Buzz
Moving around in Laos
– Within the city
+ In Laos, the common mode of transportation for short distances is the tuk-tuk. However, bargaining is essential. Tuk-tuks charge per ride, so the more people, the cheaper the fare can be split.
– Inter-provincial and international
+ At travel agencies and hotels, guesthouses in Laos, tickets for travel to neighboring provinces are available. Compare prices to find the cheapest option. It's more expensive to book round-trip tickets immediately; one-way tickets are preferable.
+ You can inquire about shared taxis at the main bus stations locally.
+ At bus stations, if you want to go to the city center, join a group to share a ride and save money. The price for a trip from the bus station to the city center/town is usually below 10,000 Kip.
+ Before heading to each new destination, the first thing you should do is research the available transportation options to the next point of interest. This method helps you avoid wasting time or missing out on transportation opportunities.
Mobile Network in Laos
To make calls to Vietnam, you can do so by calling from your hotel, purchasing a public phone card, buying a local SIM card for mobile phone usage. You can also use your existing phone number for international roaming, the network in Laos is Unitel.
Itinerary
From Ho Chi Minh City, you can travel by road to Laos through border gates in Kon Tum, Quang Tri, Hue, or Quy Nhon. Here, Mytour chooses the route passing through the Bo Y border gate, Kon Tum.
Day 1: From Ho Chi Minh City, take a bus to Kon Tum, then to Laos through the Bo Y - Phou Keua border gate
In the morning, head to Miền Đông Bus Station or Đề Thám Street, HCMC, to catch a bus to Ngọc Hồi District Bus Station (Kon Tum) via National Highway 14C, priced from 75,000 VND/ticket, approximately a 4-hour journey. Have lunch and then take a bus to Attapeu town through the Bo Y border gate, a distance of about 250 km. The bus departs from the station at 4:00 PM, arriving in Attapeu at 10:00 PM for dinner, accommodation at a hotel.
Note: Choose a trip from Kon Tum so that the bus arrives at the border gate within the working hours of 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Day 2: From Attapeu to Pakse
From Attapeu to Pakse (the central district of Champasack province) is 225 km, the bus departs at 7:45 AM and arrives at 1:00 PM, ticket price is 40,000 Kip.
Upon reaching Pakse, have lunch and explore many attractive tourist destinations such as the Boloven Plateau, 1200 m high with the charming Tad Yueng waterfall, the King's House Hotel, Wat Luang Temple, Wat Tham, and Wat Phou Temple - a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Khuongphapheng waterfall - the largest waterfall in Southeast Asia. If you want to visit all these landmarks, you might need to stay in Pakse for an additional day.
You can have dinner at Xuân Mai restaurant located at: Th4, Paske, Champasak. They specialize in serving Laos, Thai, and Vietnamese specialties. Open until midnight. Prices are quite affordable, ranging from 1 – 2.5 USD per meal. After dinner, stroll around and spend the night in Pakse.
Days 3, 4, 5: From Pakse to Vientiane
In the morning, wake up early to stroll along the Mekong River, admire the sunrise, the majestic distant mountains, and the drifting small boats. Then head to the bus station to catch a bus to Vientiane, ticket price around 80,000 Kip, it takes one day to reach there.
Along the main road in Savannakhet, there are quite a few restaurants owned by Vietnamese people. The bus will stop for you to have a meal. Moreover, here you can enjoy grilled fish with rice and fresh vegetables which are quite delicious.
Upon reaching Vientiane, there are many famous attractions such as the Patuxay Victory Monument in the city center; the ancient Wat Sisaket temple; the Buddha Park (Buddha statue garden), entrance fee 5,000 Kip; the Patuxay Tower, the Thadam Tower, etc.
You can enjoy Laotian dishes at the riverside eateries along the Mekong River, such as Larp chicken and Laotian hot pot, which are quite delicious. In the evening, stroll through the night market along the riverbank to buy beautiful and cheap items, negotiate carefully as vendors often double the price.
List of Hotels in Vientiane
Days 6, 7: From Vientiane to Luang Prabang
On the morning of the 6th day, purchase a ticket priced from 110,000 Kip to go to Luang Prabang. The ticket includes hotel pick-up service, and in the evening, the bus arrives in Luang Prabang.
Upon reaching Luang Prabang, must-visit tourist attractions include the Plain of Jars, the ancient capital of Luang Prabang, Kuang Si waterfall, Tham Ting cave, Xieng Thoong temple, etc.
List of Hotels in Luang Prabang
Days 8, 9: Return Journey
During these two days, you can revisit the old route to take advantage of visiting the places you missed on the outbound trip. If time permits, choose the route from Luang Prabang via National Highway 13 to Vang Vieng – Vientiane, then return to Vietnam via the Cau Treo border gate (Tam Route) in Ha Tinh and then follow the domestic route back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Laotian Cuisine
A typical Laotian dish is sticky rice. The rice is cooked with sticky glutinous rice, fragrant but not sticky. Sticky rice is served with deer meat, dried beef, or sesame salt that is unforgettable. In Laos, there are also many dishes made from fish, and eateries along the Mekong River mainly serve grilled food. Lao beer is delicious and flavorful, a drink that was once voted by Asia Magazine as the best beer in Asia.
Compilation
See more: Exciting attractions in the capital city of Vientiane
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Source: Referenced from the Internet
MytourNovember 23, 2015
