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Spent about a week on vacation in Laos last month - some quick notes in case anyone is inclined to give it a go. Sorry, couldn't get my very un-pro photos to show up in the post, so they're linked instead.
Got into the country by taking the coach (Aeroline) to KL and AK to VTE - I had scored a near-free ticket during one of the sales months in advance. My first time taking the coach into KL, it was generally OK except that I booked too late and consequently had to make do with a late arrival in KL. AK was fine (I generally like the Air Asia airlines, not least because of the Nasi Lemak
) but the bus ride from Sentral to the LCCT (also my first time there) was so long I momentarily thought we were driving to Laos (OK I exaggerate, but it really was no fun).
Vientiane is compact, generally free of pesky tuk-tuk drivers and street hawkers and pretty hassle-free as a whole, but also quite lacking in terms of things to see and do although I really liked Wat Si Saket. The city (if you call it that) is also supposed to be the best place in the country food-wise; indeed I had a great steak at a place called L'Adresse de Tinay but was generally not bowled over.
On to Luang Prabang after 3 generally languid days in Vientiane (no complaints really as I was just happy to disconnect from several frustrating weeks at work). Vientiane airport has a small but quite well-kept 10-year old international terminal which serves about a dozen departures a day, as well as a much older and less attractive domestic terminal. Unfortunately had to spend more time than I wanted in the latter as my Lao Airlines flight was delayed and the airline didn't think it was necessary to inform me even at check-in or over the PA system
Also got TG-ed by QV - a/c got switched from an ATR72 to an almost 100% full Xian Modern Ark MA60.
I like Luang Prabang, which I'd describe as a cross between Chiang Mai and Hoi An. November is the start of the peak tourist season, so places are generally more crowded and room rates are generally higher. One observation - the tourists were mostly from Europe with noticeable Korean and Thai contingents, I don't think I saw (or heard) more than 5 fellow Singaporeans during my whole week in Laos. I loved just ambling through the streets, hopping from one wat to another (although my clear favorite was Wat Xieng Thong with its beautiful glass mosaics), admiring the beautiful houses (I want one!), watching sunsets and generally just chilling. Another highlight was watching the daily procession of monks through the town's main streets to collect alms at daybreak. I also did a half-day trip out to a waterfall, which was a pleasant change of scenery. The other daytrip that you'll read about in guidebooks is out to some caves with tons of buddha figurines in them; I didn't do this as some fellow travellers I spoke to said it was rather underwhelming although the boat ride on the Mekong was a highlight. Speaking of guidebooks, I found the Footprints guide to be better than the LP and others I checked out from the library.
On accommodations, it seems you shouldn't have too much difficulty getting a place to stay only upon arrival in Luang Prabang as there are many guesthouses in the US$15-50 per night range in addition to some rather nice hotels including an Aman. Most of the guesthouses are family-run outfits and don't have websites but some look really nice from the outside. I had booked my room beforehand and it turned out to be a great find in terms of location, PM me if you need the name. Food-wise, I actually liked Luang Prabang better than Vientiane (tried a few of the top-rated places on Tripadvisor). And for those of you into massages, there aren't that many places in either Vientiane or Luang Prabang. The 3 or 4 that I had weren't all that great.
Left Luang Prabang for BKK quite reluctantly Nice 2-hour ATR72 flight on Bangkok Airways (another of my favorites), OK cold meal, light load and adequate legroom (apologies for the hairy leg), only annoyance was the American couple who thought it OK to have a rather public passive-agressive tiff for all to hear. Spent 2 nights in BKK before heading back to SIN on 3K, not much to write about other than that the Airport Train is actually pretty convenient if you're connecting to/from the Skytrain.
All said, a nice place to chill, especially Luang Prabang. Looking forward to going back.
Got into the country by taking the coach (Aeroline) to KL and AK to VTE - I had scored a near-free ticket during one of the sales months in advance. My first time taking the coach into KL, it was generally OK except that I booked too late and consequently had to make do with a late arrival in KL. AK was fine (I generally like the Air Asia airlines, not least because of the Nasi Lemak
) but the bus ride from Sentral to the LCCT (also my first time there) was so long I momentarily thought we were driving to Laos (OK I exaggerate, but it really was no fun).Vientiane is compact, generally free of pesky tuk-tuk drivers and street hawkers and pretty hassle-free as a whole, but also quite lacking in terms of things to see and do although I really liked Wat Si Saket. The city (if you call it that) is also supposed to be the best place in the country food-wise; indeed I had a great steak at a place called L'Adresse de Tinay but was generally not bowled over.
On to Luang Prabang after 3 generally languid days in Vientiane (no complaints really as I was just happy to disconnect from several frustrating weeks at work). Vientiane airport has a small but quite well-kept 10-year old international terminal which serves about a dozen departures a day, as well as a much older and less attractive domestic terminal. Unfortunately had to spend more time than I wanted in the latter as my Lao Airlines flight was delayed and the airline didn't think it was necessary to inform me even at check-in or over the PA system
Also got TG-ed by QV - a/c got switched from an ATR72 to an almost 100% full Xian Modern Ark MA60.I like Luang Prabang, which I'd describe as a cross between Chiang Mai and Hoi An. November is the start of the peak tourist season, so places are generally more crowded and room rates are generally higher. One observation - the tourists were mostly from Europe with noticeable Korean and Thai contingents, I don't think I saw (or heard) more than 5 fellow Singaporeans during my whole week in Laos. I loved just ambling through the streets, hopping from one wat to another (although my clear favorite was Wat Xieng Thong with its beautiful glass mosaics), admiring the beautiful houses (I want one!), watching sunsets and generally just chilling. Another highlight was watching the daily procession of monks through the town's main streets to collect alms at daybreak. I also did a half-day trip out to a waterfall, which was a pleasant change of scenery. The other daytrip that you'll read about in guidebooks is out to some caves with tons of buddha figurines in them; I didn't do this as some fellow travellers I spoke to said it was rather underwhelming although the boat ride on the Mekong was a highlight. Speaking of guidebooks, I found the Footprints guide to be better than the LP and others I checked out from the library.
On accommodations, it seems you shouldn't have too much difficulty getting a place to stay only upon arrival in Luang Prabang as there are many guesthouses in the US$15-50 per night range in addition to some rather nice hotels including an Aman. Most of the guesthouses are family-run outfits and don't have websites but some look really nice from the outside. I had booked my room beforehand and it turned out to be a great find in terms of location, PM me if you need the name. Food-wise, I actually liked Luang Prabang better than Vientiane (tried a few of the top-rated places on Tripadvisor). And for those of you into massages, there aren't that many places in either Vientiane or Luang Prabang. The 3 or 4 that I had weren't all that great.
Left Luang Prabang for BKK quite reluctantly
Nice 2-hour ATR72 flight on Bangkok Airways (another of my favorites), OK cold meal, light load and adequate legroom (apologies for the hairy leg), only annoyance was the American couple who thought it OK to have a rather public passive-agressive tiff for all to hear. Spent 2 nights in BKK before heading back to SIN on 3K, not much to write about other than that the Airport Train is actually pretty convenient if you're connecting to/from the Skytrain.All said, a nice place to chill, especially Luang Prabang. Looking forward to going back.