Small landlocked Laos is bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. The capital Vientiane is just across the Mekong from the Thai border. The north is mostly limestone mountains cut through by many rivers, the largest of which is the mighty Mekong. The country's royal city of Luang Prabang is roughly in the center of the north. Roughly in between and to the east is Phonsavan, where you'll find the extensive Plain of Jars. In the south, around Pakse, you'll find more remnants of the ancient Khmer civilization.
One of the things that keeps Laos from being over-run by tourists are the limited options for getting there. If you're coming from North America, Europe or Australasia, you can't get to Laos directly.
Planes The quickest way to get to Laos is to fly, but there are no direct flights from North America, Europe or Australasia. The most common route is to fly to Bangkok, Thailand and then fly from there to Vientane or Luang Prabang.
Small landlocked Laos is bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. The capital Vientiane is just across the Mekong from the Thai border. The north is mostly limestone mountains cut through by many rivers, the largest of which is the mighty Mekong. The country's royal city of Luang Prabang is roughly in the center of the north. Roughly in between and to the east is Phonsavan, where you'll find the extensive Plain of Jars.
On the one hand, Laos has a very tolerant attitude towards homosexuals, although there is almost no gay scene to speak of. On the other hand, the authorities are so worried about Laos developing a sex tourism industry that they have implemented strict laws against its citizens entering the rooms of tourists.
So, you'll find Laos a friendly place, but if you do happen to meet someone special, you'll have to settle for getting to know them over a drink, and that's it.
The currency of Laos is the Kip. The Kip is not freely convertable, which means that you can't get it outside of Laos, and any you leave with can't be exchanged.
The Kip is not very stable, but fluctuates widely around the 10,000 Kip per US$1 mark. For the purposes of this guide, we've shown approximate rates using this figure.
Kip notes come in 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 abd 50,000 denominations.
Visas are required for the citizens of all countries except Thailand. However, you can obtain a visa on arrival at Vientiane and Luang Prabang international airports, as well as at the Friendship Bridge from Nong Khai in Thailand. It is generally cheaper to obtain the visa on arrival than to obtain it at a Lao embassy abroad. The exception is Bangkok, where a visa will cost about a third less at the embassy that it does at the border.
