A Vientiane, Lao PDR trip report. No sex.

[Guest]

A Vientiane, Lao PDR trip report. No sex.

Alrighty then. I've been to Laos, Vientiane specifically, in the past month and here's how.

I got a ride in the back of a pickup truck through Issan and up to Nong Khai, Thailand which is the Thai end of the Thailand-Laos Friendship Bridge spanning the Mekong River. Not having done a lot of homework before leaving and not having been before, I was kind of surprised to find that the bridge was a little removed from the town. I'd make the distance a kilometer or two, but can't say for sure as I never actually set foot in Nong Khai. My guts tell me I probably didn't miss much.

The bridge "complex" (for want of a better word) is little more than a few low buildings mostly selling food and visa services. I did know that visa-on-arrival was not a problem when getting to Laos, but I decided to go with one of the visa services first to see what happened. With my US passport and 2,000 baht they did all the legwork to go and fetch me a 15-day visa. My Thai friend only needed to cough up 200 baht, and they were insistent on using her Thai ID card instead of her Thai passport.

This fee also got us both a visa and a ride in an air-conditioned mini-van across the bridge and the fellow from the visa agency did all the legwork visiting various booths on both sides, but I have no idea what he actually did. Might have been important, may have just been saying hello to his uncle. All we had to do was present ourselves once at the Outgoing immigration station on the Thai side and at the Incoming station in Laos.

Now, for an observation or two. The fellow at the visa agency said -- remember his profit motive -- that taking a car [the one that got us to Nong Khai, specifically] into Laos would require buying insurance for Laos. I halfway believe this as there was a insurance agency just on the Lao side of things. Also, various documents say you have to present three passport-sized pictures to get a Lao visa. Turns out both I and my Thai friend needed only one.

So we paid our money and surrendered our documents and went to get a bite to eat. We were quoted a one-hour turn-around time, but we'd just finished eating when homeboy came back with our docs and visas which he hung onto or the time being. Probably about 40 minutes all told. We herded into the mini-van with our driver, his helper, two obese Germans and four well dressed Thais.

5 minute drive to Thai border control. We piled out, Thais into one line and falang in another. I had to chill out for a couple of minutes while our guide sorted out a problem with one of the German's temporary visas or something -- he'd apparently had something important heisted from his hotel. Finally it's fixed, homeboy gives me back my passport with Lao visa stamped inside. I present myself to the Thai immigration, everything's in order, he pulls my departure card andI get hit up for 10 baht, presumably for bridge upkeep. Thais don't pay, natch...

We pile back into the mini-van and take a 6 or 8 minute ride across the bridge. It's a concrete deck, two lanes with a rail line down the middle. Driving is still on the left in Thai style.

I look out the right side of the vehicle at the Mekong, and the Thai side is behind me to my right. On the riverbank is Nong Khai; buildings, boats, crap. In a word Thailand. I look out the left side, ahead towards Laos and on the riverbank is, well, riverbank. A few oil tanks like a mini-refinery and no much else. I'd though the bridge connected Nong Khai and Vientiane directly, but it just ain't so.

We roll into Laos and up to Laos Immigration and pile out again. All is in order and we get through immigration in short order. Again there's some piddly little fee to pay, they take a few hundred baht, no worries. I'm stamped in, there's an arrival/departure card stapled into my passport and there's absolutely no one within ten meters of the customs desk. Coulda walked through with 20 kilos of horse duct-taped to my chest. But as soon as Lao national shows up returning from a shopping trip in Thailand, 5 Lao officials show up to poke and prod, inspect, detect, and generally snoop about. Dunno if they were looking for dutiable items, things which might undermine the security of the state [disposable diapers as a tool of nation-building?] or just what.

Thaifriend and I are pleased to be in Laos. Guessing it's only been an hour total since we started lunch while Mr. Visa worked his magic back in Thailand.

From the immigration pavilion we cross the street to where the taxis and tuk-tuks [point of order, their name in Laos sounds something like "jahm-bo"]. We're about the only fares around, so we let them underbid each other for a few minutes. A ride to Vientiane will be 100 baht, so we go for an air-conditioned taxi. It's a mini-van again so we've got a little room to stretch out.

The river speaks really limited English but passable Thai so my Thai friend does the talking. We've got reservations at some guesthouse, but our driver touts another place. Surprise! Actually, the rate's better and it's in a better location so we agree to at least look. Anyhow, to Vientiane from the bridge seems like about 20 Km.

The name of the place is the Senesouk Hotel. It's advertised as being at 100 Luangprabang Road, but is actually just around the corner on Senesouk Road. At 500 baht per night, it's good. 856-21-21-3375. Coming from the center of Vientiane, it's just 20 meters past the Novotel Hotel.

Rooms are small, I never had need to ask about the guest policy. Mattress very firm, room clean, air-conditioning worked, plenty of hot water. 2 bottle of water -- free -- in the refrigerator.

We took it, gave Mr. Taxi his hundred baht plus ten more.

One night all the power in the room went out. We went to get the guy at the front desk -- forgot to mention, no phones in the rooms -- and he came up right away and trip the circuit breaker in the bathroom. Problem solved.

The restaurant in the hotel is good, not spectacular, managing to get the Lao dishes right, Thai dishes right, and Western breakfast foods in the acceptable range. Not expensive.

Luangprabang Road is the first major street back from the Mekong River. If you hoof it about a quarter kilometer toward the river you'll get there... ;-) The riverfront road is called Fangum Road, lined with restaurants, mostly seafood, some Western eats [i had a beefsteak and pomme frits one night], cheap, cheap, cheap.

The huge temple at That Luang is worth a look, the Victory Monument is an impressive rip-off of the Arc de Triomphe, the Morning Market [Talat Sao] actually stays open until 5 PM. Bargain hard, check out the Lao silks. The rest is Pratunam quality or worse.

The streets of Vientiane are broad and dusty and hot. Jahm-bo [tuk-tuks] will cost very little to get around, but again, bargain hard. 5000 kip should do it.

Okay, enough of the tour guide crap. Laos is better than I thought it would be. The Lao people don't seem quite as prissy and stuck-up as the Thais. The air is cleaner. I have nothing to offer about air travel to and from. But I'd go back.

When we were there the ForEx was about 10,000 Kip = 50 Baht = 1.10 US Dollars. All three currencies can be used almost everywhere. Lao money is nice to look at but feels like cardboard when new. Bills of 500 kip and up have Arabic numerals, so not confusing. In fact, 500 was the smallest I ever saw, but since it's barely a nickel, that's not too surprising.

And, for what it's worth, there's a nightclub in the Novotel and I think you could pull. A few hotties when we were there.

I can't really think of much else of interest but post questions and I'll answer them if I can.

[pattaya127]

Laos is more tha Vientiane of course, and the city itself, besides temples and a couple city sights has little to offer in atmosphere. Good french retaurants,though. definitely, a friendly country whichever border you enter it. Nong Khai is actually a good city to spend a couple days in. Even having enjoyed my stay in Laos, there is always that great feeling to go back to Thailand, a feeling that spells like: HOME AGAIN! There is a unique disneyland Fantasy temple outside of the city, worth seeing as its humongous sculptures are unique. the monk that inspired and built it died in 94, but his son took over and made it even more popular to visit. It's called Wat Kaek. Nong Khai has become a very bustling city since the opening of the friendship bridge, but plenty of Issan action to see in the little streets that lead to the Mekhong shores. In festive times, the city puts a good show to, and finally, it's the best place in the country to get silver jewelry at unbeatable prices. I bought silver bracelets there that were 2 times as high in Kao San RD and 5 times more in Pattaya. Not worth the trip, but if you are there, check the market stalls near the immigration pier by the river.

[ November 05, 2001: Message edited by: pattaya127 ]