Why go to Laos?
Scenery like northern Thailand, without crowds: Imagine the scenery, history and culture around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai without being elbowed by crowds of tourists. That’s Laos.
Not overcrowded and overdeveloped like Vietnam: Imagine Sa Pa or Hoi An 20 years ago, before they were turned into ugly nightmares of overdevelopment. That’s Laos. Laos has 70% as much land area as Vietnam, with less than 10% of the population.
Better weather than Vietnam: Imagine the karst formations in Ha Long Bay if it wasn’t fogged in so much of the time. That’s Laos.
If you’ve done the Ha Giang motorcycle loop in Vietnam, imagine an entire country with that beauty, that vibe, and better weather. That’s Laos.
These people waved me down as I was motorbiking through their village, and invited me to join their street party where they fed me delicious buffalo stew. Such hospitality is normal in Laos. They tried to offer me Lao Lao rice wine whisky, but of course I was driving so I limited myself to half a beer, early in my visit.
Cambodia without the “hard sell” and petty scams: In Cambodia it can seem like every child knows seven languages. They have to – corruption is so bad there, that getting into a tourist’s pocket is the only way to survive. After the “hard sell” of Vietnam and Cambodia, here you can relax. That’s Laos.
It’s incredibly easy to meet other backpackers. One reason is that everyone needs more information. Many backpackers who come to Laos weren’t planning to go there at all, some had barely heard of it. But then every backpacker in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia kept telling them how wonderful Laos is, so they show up with almost no information. And with so few Lao (even those who work in the tourism industry) speaking any Western languages, backpackers must rely on each other to get good information. .
Dinner in Luang Prabang’s night market with a great group of friends. We had all arrived in southern Laos at about the same time, and we were all doing a similar South-to-North trip, so for an entire month we kept meeting up with each other.
If you ever eat dinner alone in Laos, it can only be by choice.
And the food is fantastic – not as varied as Thai or Vietnamese, but reliably delicious. You can usually get a good dinner for 120,000 kip / $7.
If you’re careful, $40 per day can cover a backpacker’s meals, lodging, local transport, and guided tour costs – everything except flights. In small towns you can usually get a good private room for 100,000 kip / $6 per night. In Luang Prabang you’ll probably pay 300,000 kip / $18 per night for a private room. Hostel dorm rooms are cheaper.