip on Mekong


    Im in a similar boat (apologies) in that our flight gets in latesish Sunday first week May and with their being only 2 Asian Oasis boats weekly - Monday and Friday - we are very keen to get the Monday boat trip of 2 days and 1 night which we have been recommended (www.asian-oasis.com). However with visas to buy on the Laos border and a 9am start assumedly one should carry on for the night to Huay Xai in order to be there to get on the boat in time. Or do Ocean Oasis arrange everything if you pre-book?



    Ocean Oasis do seem the best bet from what we have read and been told - ie 2 days one night arrive LP before sunset. Does anyone have any alternatives for a one night stay trip? Do not want to speand a second night travelling to LP.



    Any advice at all would be very helpful. Thank you.

    Long Boat River Cruise Huay Xay to Luang Prabang, onto Hanoi

    My partner and I are planning a trip of 3 weeks in late May/June or August, to include the two day river cruise from Huay Xay to Luang Prabang and several days in Hanoi. We are interested in any comment/opinions as to:



    -which is the more suitable time to go,



    -what other sites might be of interest, and



    -any suggestions as to a suitable route.





    Bear in mind that we have previously covered most of Vietnam%26#39;s attractions except for the Sapa region and the wish to spend more time in Hanoi. Also, we have explored much of Thailand, but no further north than Chiang Mai. We prefer to fly the major link ups and are aware of Bangkok Air Discovery Passes, and can fly in through BK or HCM/Hanoi.





    Grateful for any comment./



    Long Boat River Cruise Huay Xay to Luang Prabang, onto Hanoi


    Hi I have just posted because after much research I am still not sure of the best company to use for this trip though I am doing it the reverse way.



    The best company to use I have worked out is Asian Oasis www.asian-oasis.com but they only go 2 days a week. And sadly for me they don%26#39;t co-incide with my plans which is why I have also asked for advice in this forum.



    Have a great trip we might bump into each other.


  • make up school
  • Homestay

    Hi,





    My husband and I will be travelling through Laos in July/Ausgust this year and would be interested in a homestay in a village to experience the real Laos. How easy are these to organise and where? Any recommendations?





    Thanks



    Homestay


    I%26#39;ve read some great things about the community-based homestay program on Don Deng Island near Champasak. We plan to visit on our trip to Southern Laos this Nov.



    More info here:



    http://tinyurl.com/yqjnf7



    and here:



    http://tinyurl.com/3bf4k6

    Phonsavan

    Can anyone help me out with a good clean guest house or hotel in Phonsavan; mid range in price

    thanks

    Phonsavan

    Vansana is very nice but a little further out. Plain of Jars hotel is fine also.

    Phonsavan

    Hi - the best is Vansana, part of a national chain - starting at $35, but there are several brand new clean ones along the main street for $6-8 per night including hot shower, tv etc. I just stayed at the ';Nice'; guesthouse last week and it was fine,$8. White Orchid guesthouse is mid-price, about $15, and central.

    One suggestion though, if you want to stay in a more historical and interesting place is go 30km down the road to Muang Khoune (Phonsavanh is a new town built in the last 30 years after the old capital was destroyed in the war). There are guesthouses in Phiavat and this is just as close to the Jar sites as Phonsavanh. The tours offered from Phonsavanhh to bombed temple, cave etc are in Khoune district. You would need to rent a motorbike from Phonsavanh though.

    take plenty clothes - 2 degrees last week!

  • reptiles
  • Rainy season travel

    We%26#39;re considering a trip to Bangkok, Chiang Rai, Luang Prabang, Vientienne and Siem Riep in August. We%26#39;re concerned the rainy season will prove a significant impediment to full enjoyment Can anyone advise?



    Rainy season travel


    Nah, you%26#39;ll just get wet. Seriously depends what you mean by a ';significant impediment.'; If you think this beforehand, then no doubt it will and you had better reschedule.



    Rainy season travel


    We are going to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in June, which is rainy season also, but from what I have heard, it mainly rains for an hour or so each afternoon and not generally all day.




    Last year in Lao the wet season was mainly heavy showers for short periods, mostly at night. I didn%26#39;t really notice it and only got soaked a few times over the 6 months or so, and I work outside a lot. Don%26#39;t worry about it.




    Thanks. That%26#39;s confirmation of what I suspected and is useful.

    Visa



    Just read on the website laoembassy.com that tourists are advised to buy a package tour from an agency or else a tourist visa will not be provided. Surely this cannot be true when so many people seem to be going it alone on this forum.



    Any advise or comments.



    Visa


    You have misread this; what it actually says is





    ';Visa processing should be made through an eligible tour company in the United States or Canada which has a contract with a tour company in the Lao PDR or directly through the Lao Embassy in Washington, DC. ';





    Notice the ';or';. You can, of course, get a visa on arrival as well.



    Visa


    Tourist visa is valid for 15 days staying, but following the policy of the National Tourism Authority of Lao PDR, foreign tourists are advised to buy a package tour through licensed agencies. Otherwise, the tourist visa will not be granted.





    Just copied and pasted the paragraph. I dont think we were reading the same thing. I dont think i will have much trouble obtaining one, but i think this info is misleading.




    I%26#39;ve never had any difficulties in getting one either at the Friendship Bridge Border or at Wattay. When I was returning home, (Vientiane), from Nongkai in Thailand on Tuesday there were heaps of tourists getting visas at the Friendship Bridge.




    I%26#39;ve read the same things on various websies but the facts are that you can get a tourist visa at the friendship bridge, LP airport Vientiane airport, for americans its 30days 2 passport photos that you can give them, and $36 fill out the entry card and wait for them to process it, never had a problem in the 5 or 6 times I%26#39;ve gone to Laos , if you look I think that information is quite old




    There is no information like that. You can easily arrange a Visa On Arrival at the airport or any international border gate.




    I am a US passport holder and will be visiting Laos next month. Everything I%26#39;ve read indicates I can get it upon arrival at the Luang Prabang airport. If this is not correct, please let me know.




    hey,



    you can get a visa at the airport with no problem. i have been to laos 4 times with no trouble. the only people that ever have problems are people that used to be lao citizens. my brother-in-law is lao and a couple of his friends that have gone are lao and they all had problems(the officials wanted some extra cash). they ended up giving like 5 or 10 dollars extra.



    the last time i went(2006) i got the visa from the embassy in dc. it was like $35 for a month and some guy from the embassy called me n said that the embassy website price was outdated. he said it was $70 dollars now and to send $35 more. i didnt believe him and knew i could get it cheaper at the airport so i told him to send my passport back. he said it was to late... i said i didnt care... so, anyway, he sends it back and it had the visa on it and it was for 30 days. dont trust the embassy people if you go that way.




    Usually I just bring my two passwort photo with me from home and when arrive at the airport just fill out the form.



    Those officials could be pain in the butt, they keep questioning me why I didn%26#39;t speak Laotian, and keep asking how many years that I have lived in America, and why can not speak Laotian?



    Than, I told him look at my passport closely please I%26#39;m was born in Vietnam, hello. I might look like one of you, but I%26#39;m not...........



    Than he goes, you don%26#39;t look Vietnamese either....



    Man, these guys are IDIOT and don%26#39;t know how they got the job in the airport....






    Perhaps its your obviously poor attitude that irritates them.

    Oui's guest house Luan Prabang

    Has anyone stayed here recently. I would appreciate any comments.



    Oui's guest house Luan Prabang


    Hi,





    I stayed in Oui%26#39;s guesthouse for 5 nights in January 2008. The hotel is built in March 2007 %26amp; has 8 rooms. We stayed at deluxe double room ($40 per night). The room has a huge bed, a TV, a fridge (very noisy) %26amp; an airco. The room is not big, but OK. The bathroom is another story. The shower is built above the WC, so when you take a shower everything becomes wet, also your WC paper. There are no shelves in the bathroom.





    The hotel is conveniently located on the quiet side of the Meikon %26amp; is within walking distance to the center %26amp; the market.





    The hotel has a small breakfast area, wher you can also order drinks %26amp; snaks during the day.





    On the upper floor there is a balcony, where you can seat with your beer %26amp; enjoy the view.





    One small detail: the hotel locked the entrance door at 11.30 p.m. %26amp; you do not get a key. So if you want to party late, you will have to make arrangements.



    Oui's guest house Luan Prabang


    I stayed there in Jan. The rooms are a good size %26amp; the bathrooms are standard S.E Asia wet rooms (so yes everything does get wet but most bathrooms elsewhere are the same), however, the sound proofing is terrible %26amp; you can hear EVERYTHING aound %26amp; about. We ended up whispering if we wanted a conversation in private! The location is excellent %26amp; the rooms are clean but you can find cheaper if you look on arrival in Luang Prabang as there are guest houses everywhere. I paid around $25 per night which overall I though was poor value for money.

    evening temps February in Luang Prabang

    Two questions:



    1. Is it cool enough in the evenings to need a jacket in Luang Prabang during the next couple of weeks?



    2. Are trekking sandals Ok or do I need walking boots when exploring on the %26#39;tourist trail%26#39; in Laos?



    I am not intending to venture off the beaten track!



    evening temps February in Luang Prabang


    1) Yes.



    2) What are ';trekking sandals'; and what do you mean by the ';tourist trail.'; If you are talking about walking around town and to the wats, sandals are fine. If you are going to do a bit of trekking, I%26#39;d wear sandshoes or something similar.



    evening temps February in Luang Prabang


    If you are just hanging around town, shucks, even flipflops will suffice! If you want to take some day treks, you might opt for sturdier footwear, as in trekking sandals. (Tevas, etc)




    Can be cool in the evenings so long sleeve sweater/fleece would be useful - the best sellers in the night market last week were long knitted scarfs at a couple of $.



    Also the mornings are chilly and generally foggy with the sun not breaking through till 10ish. By 11am most tourists are down to their T shirts , with their sweaters and fleeces wrapped around the waist.



    Shoes - trekies are fine.



    Enjoy Laos.




    Many thanks to the 4 people who responded to my questions- very helpful, ensuring I pack the right gear.




    If you go to





    http://weather.ninemsn.com.au/weather/world/conditions.asp?location=Luang%2DPrabang%26amp;region=South%2Deast+Asia





    you can monitor the weather in LP




    Hi - on the temperature, if you go further north or east from LP to some of the other more touristed areas - Phonsavanh, Sing, Luang Namtha, Sam Neua etc it gets a lot colder quickly! LP is about 10 deg now in the evening, these other places 0-2 deg after sundown. cheers




    It is 8.30pm and I am sitting in a restaurant in LP. It is cool (maybe mid teens C) but I am comfortable in a T shirt. Having said that, there are people around who are rugged up like it is about to snow any minute . .


  • make up school
  • 1st attempt at Itinerary... Need help please!!!

    Hello,

    Ok excuse my ignorance... I have my Laos Lonely Planet on order and have done a bit of reading but want to now get some opinions... Having done 6 weeks in Thailand and Cambodia in Dec/Jan its time to head back...

    I am going to do 4 weeks... approx 10 days in Laos and the rest in Thailand (didnt get enough!!).... I am just trying to work out the best route!!

    I really want to do the Gibbon Experience up at Huay Xai, I am going to Chiang Mai and I really want to do the tubing for a day at Vang Vieng.... but I need a plan!! Still trying to get my head around where the border crossing are and distances/times etc....

    I am thinking of the following - can someone help!!

    Bangkok to Udon Thani (overnight train)... Udon Thani to Vientiane (how many days do I need in V? distance between 2?)... Vientiane - Vang Vieng (distance? One day/ 2 nights enough in VV?).... VV - Luang Prabeng (how far? how long needed in LP?).... Luang Prabeng - Huay Xui (distance again?)... HX - Chiang Mai (distance?)....

    Should I skip any of these? Should I go to Plain of Jars instead or as well??

    Sorry for longwinded post!!!

    Reet xxx

    1st attempt at Itinerary... Need help please!!!

    I can help you with a couple of these, first if you%26#39;re going to take the train, take it all the way to Nong Khai, cross into Laos at the friendship bridge( 5 minute tuk tuk ride ) have 30-40 US and a passport photo, theres usually a minivan taxi to take you to Vientiane (20 minutes 300bt) Vientiane is a quiet town for its size with most foreigners hanging out around the fountain area(Khop Chai Duo restuarant and bar is fun with live music, lots of small shops for handicrafts silk etc) couple of wats worth seeing, if you stay downtown you can walk most everywhere Vang Vieng is 3-4 hrs by bus, theres a couple cool caves to explore and tubing down the river is fun with little bars ,restuarants to stop it while you%26#39;re tubing and these tv bars where people watch videos and eat and drink (have a happy shake for me) lots of young backpackers there Luang Prabang is a full day bus from Vang Vieng and is a beautiful little town with ancient Wats all over the place royal palace museum is cool, boat trip to Pak Ou caves is fun and if you can stay downtown you can walk most everywhere ( Sala Prabang hotel is nice) and they close 1 street at night for night market haven%26#39;t been north of there so can%26#39;t comment on that , have fun callao

    1st attempt at Itinerary... Need help please!!!

    The overnight train BKK - Udon Thani is great and very cheap. Tw o suggestions - take some food on the train with you, as although breakfast is available it is pretty awful (a cold fried egg, lettuce, nasty sausage and stale white bread), and when you get off at Udon Thani ignore the tuk tuk drivers who try to take you to a ';special visa agent'; and make sure you go straight to the bridge, where the real immigration control is.

    The whole process of getting from Udon Thani, through immigration, across the bridge and into Vientiane took us about an hour and a half, most of which was spent waiting for our visas. Once you get across the bridge it%26#39;s less than 10 minutes in a car or 15 min by tuk tuk (the Lao tuk tuks are much smaller, slower and gentler than the Bangkok ones) to Vientiane.

    We found that two days in Vientiane were enough. There are some interesting temples and a market but it%26#39;s not a pleasant place to just walk around because there%26#39;s little shelter from the sun/rain and the pavements seem to be constantly dug up, with cement dust everywhere. Luang Prabang is somewhere that you could spend weeks. I suggest at least a week. We stayed one night at Sala Prabang (see the reviews page) and although we had a lovely big room with a balcony overlooking the Mekong I wouldn%26#39;t recommend it for a longer stay as there is no storage whatever, so you can%26#39;t unpack, and no fridge. I think the rack rate is about US$75, which is overpriced.


    Sorry, I was talking about tgetting the train to Nong Khai, not to Udon Thani.


    Thanks guys for your feedback... I did a bit of reading last night and worked out that Vientiane is so close to the border which is great.... The only issue I have is the distance between VV and Huay Xui... 2 days by slow boat... kind of eats into the day %26#39;budget%26#39; a bit!!!

    Will take on board your ideas and thanks heaps!!

    Reet xx


    Sigh! Again we get uninformed comments about Vientiane. Well, I happen to live there and am not a tourist. There is a lot to see and do, and I would spend a minimum of 2 days exploring the city. Vang Vieng is ok, but for my taste there are far too many tourists and they are very visible; a couple of days there is more than enough.

    Luang Prabang also has many tourists, but as there is much more to do than in VV, I would suggest about 4-5 days. The Plain of Jars is worth seeing, but one day is enough.

    By the way, your Lonely Planet Guide is so out of date as to be almost useless for Laos.


    Thanks again for your comments.... Ok put it this way... I only have about 10-12 days for Laos....

    What do you think I should definately do and what should I miss???

    I liked the idea of the Gibbon Experience and I only am interested in one day in VV for the tubing! I like getting off the beaten tourist track a bit, I am not into alot of musuems etc... I would prefer to meet people and interact....

    Having said that I dont want to just rush around and spend my time travelling the whole time....

    Argh this is too hard!!


    MJ,

    Ok, here is what I would do. Take a cab or mini bus from Nongkai to the border and then spend a couple of days in Vintiane. A decent guest house there is Manoley Guesthouse; it is a bit dearer than most, but has been recently renovated and also has a small swimming pool. Even though it is the rainy season at the moment, it is still hot. (25US per night)

    Take a bus to Vang Vieng for a couple of days, then head to Luang Prabang and spend 4-5 days there. That takes up your 10 days. If you have any extra time, go to Champasak which is also a world heritage listed site.

    In Luang Prabang make sure that you have a meal at the Three Nagas restaurant. This is not cheap - my wife and I ate there recently and paid $45US, but this included a bottle of wine. The food is fabulous though and be sure to have the O Lam, a typical Laos dish from that region.

    I hope you enjoy the trip to Laos; it is a great country and the people are very friendly. I should know as I married one of them.

    One of the above posters mentiond the Kob Jai Der in Vientiane; this pub has ok food and a live band starting at 8.30. It is a fun place to have a drink. Maybe I will see you there if I am not working.


    Thanks heaps. I will be sure to keep in contact and try catch you for a beer or two! xx


    In fairness, this review was sent twice to the Gibbon Experience office before being posted. No response was ever received.]

    First of all let us say if you%26#39;re looking to do some easy to moderate jungle trekking and above-canopy zip-lining combined with unique treehouse accommodation, this is a good bet and possibly worth the Euros...er...bhat. However, if you%26#39;re looking to do business with a professionally managed eco-tour operator to the end of having an up-close and personal experience with a wild gibbon colony, you%26#39;ll be disappointed.

    Arrival

    We arrived in Houayxai, Laos Sunday afternoon April 30 after crossing over the muddy Mekong from Chiang Kong, Thailand. The crossing took all of about 4 minutes in a private boat. Upon arrival in Laos, we had to pay $35 US dollars each to the Laos Customs officials.

    [Dollars? Don%26#39;t they have their own currency? Apparently they do but it%26#39;s not stable enough to be much good - at least not to the government that prints it. So in George they trust. Or maybe the CIA: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2770.htm

    www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/Laos_KH.html

    Dunno, but government-says-dollars-only in the middle of the former opium universe seems odd if not too convenient.]

    After paying the custom official%26#39;s quarterly mortgage, we found a hotel (Guest House) with AC across the street from the Gibbon Experience office and checked in. The Gibbon office didn%26#39;t open until 6 PM so we hung out at the restaurant/bar next door where we met several veterans of the %26#39;Classic Experience%26#39;. A brief survey revealed none had actually experienced the gibbons. This came as a bit of a surprise as we had naively imagined we would be in their midst and it would be primate versus primate in the battle over our Powerbar stash:

    http://tinyurl.com/27hymb

    Anyway, there was a rumor that someone on one of the previous expeditions had spotted a gibbon but this was not confirmed. Otherwise, the veterans described their days in the jungle as mostly positive but registered complaints about poor organization, lack of direction and supervision when using the zip-lines. Hmmm... And then there was the complaint about plain rice ad nauesum. Good thing we brought those Powerbars.

    When the office finally opened around 6:30 we found Noke, a part-time Gibbon employee, hunkered down behind the computer. See failed to acknowledge our presence until we finally spoke up and introduced ourselves after several minutes. Her acknowledgement was silent and expressionless (or was that a smirk?) and upon hearing we wanted to make payment her first words to us was that there had been a price increase and our currency was no good. Ooooooooooo-K...

    We had several email exchanges with the Gibbon Experience prior to our arrival and had booked well in advance. In none of our exchanges nor on their web site did we find the disclaimer %26#39;Prices subject to change without notice.%26#39; In fact they (an employee named Liz) had sent explicit directions that the price was 200 euros total and this was their preferred method of payment over the alternative - Laotian kip or Thai bhat. So we came with Euros - Euros that we had to make a special effort to locate in Chiang Mai and Euros that ate about a 7% in commission conversion. Ok $20 loss more or less - no biggie, but now Noke is telling us that it%26#39;s gonna be $110 Euros each. But wait, they no longer take Euros! Instead, she wants us to pay in bhat or kips which means we will eat another chunk of commission. We may be Americans, but we%26#39;re not idiots. We politely objected to the increase based on 1) their brochure (a copy of which was on the table between us) advertising 100 Euros per person and 2) the lack of price increase disclaimer. Our objection was met with a blank stare and a definite smirk and after going back and forth - our presentation of the agreement in several forms, and her blank stares/smirk - we were finally told we would have to speak to Jeff (the owner/operator) in the morning. Fine...

    We returned the next morning and met up with 7 other travelers doing the %26#39;Waterfall Experience%26#39;. We entered the Gibbon office where Noke was again buried behind the computer and again failed to acknowledge our group presence. Without introduction or greeting, she informed the group that we were going to watch a video. When the video was over, we presented her 200 Euros along with 500 bhat or $16. That was it. She accepted our currency including some difference and responded by saying %26#39;Thanks and you can talk with Jeff later if you want.%26#39; This we planned to do upon our return.

    The Ride

    After the initial %26#39;introduction%26#39; or lack off, we adjusted our expectations about the professional competence of this outfit. So less of a surprise when 12 of us line up to get into the Toyota Land Cruiser for the 3 hour ride into the Bokeo Nature Reserve. 9 in the back on two bench seats and 3 in the front, the ride was cramped, hot, dusty and at times quite bumpy. We made a midway %26#39;convenience stop where the locals tried to charge us to use the %26#39;toilet%26#39; (no dice). From there we crossed a shallow river and twisted up, around and trough miles of slash and burned landscape until finally reaching the village which sits about an hour trek away from the forest.

    The Hike In

    We met a returning group as we unpiled from the Land Cruiser. This group seemed pretty spent after their 3 hour hike back from the %26#39;Waterfall Experience%26#39;. No gibbons sighted and as it turns out, no waterfall despite heavy rainfalls the previous week. Oooooooooooo-K. They gave us a cryptic warning about jungle parasites and off we went. The trek in was fun and easy. About an hour into the jungle you begin to get a feel for this ecosystem and its potential for biodiversity.We say potential because although biodiversity is much hyped and a favorite buzzword here, where we were at, there was surprisingly little wildlife and not much botanic diversity to be found on the forest floor. In trees there were at least 3 different birds and presumably, colonies of gibbons scattered about but that was really about the extent of perceived fauna. The exception was an up-close and personal experience with a vicious black bear. Nevermind he was only 8 pounds, he could inflict great pain and fear on our group of jungle neophytes. The encounter took place in the outfitting hut just prior to the zip-line portion of the trek. The bear, an %26#39;orphaned pet%26#39; although quite entertaining seemed a complete anachronism to the Gibbon Experience%26#39;s mission.

    The Zipping

    The technical gear required for zipping across a 1/2'; wire rope is nothing more than a pulley carabinered to a climber%26#39;s seat harness. It%26#39;s extremely low tech but incredibly exhilarating. Top speed was about 20 miles per hour and depending on your form, you could make most of the traverses without having to reel yourself in hand-over-hand at the end. The height was pretty dramatic too as you%26#39;re a couple hundred feet above the forest floor. You have a safety line attached to the cable for back-up and the whole apparatus generally seems safe. As one of us has an engineering background, we examined closely the cable clamps and entire assembly and found it adequate. We wouldn%26#39;t recommend multiple zippers at the same time but one 200 pound person has a good factor of safety. The main danger comes from striking objects near the wire or at the end of the run at speed. We heard a report of someone who injured his leg striking a tree or platform upon landing but none of our party experienced any hazard. Of course we didn%26#39;t do that much zipping so risk was reduced. Although zipping was advertised as unlimited and central to the experience, the bulk of our zips came the first day on the hike in where we negotiated 6 traverses via the wire. Subsequently we could go out and back from our tree house but these runs were comparatively short and uninteresting after several revolutions. Unfortunate as we really had hoped to explore more of the jungle from above. One good tip we were given by previous parties was use gloves. We purchased these across the street from the Gibbon office and they came in very handy - particularly for on day 2 when one of us had a bad pulley and always stopped short of the landing platform. This required lottsa latimus dorsus exertion and the gripping of the greasy wire which the gloves made more tolerable.

    The Tree House

    We signed-up, paid for, and expected the Waterfall experience whereby the group was divided between 2 tree houses (approximately 4-5 persons per) and rotated day 2. This isn%26#39;t what we got. In fact all 9 of us were led to the not-Waterfall tree house the first day and this is where we stayed the entire time. We were not informed of this by management prior to our departure nor did we learn of this until we inquired with %26#39;guides%26#39; on day 2. Gathering from their very limited English the Waterfall house tree was distressed and they were limiting occupancy. Disappointing. To add insult to injury, there were only 8 sleeping mats for 9 people. So a female member of our party spent a rough first night on a thin blanket on the hardwood floor with no top sheet or pillow! On night 2, a young male in our party took one for the team. This, sans apology and/or partial refund. So much for the %26#39;Semi-private bedrooms%26#39; advertised in the web brochure: http://www.gibbonx.org/gibbon_experience.php

    Although our treehouse had a penthouse or mezzanine gallery large enough for 2, 9 trekkers plus 2 guides made it a crowded place. As a result there was little privacy. The %26#39;toilet%26#39; was screened by a thatched mat but of course provided no acoustical privacy, especially with a dozen people hanging out a few feet away. It%26#39;s the jungle and twice the occupancy load precipitated cabin fever sooner rather than later. A fever made worse by the limited amount of zipping in our area, assorted insects, the heat and anxiousness to explore.

    A miracle of sorts was the fact that our tree house had, clean, drinkable running water. It is gathered from a spring fed creek which runs near our treehouse and pumped up to a central sink in the treehouse and to a shower and bath sink. We were reluctant to drink the water at first but having been assured it was safe by previous trekkers, drank the water for 3 days including directly from the stream itself. A week later we are still alive and appear to be giardia free.

    The treehouse was approximately 110%26#39; above the forest floor and roughly the same elevation as 3 bee hives about 120 yards away. Which is to say our house was a convenient starting point for the bees forage for pollen or water. The bees were a constant presence and nuisance. They loved the wet shower/toilet area and would work their way under your shirt if you were not vigilant. Hugh got stung twice but wrote this off as user error. At night, management provided opaque tent-like canopies over your sleeping mat to keep the bees and other bugs out. This worked and also provided a measure of visual privacy.

    Otherwise the tree house was comfortable and provided great views as advertised. If the Waterfall house tree was stressed accommodating half the people then this one is going to go fast as all the kitchen and human waste is deposited at it%26#39;s base. And judging by the smell down there, there%26#39;s a fair amount of bacteria and ammonia impacting the tree%26#39;s root system.

    The Guides and Day 2

    The brochure advertises: %26#39;Local guides eager to show you the forest and its inhabitants%26#39;

    This is a stretch at best. Our young male %26#39;guides%26#39; although nice enough (especially to each other ;-), were neither local nor eager to orient and educate us about the forest or it%26#39;s inhabitants. During our stay in Southeast Asia we hired true professional guides in several areas all of which demonstrated adequate knowledge and interest in their subject and conveyed this quite adequately in English. No so here. Either because their English was so poor or they lacked knowledge of their subject, very little was communicated about the flora, fauna or social history of this region. They were neither licensed nor educated. We had many questions about types of plants including medicinal uses, flowering species, edible species, invasive/indigenous species, poisonous species, place in the forest chain etc. but quit asking when we could not get an answer. Similarly, we had many questions about the fauna including the birds we were hearing, small jungle mammals, snakes and the ever elusive gibbons but had to wait our return to internet where these questions could be answered. The Gibbon Experience is more than anything else, a Jungle Experience yet our guides could answer only the most basic of questions and unlike the other guides we experienced in SE Asia, they offered no running commentary as they led us hurriedly through the forest. They were guides only in the strictest sense of the term.

    Nor were they at all eager. Day 2 started out with a nice early morning trek down the mountain and back up the leach infested stream. Unfortunately, that was the highlight hike of the day. After breakfast the guides crashed (too much rice wine) before giving us any indication of what was to come this day or what our options were. After a couple hours, we grew restless waiting for them to wake so forged ahead and did some exploring on our own. This is not possible unless you are a good tracker or have a GPS and mark your waypoints frequently as there are no sign posts in the jungle and the trails are thin in spots. Despite the brochure mandated: %26#39;Unlimited access to explore the forest%26#39;, our absence caused great consternation and concern when the guides awoke. As the search party was looking for us, we covered quite a bit of territory making it to a nearby village and to then on to the big river where, 4 hours later, we crossed paths with the balance of our party led by a surprised/relieved looking guide. They were off to go swimming but quickly dispensed with the idea once they saw the number of leaches they would be sharing the mucky brown water with. Unlike our route, this group had covered no new territory on their river trek as it was generally the same path as the morning hike. The promised waterfall hike never materialized and with limited zip line access and no gibbon sightings our only full day in the jungle was a mixed experience.

    The Gibbon %26#39;Experience%26#39;

    It is interesting that although this is billed as the Gibbon Experience, there was no effort on the part of the guides to take us to the gibbons straight away. During May, the gibbons can only be spotted in the very early dawn when the sky is just beginning to change. The guides know this as well as the exact location of the gibbons. Despite our early requests to see the gibbons and obvious anxiousness, we spent the first morning in another part of the gibbonless forest picking leaches off our feet.

    On the final morning we woke everyone at 4:50 and were zipping out of the treehouse by 5:05. It was still dark and our guide was racing. The party was slow assembling and we had to stop the guide from going on without them as we were venturing into an essentially pathless and unmarked part of the forest. Once the group assembled the guide led us approximately 400 yards from the %26#39;kitchen%26#39; to an area where he pointed out movement in the treetops some 150 yards beyond. No gibbons were visible yet it was obvious, judging by the swaying of the branches and leaves, they were present. As a group we stood on a steep embankment opposite the colony trees and watched the branches sway. Visibility was not good due to the low light level and other trees obscuring our view. But alas after a minute or so we saw the tiniest shadow of a figure leap from one canopy to the other - a distance of about 7 feet. A gibbon! And a appetite wetted. We strained to see more but the creature, maybe detecting our presence, disappeared. We moved closer to what we expected would be a better vantage but the guide raced on and on until we were back at the zip line a few minutes later. That was it! A brief sighting. No hunkering down and waiting and witnessing their dance in the trees. No opportunities to zoom in on those cute little faces and get that shot of the vacation. No experience of how the colony interacts, forages or demonstrates it%26#39;s acrobatic prowess. Just a fleeting glimpse in a very rushed spin through the forest. So fast indeed that only 2 marathoners and a spry teenager could keep up - barely. Oh well. A gibbon sighting but not an experience. Fortunately we marked the GPS coordinates for this colony so that future participants can truly experience the gibbons. For these coordinates, email us at jsntg@yahoo.com.

    Caveat Emptor

    The Gibbon Experience is a mis-nomer. If you surveyed our group of 9 international travelers, %26#39;Leach Experience%26#39; would likely be the most memorable and accurate description. Alternatively, %26#39;Bee Experience%26#39;, %26#39;Baby Bear Experience%26#39;, %26#39;Gayboy Experience%26#39;, or the %26#39;Bamboo-In-The-Eye Experience%26#39; would also apply. For another group in another treehouse we met enroute, it would be the %26#39;Spiders-As-Big-As-Your-Face Experience%26#39;.

    The biggest disappointment for us was not the unqualified guides but rather the unprofessional management and poor business practices of Mr. Jeff the French-born, tree-climbing proprietor who turns out to be even more elusive than the gibbons. If Mr. Jeff is to continue on his mission to preserve the Bokeo forest he will need the ever-increasing support of eco-tourists such as those in our group. However if he continues to operate his enterprise in such a capricious fashion he will not only lose the support of tourists but also the people of Bokeo Provence and ultimately, the Lao government.

    Pros:

    - Easy to moderate hiking in sub-tropical jungle

    - Awesome zip line rides through and across the forest canopy

    - Tree house lodging with great views

    - Meeting a great group of international travelers

    - Remotely observing a jungle village and tribal culture/agrarian lifestyle

    Cons:

    - Expensive given Laos economy (you can lodge/eat/recreate comfortably for $15/day)

    - Price increases without notice

    - Change of accepted currency without notice

    - Change of accommodations without notice

    - Crowded accommodations

    - Lack of proper bedding for some

    - 3 hour commute to and from the jungle was in an overcrowded Land Cruiser (bench seats)

    - Guides spoke very little English and/or had very limited knowledge (botanical, historic, etc.) of the region

    - Guides were less than %26#39;eager to show you the forest%26#39; contrary to the brochure:

    - Limited access unless you carry a GPS

    - Food was primarily rice with rather bland tasting mix of vegetables and some meat

    - Lack of zipping opportunities

    - Limited zip line access from some areas

    - Lack of briefing about itinerary and %26#39;jungle trekking%26#39; tips

    - Very few jungle animals

    - Leaches, bees, and massive (but harmless) spiders

    Hugh %26amp; Adrienne


    This was posted before in this forum, (and others.) Why the repetition?

  • networking
  • Luang Prabang

    I have thinking of visiting Luang Prabang on a weekend in January. Is there anything such as sites or markets that will be closed?



    Ian



    Luang Prabang


    Hi, I noticed that you are from Aus as well. Just wondering how are you getting to luang prabang? I%26#39;ve been trying to book flights for dec but haven%26#39;t found a travel agent who will give a reasonable price.



    Luang Prabang


    Hi Plat1pus,





    We are going to LP next week, and fly from BKK to Chiang Rai via Air Asia, costs about $40 AUD. Staying at Phu Chaisai for a couple of nights, one of our favourite places. Then go to the border, and take a slow boat down the Mekong to LP. Fun way to get there. Departing LP, we just fly to BKK via Bangkok Air. Enjoy!



    Sonia




    Hi, just trying to put something similar together myself. How easy is it to book the transport from Chiang Rai to Luang Prabang? most ';cruises'; I%26#39;ve seen look strangely expensive,



    Jim

    question

    Hello



    I am starting to plan my trip to Laos and will just do the north (will have 3 weeks) based in LP.



    Wondering if anyone has done any Greentrail tours. I have been looking at a few, the “the secrets of the north” looks interesting. Keen on hearing any feedback or suggestion for other guided tours or even companies that people have used. I would like to include the Nong Khiaw /Muang Ngoi area in my trip or further.







    Thanks.





    question


    Hi there, are you sure you need a guided tour? It is all doable by yourself, and you will meet lots of fellow travellers to share the experiences.



    I would recommend you combine boat and road travel, and the boat ride from Nong Khiaow back to Luang Prabang or vice versa is really lovely.



    In Luang nam tha you will be able to join trekking visits to hilltribes, you don%26#39;t have to hav an overall plan for the lot, just break it down into individual legs and arrange your own travel between places; it%26#39;s the best way to have fund make friends!



    question


    Tiger Trails had excellent %26amp; friendly guides.




    Hello hejda thanks sounds like you enjoyed Laos.



    Yes I have read that the boat ride Nong Khiaw is lovely. Will definitely do.



    Still time for me to decide how best suit me.





    Hello Trav0042 I looked at tiger trails web. Wow they have a lot of different tours So many to choose. Lots of good ideas.



    Did you do any with them? Which one/s ?





    Thanks




    We took the 1/2 day elephant excursion. It was great. They also have an overnight elephant excursion which I heard good things about.





    As far as any with rafting/kayaking, there are not a lot of rapids in the area, so expect a quiet ride.




    Hi Alicie





    We did the 2 day 1 night Elephant Mahout Program with Tiger Trails in March this year. Fantastic experience. We were also very fortunate with only one other guest so got to get up close and personal with the elephants! The highlight without a doubt was the early morning bathing of the elephants. We opted to canoe back to Luang Prabang on the second day. Great way to take in the river, although it was quite shallow in parts due to it being the dry season.




    Thanks trav0042 and mudgeeJo



    MudgeeJo yes canoe back to LP sounds great. Tiger trails elephant camp is one thing I would like to do.



    Seems like I only get a 15-day visa. So far, I am thinking 2-3 days tiger camp and 5-6 day Nong Khiaw /Muang Ngoi region. The rest in LP (may have time on visa for a day at Vang Vieng. and Vientiane then fly out from here) I not like to be too rushed, hopefully this plan is a slow pace.





    What other things did you do or see in Laos? Sorry just enjoy reading how and what others have done.




    Hi Alicie





    In relation to your Visa. We applied through the Laos embassy in Canberra before we left and obtained a 30 day Visa. If you let me know your email I can email you the application form. I think from memory it was AUD$45.00 plus the cost of registered post both ways.





    We started our trip in Luang Prabang after flying in from Chiang Mai. Spent 5 nights here, then headed south to Vang Vieng for 2 nights (mini bus), then to Vientiane (mini bus) for 2 nights. We then flew south to Pakse, headed out to the Bolaveau Plateau, hired a tuk tuk for the afternoon (US$20), visited a tea and coffee plantation, two waterfalls, Tad Fane and Tad Nguing.





    From Pakse we caught a long boat to Champasek and hired a motorbike and went to Wat Phu. The next day we caught a songathew to Nagaseng and then long tail boat to Don Khon in the 4000 islands on the Mekong where we spent 4 nights just chilling out. From here we went back to Pakse before heading to Thailand (Ubon Ratachani) by public bus.





    Another good site for information is travelfish.org. They have loads of guest houses and info that you can download which is more up to date than any guide book. This site only deals with Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos and also gives suggested itineraries.





    Hope this helps.





    Jo




    Thank you Jo, for taking the time to respond.



    If you look at top of this site ( in green heading) on the right, “my tripadvisor” , you should see an envelope ( my message to you). Pleased to know that I am not limited to only 15 days.





    Yes I have been reading the travelfish site.





    Anyway Jo “you have mail”



    Alicie




    You can get a 30-day Lao visa at the airport upon arrival. Have a couple of passport photographs ready and at least $45. I paid $40 I believe(American) in 2006 but it was $35 in 2005. Go figure.






    Hi MudgeeJo, did you book the Mahout tour before you arrived at Luang Prabang?





    Is it necessary to book?





    I and my son plan to do the tour in early June, and we have just a few days in Luang Prabang.





    Thanks for your info,





    Susanne

    some to stay

    Wondering if you can help me find a safe ,clean, mid price place to stay.I am a man in his fifties traveling on my own some close to town also how long do you think i will need to spend Luang Prabang to see the sights



    Thanks Heaps



    some to stay


    I spent 4 days in LP which was enough to cover all the main sites %26amp; trips to waterfalls %26amp; caves. As for accomodation, there are LOADS of places to stay in LP. I pre-booked %26amp; was a little disappointed with my accomodation (poor value for money), I suggest just turning up %26amp; looking around.



    some to stay


    Will take your advice and pick a g/house on the day



    Thanks for the help




    Hi,



    I%26#39;ve been here, Dec 2006/ Jan 2007



    It is a clean guest-house into a colonial french-lao villa, with a range of different rooms from 20 to 60 dollars in a quite street walk distance from the main road and from the river Nam Ou.





    LUANG PRABANG



    Sayo Guest House



    tel 071 252614



    Sayo@laotel.com





    For a meal consider 5 dollars.



    LP is one of the most relaxing places I%26#39;ve ever been



    Have a nice stay



    Alfama




    I agree that you don%26#39;t need to book. There are plenty of reasonably priced guest houses and the place is small so almost all are in a good location. I stayed with my husband and two children (aged 9 and 11) for less than $20 per night and it was fine. It is a fabulous place.




    also OK with guesthouse ammata



    good location, in a small quiet street behind main street



    phone 071 21 21 75

    Help Planning Laos Trip

    Hi All





    I am still in the very early stages of planning a trip through South East Asia later this year. I was hoping to tap into the vast knowledge here to get some recommendations on what to see and do in Laos.





    The only thing I have my heart set on is the Plain of Jars. Everything else can be negotiated around that!





    I am guessing I will have to stay/travel through Vientiane as well.





    I am planning roughly 5 days for the Laos leg. Unless there is a way to do the plain of jars in less time?





    Thanks!





    Cap3tt3





    Help Planning Laos Trip


    I would spend 2 nights in Phonsavan (whwre the jars are) then spend the rest in Vientiane if this is your first trip.



    Help Planning Laos Trip


    Yes this is our first trip. I know 5 days is not long, would it be worth trying to get up to Luang Prabang? I am more interested in scenery and culture if that helps anyone with suggestions oh and plain of jars of course LOL. What days do the flights run to the plain of jars? I have read here that they are not regular is that correct?




    Maneki%26#39;s advice is good. Its a pity not to see LP, but you can%26#39;t do everything. You said roughly 5 days. If you can manage 7 you can get to see Luang Prabang as well.



    The flight days are available on the Laos airlines site. Its only a 30 minute flight. Also on that site you can see some excellent hotel and flight deals to the Plain of Jars offered by Laos Airlines. As far as I know they are still current and they offer good accommodation/flight packages.



    If you can manage 7 days you could also fly to LP. It would be worth it.



    Be careful some dodgy French Travel agent has set up a web site to almost resemble the Lao Air site. DON%26#39;T book on this site - people have had problems.




    Flights are never regular in Laos- in fact, my domestic flight was just cancelled, forcing me to opt for the bloody 9+ -hour bus ride from Vientiane to Pakse this week, and my return flight time was also changed so I have to stay a night in Bangkok on my return to Japan. I am flying to Laos tomorrow morning and I am hoping nothing else will go wrong!




    Sounds a bit like travelling in India!




    you should not forget to visit southern provinces, very nice and attractive too.

    southern Laos in August

    Does anyone out there have any experience of southern Laos in August? How bad is that rain and how much is it likely to affect travelling around? And what about the mossies? Any info gratefully received.

    southern Laos in August

    In August, it some time rainy, but still quite suitable for travelling, I have been to Pakse many times in August, and I note that the rain is just times and affect nothing to travel around. Just only a problem, the weather there is a littlbe bit warm. 23-35 celcious

    There is a advantage for you to travel in August that you will have a very good rate from the services supplier (hotels, restaurants, etc) due to the low season there

    Enjoy your travel!

    traveltolao

    southern Laos in August

    Thanks for your reply. Have you been down to the islands during this time?


    yes, I have been down to the Island in August (khong Island). I must say that it%26#39;s really wonderful in the rainy season as the water level is high, so what do you expect more?

    One more information that I want to share with you. From the island, you can easily get to Cambodia by bus via Viengkham boarder gate to Stungtreng.

    Wish you a happy Journey to Laos!

    Traveltolao

    http://www.traveltolao.com/


    Hi Can you tell me is it easy to get to Pakse from Ubon Ratchatani in Thailand? I plan to be there this august.


    direct international shuttle by good bus every day 2 times between pakse and ubonratchathani. price 200 baht per person. leaves from the bus station located on the back side of the evening market on Km 2.

    takes less than 3 hours. it is the best way.

  • make up school
  • migrating existing portal
  • vientiane hotels

    Hi all, this is mt first time on the forum



    will be arriving very late in Veintiane around midnight by plane and was wondering if anybody could tell me of a hotel that is clean,safe but won%26#39;t break the bank (midrange)



    thanks for the help







    vientiane hotels


    Lane Xang Hotel is about 30=50US and will pick you up at the airport, kind of old but I stay there, Lao orchid hotel is about 30US, just redone, more of a guest house, Don Chan Palace is abour 100US, novotel is about the same Go to Vientiane hotel and restuarant assocation website they have the most up to date info on hotels in Vientiane, Callao



    vientiane hotels


    We are in Vientiane right now we trucked all over town looking at a bunch of different places and ended up at the Intercity Hotel. Its super cute and charming w/elevator and we got a room for $35. We realize that is on the expensive side but we are only here for 1 night, and compared to the other places I thought it completely worth it. Right on the Mekong and in front of all the riverside eateries! But tonight whilst strolling we came upon a court yard of old Lao wooden style houses that are rooms for rent that look like little bungalows for $20. Auberge Sala Inpeng. look on line www.salalaotel.com... We are off to find something equally as charming in LP.... Good luck




    oops I meant www.salalao.com




    I would agree with Callao. The Lane Xang hotel is probably your best option. It is not the newest hotel but it has the best location, and is exceptional value even by Lao standards. It also has the advantage that every taxi and tuk tuk driver is going to know where it is.

    Vientiane to Pakse

    I%26#39;m planning to travel between Vientiane and Pakse is there anything worth seeing between these places?



    Vientiane to Pakse


    So far I%26#39;ve heard most people get on one of the very comfortable sleeper busses (not joking!) and skip everything between Vientiene and Pakse. I wouldn%26#39;t know anything special.

    Southern Laos Highlights

    We will be travelling through southern laos and want to make sure we visit the best places. I realise this is broad but any ideas/suggestions of places to visit would be great.





    Thanks





    Southern Laos Highlights


    hello,



    boloven plateau



    wat phou temple



    phou assa temple/fortress (elephant trekking)



    4.000 islands



    bane saphay and surroundings



    wat chomphet



    pakse is an excellent base to depart to all these places for 1 or 2 days trip. depends on how long you will stay.



    Southern Laos Highlights


    I agree with Jerome (as he is living in that area :-). I went to Tat Lo at the Boloven plateau. Beautiful little village. Peaceful and very nice locals. Rented a motorbike to get all the way to Tat Fan (great views of Laos highest waterfall) to find the wordls best coffee beans (according to local info :-).





    Don Det @ Si Phan Don (4.000 Islands) rules. Get yourself down for a couple of days (some people stay weeks :-) in a local hammock, bike around the car-free island and enjoy one of the most beautifull sunsets ever seen at Sunset Bungalows. Check out my pictures at http://www.brotherlouis.nl/

    Border crossing to Burma

    Is it possible for Americans to cross Laos%26#39; border to Burma? Many thanks.



    Border crossing to Burma


    At this time it is not possible at all for tourist to cross any border between Laos and Myanmar.(official name of the country again, the British named it Burma when they got there. Before the British it was called Myanma).





    And even if there ';was'; one, it might already be gone. Things change rapidely in Myanmar. As far as I know, there is not even a flight-connection between the 2 countries. If so, I would advice you to get to Chiang Mai (Thailand) from Laos and fly from Chiang Mai to Mandalay (Myanmar%26#39;s 2nd largest city).

    cost of visa from Thailand (Chiang Khong - Houay Xay)

    Can anyone tell me how much the Laos visa will cost me in US$. Thanks

    cost of visa from Thailand (Chiang Khong - Houay Xay)

    $30 US for 30 days althou I paid 36 once at friendship bridge....weekend after 5pm, callao

    cost of visa from Thailand (Chiang Khong - Houay Xay)

    I thought it was a bit cheaper. But count on $ 30 and you%26#39;ll be fine.

  • skin whiteners bleach creams
  • Tipping

    What do you tip your driver and guide on a private vehicle trip??



    Tipping


    How long was the trip? How rich are you? How good was the service?


  • make up school
  • visa requirment

    hoping to visit next month from non khai friend ship bridge 2 thais and 1 british do we need photos and for visas and what would the cost be



    visa requirment


    Yes you do need 2 photos. You should always carry about 6 passport photos when you travel os.Sorry I have no idea what the cost of your photos will be; I guess that depends where you get them done. The visa on the other hand, is about $30US.



    By the way, why don%26#39;t you make your life far easier and get your visa at a Laos Embassy in England or France beforehand?



    visa requirment


    price of visa for foreigners depend on citizenship. maximum is 35 $. for thai citizens : depending on the places they go and how long they stay, a simple border pass can be OK (maximum 3 days and only neighbouring province allowed I think / to be checked with embassies)



    I think visa for thai is about to be free of charge soon if not done yet. calling the thai embassy in vientiane or the lao embassy in bangkok would be the best way.



    visas at the border are cheaper than in the embassies in general for foreigners (at least for French !)




    Some very odd information in the above post. Border passes are not available to Westerners. Thais have not paid for a visa for quite a while.



    The cost of a visa at an emabssy is MINIMALLY more, but the cost in real terms depends on how much you value your time. I couldn%26#39;t be bothered waiting one hour, (which quite a few have and more), for a visa just for an extra $5 or so. If you have nothing else to do and enjoy sittiong around twiddling your thumbs, then sure, get one on arrival. My time is too valuable to waste it like that, but up to you....




    Rufuscat,





    The problem we Brits have is that there isn%26#39;t a Lao embassy in England. The options therefore are either getting a visa in Bangkok or visa on arrival.





    Jerome,





    As you apprently live in Pakse, if you read this, can you tell me whether we can get a visa on arrival at Chong Mek these days. I have done in the past but it seems to vary from time to time. Thanks.




    you can get your visa, no trouble.



    office closes officially at 08:00 PM, but often at 18:30... be careful




    Jerome,





    Thanks for your help.




    no trouble.



    do not forget to take photos before. there is no local service available on the Lao side (Thai side would be OK at regular opening hours).



    enjoy your trip to lao




    Don%26#39;t worry if you forget or lose your 2 visa pics. I lost mine during my travels and they only charged me $1 more than my friend who had both of hers! They charged me $36 (and didn%26#39;t take any photos) and they charged her $35! I was just there last week!

    Passport-size photo

    HI



    Everyone says take passport type photos for a visa. Can I just snap a photo on white background of myself and print it passport size or does it have to be an offical one like in my Canadian passport?



    Passport-size photo


    Hi - any passport size photo on proper photo paper is fine - they wont take a photo printed on ordinary paper. You can get 12 for $2 here in any photo shop if you need more once you arrive for otehr visas etc.

    Luang Prabang to Vientiane by bus

    Hi,



    I am planning to take a bus from Luang Prabang to Vientiane by bus. I have heard that the trip take 6 - 10 hours and not really safe. Is it true? Should i fly instead? any feedback is appreciated.



    Vinh





    Luang Prabang to Vientiane by bus


    It takes a while - about 10 hours. What do you mean by not really safe and where did you hear this? The road is certainly windy, if thats what you mean.



    Luang Prabang to Vientiane by bus


    You pass through some pretty stunning countryside. However, if you are feeling sick due to the windy roads, then perhaps you won%26#39;t see much!




    If you are prone to motion sickness, do take some pills. Otherwise, the journey offers some stunning scenery and a glimpse of the lives of the locals.




    Thanks for your responses. Just how bad is the road?



    Vinh




    Hi - the road is fine, just very windy for much of it, and the usual potholes. Nice views. It usually takes 10 hours on a good day. My partner always gets motion sickness on this road though. The plane is $60 one way.



    However if you are tight on funds - the guesthouses %26amp; travel agents in LP and Vientiane offer bus tickets for about double the price of the regular buses you can get direct from the bus station. They say they are %26#39;delux%26#39; buses but they are just the same as the regular ones. Also the agents offer only 2 times (from Vientiane 8am/2pm) when in fact they go every hour from the bus stations, giving you more flexibility.



    Right. Better do some work I suppose...

    Airport Tax at Vientine

    I%26#39;m from Jakarta, plan to trip to Laos. is the airfare including the airport tax? If no, how much i should pay it and where?

    Thanks

    Airport Tax at Vientine

    Its normally included in your ticket. The only airport tax I have come across in Lao is US$10 departure tax for international flights or 10,000kip ($1)departure tax for internal flights, payable at the airport after checking in.

    Airport Tax at Vientine

    bluecramp thanks for your replay

  • div myspace
  • Injections

    Hello



    I am travelling south east asia arriving in August time, do I need the jamanesse injection for camobida - I will not be going to rural areas?





    Thanks



    Tara





    Injections


    Do you mean japanese encephalitis? Both my doctor in NZ and the doctor here in Lao advised me that whilst the chances of getting it are very low in SE asia, if you do get it, the chances of dying are high, so on that basis its worth getting. Especially as it is carried by mosquitoes and there are plenty around in August.



    Injections


    Yes that is the one. Ok thanks for your help.





    Did you have any reactions to this injection?




    No reactions, apart from the shock of parting with about $200..

    3-6 months long service leave

    Am thinking of getting an apartment or flat in Vientiane or LP or somewhere else more interesting and just relaxing. You people have already been, what do you reckon? Anyone know any real estate agents? I would go in winter as I hate hot weather



    3-6 months long service leave


    I can get you the name of many real estate agents here in Vientiane. It is an easy place to chill out. Rents will be about $350+US a month for anything reasonable. I pay 480 for a 2 bedroom, study, 3ac house very central. There is no Winter, though a cooler season from about Sept onwards.



    3-6 months long service leave


    What is the temperature from Sept onwards - maybe I need to be further north or in the mountains - any suggestions? The rent is also a bit more than I expected to pay. What attracted me to Vientiane in the first place is that its not very big, am looking for something nice and quiet




    Hi- its pleasant weather here in Vientiane Nov- April, you can wear long trousers and a T shirt without sweating, and the locals who feel the cold more than me wear jackets. Probably about 15-20 degrees? March-April it starts to heat up to a peak of around 36deg C, and humid.



    I have rented a new fully furnished bedsit (85m2) with kitchen%26amp;lounge area for $250 and also a new furnished (120m2) 2 bedroom flat with wireless internet, TV etc for $300/month, both central.You don%26#39;t get anything nice much cheaper than that though, as there are quite a few foreigners in Vientiane now that keeps the rents inflated. There are some older 1 bedroom bedsits with separate kitchen near town for $150/month but not good for your needs.



    I have friends who rent 3 bed basically furnished houses 5km away from the centre for as little as $80/month but you have to know someone for these - or spend the time asking around when you get here.





    Further north you might find it harder to find a rental property as demand is much lower outside of Vientiane. You could get a long term rate in a modern guesthouse in Luang Prabang, Luang Namtha etc though for about $150/month, as some of our colleagues do. Hope this helps.




    '; Probably about 15-20 degrees?';



    You live in a different Vientiane to the one that I do, my friend, lol. Where is yours, in Europe?




    Hi Tennant - people have different ideas of what %26#39;cold%26#39; is of course, but the temperatures I gave are about right - the guide I use is that if you can ';see your breath'; it is about 8 deg or lower and I%26#39;ve never seen my breath in Vientiane even at night in the coolest months. Also I%26#39;ve never been really %26#39;cold%26#39; in just a T shirt, as in shivering or having goosebumps, but just felt cool. Thats a bit subjective of course but should give you an idea for your trip.





    It might bet down to 10 deg on the coolest night in Dec-Jan but generally the minimum is 15 deg. The world met office website uses daily averages taken over the last 50 years in vientiane, and their minimum temps agree with this.





    If you go north or east of LP of course it will get hat-and-gloves cold..




    Your temperatures are not correct. Temperatures in the cool season are still around 24-25 during the day. I have been swimming practically every day at Sengdara Fitness during this cooler season. Only on one morning have I worn a jacket.





    The rental prices are also a bit on the low side - depends what you want and where you are staying I suppose, but anything I have seen for $300US or less has been pretty grotty.


  • make up school
  • Air Quality

    We are traveling to LUang Prabang in March 2008. Does anyone know what the air quality will be like?



    Air Quality


    Gee, if you are coming from China, why are you asking about air quality? I bet LP is a lot better than where you are from. Seriously, I was there in March last year and it was fine.



    Air Quality


    Last year at this time there was an environmental warning due to burning not to travel to LB, that is why i was wondering re quality...yes where i am in China is bad also but it is the known which is always better than the unknown...



    the school traveled to Chiang Mai last year at this time, apparently aq was very bad there in March..



    Thanks for your reply.




    Chiang Mai was really bad last year at this time. Pollution due to burn offs in LP was not too bad. Vientiane was a bit smokey, but again nowhere near as bad as CM.

    thong bay guesthouse

    hi we want to stay in thong bay guesthouse in februari. What is the best way to get there from Luang Prabang airport. Dose anybody know if you need a reservation?



    Thanks Marja



    thong bay guesthouse


    We arrived by bus and took a tuk-tuk to the guesthouse, I guess the same applies for the airport. Another option might be a taxi.





    I would reserve a bungalow. We stayed there in April last year and booked ahead a few days. We were lucky to get a room but only could stay there for 4 nights out of 6.



    thong bay guesthouse


    We are staying at Thong Bay GH arriving next week. Lay at TBGH has arranged transport from the airport for us. We booked well in advance and made all arrangements through Lay. She has been wonderful to work with. Good luck




    Thong Bay is great, we also arranged airport pick-up from them and they waited for our flight that was nearly 2hrs late, then invited us to have family-style dinner with the owners%26#39; family and a couple of other guests, great food and a very warm, welcome atmosphere...only downside is that it is a fair distance from town, 20 min walk to town center.




    Thanks all for your answer. Its been very helpfull.



    I booked via de website and I guess my holiday can start in a good way thanks to your supply




    What is the best way to book a stay here? I can%26#39;t seem to find their official website.




    Yeah sounds great! I found it www.thongbay-guesthouses.com/index.htm but no prices? Does anyone know about how much they run?? I usually just get there and negotiate... But should I reserve?? Plus has anyone tried the one in Vientiane? Is it as good? THANKS!!!




    prices are there on the website, in LP $18-35; in VT $12-$20



    we have stayed at Thongbay in both Vientiane and LP, very different types of places, but were quite happy with both.



    In Vientiane, Thongbay is in a friendly residential neighborhood well away from the main part of town, not much right there nearby so a stay here requires a good bit of walking. Staff were much more reserved than the folks in LP, but still friendly and helpful. The old wooden Lao house is gorgeous, lots of wood and antiques, very quiet and peaceful with nice common areas to sit and relax. They had a friendly little white dog who loved attention and a couple of rabbits hopping around in the garden. Our room was $10 (now up to $12 in low season, $14 in high) with fan and spotless shared bath--no one else to share it with at the time, so it was like having pvt bath. I%26#39;m sure there are better bargains to be had in town, much closer to the action, but this place is long on charm and atmosphere.




    Just returned from TBGH. Had a bungalow overlooking the river. Most beautiful in the mornings watching workers tend thier fields. Very relaxing watching other people work. We very much prefered this over staying in town. More of a village feel to it. Staff was great and breakfast was wonderful. Should have planned more time in LP.




    marja08 Thank you for your post its so helpful and pardon my piggy backing! DSK44... How long DID you stay in LP and how long do you recommend?? Thanks!




    PS CunningMcFar, thanks for the scoop!!

    luang prabang at night

    Do I need to pack a torch? How well lit are the streets?

    Thanks

    luang prabang at night

    Hi - the streets are lit - in fact the main 2 tourist streets are lit up like Vegas during the main tourist season which is still on now.

    Low-season though (May -Nov) the power goes off about 10pm on the streets, although the guesthouses have their own generators for your room light, and the river restaurants use candles till about 11. Still, a torch is always handy.

    luang prabang at night

    Thank you, can you advise how hot and sticky will my visit in mid April be?


    I would pack a small torch; there can be power cuts without warning.


    That%26#39;s ';flashlight'; for North Americans...don%26#39;t go out buying something out of the Survivor catalog!


    Hi I just got back from LP and a Flash light/ Torch is a very good idea. We were caugt in mid town during a power outage and although it didnt last long I was glad I had one. Plus when following the night market trail you end up on non main streets which are not lit. Sidewalks become dubious and walking on the road is inevitable so a torch is essential.

  • cs files
  • Cell phone in laos

    Can I use my cell phone while travelling in Laos?





    Cell phone in laos


    It%26#39;s probably best to check with your mobile phone company in Denmark, they should know if roaming with your sim card is possible in Laos.



    Cell phone in laos


    The telecomunication in Laos now is very good, so it%26#39;s very easy for you to use your cellphone in Laos if you register the roaming services with your services supplier.





    Happy traveling



    traveltolao.com




    We didn%26#39;t find it as easy as we%26#39;d been told to expect. In Vientiane my phone was picking up a Thai network, but in Luang Prabang I couldn%26#39;t get on to any of the four Lao networks. A friend bought a Lao sim card but the shop assistant couldn%26#39;t get it to work in her phone and the shop somehow sent a text message to her mother in Europe asking if she could help! Amongst four of us, all with global roaming, we had one phone-to-phone capability, a couple could send texts but not receive, and it was all a nuisance until we resorted to the time-honoured method of putting notes for each other at reception.




    It%26#39;s probably better to leave the cell phone at home. :-) Mine will not be working in Laos at least not with my German sim card. My provider hasn%26#39;t got agreement with Laos.




    Hi - there was anotehr post recently with lots of tips on phones. There are 3-4 providers in Lao now, and you can get sim cards and money top-ups just about everywhere. They all work in the main centres, and I use mine for calling /texting within Lao and globally with no problems. Lookout for signs for ETL, M-Phone or Tigo when you get here.




    better to buy a local sim to call to the outside : local prices for international calls are very cheap (1 $ for 5 minutes to any country).



    very few foreigners can use their home-card in Lao




    I hear the same thing that Alvaro experienced being able to send but not receive texts and not picking up service in LP. Better to get a Local sim or rough it!

    Angsana Spa - Do Not Go There!

    I want to tell you how disappointed I am in the Angsana Spa in Luang Prabang, Laos based on my visit on Friday, February 22nd, 2008. Now that I am back in the United States, I would like to tell you how angry I am.





    On February 22nd, I came in around 5:00pm to get one of the most expensive packages. I had the 1 hour massage, the 1 hour facial and the 30 minute body polish. Upon arriving, I was impressed at the courtesy of the staff, as well as, the quickness that they were able to accomodate my needs. I was taken to an outside ';make-shift'; room that had 2 massage tables in it.





    I was in the spa from 5:30pm until approximately 8:00pm. At one point of my massage, the massage therapist put a mask or something over my eyes. I didn%26#39;t think anything of this as I thought this may be something that is done in your country. BY THE WAY, MY PURSE WAS JUST SITTING ON A CHAIR BEHIND THE MASSAGE TABLE.





    Needless to say, I tipped this young lady $10.00 American Dollars (you do the conversion), which was a large tip by Lao standards. I left Angsana spa and grabbed a tuk tuk down to the night market of Luang Prabang.





    WHEN I REACHED INTO MY PURSE TO PAY THE TUK TUK DRIVER, I HARDLY HAD ANY MONEY!!!! EVERY SINGLE $1.00 BILL I HAD IN MY PURSE HAD BEEN STOLEN. I had counted my money before going into the spa as I PAID CASH FOR MY SERVICES AT YOUR SPA.





    Not only were all of my $1 bills stolen, but I had several $20.00, $10.00 and $5.00 bills stolen. This put me at a huge inconvenience as I know I had as many as forty $1 bills in my purse that I was going to use in the night market!





    Because I was so upset and I had to leave Luang Prabang to catch a 7:00am cruise with LuangSay cruise (from Luang Prabang to Houei Say), I did not have an opportunity to file a police report. I did have the opportunity to tell every single person on the boat about my horrible experience with Angsana spa.





    DO NOT GO TO THIS SPA! THEY HAVE SEVERAL LOCATIONS LOCATED AROUND THE WORLD! JUST WATCH YOUR STUFF!





    JBW



    Birmingham, Alabama



    United States





    Angsana Spa - Do Not Go There!


    Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Thanks for the advice about the spa.



    Angsana Spa - Do Not Go There!


    Where in Luang Prabang is this spa? That stinks. Just goes to mention that you should keep your purse near your head and maybe put a little bell/zipper pull on it.