LAOS TRAVEL GUIDE (2024) | Everything You Need To Know About Laos (Travel Tips & Itinerary)

LAOS TRAVEL GUIDE (2024) | Everything You Need To Know About Laos (Travel Tips & Itinerary)

What’s up guys! We just finished  traveling around Laos for one month,   and in this video we’re going  to give you a full travel guide,   including everything we learned and  itinerary options. Let’s hope you enjoy it! Welcome to our travel guide about Laos, a  beautiful country known for its vast landscapes,  

Rich culture, and many adventure opportunities.  In part one of our video series, we highlighted   10 amazing places to visit here. However, due  to limited online information planning a trip   to these places can be challenging. That’s  why in this video we’ll be sharing essential  

Travel tips on transportation, safety, visas,  itineraries, and more. We hope this detailed   information will help you plan your own trip to  this hidden gem destination. Now let’s dive in! We are Zac and Ine. We make helpful videos about   destinations around the world so you  can easily plan your own adventures.

First, let’s talk about when you should visit  Laos. Since the main things to do throughout   the country are outdoor adventures, it’s very  important to pick the right time. Otherwise,   you won’t be able to enjoy your trip to  the fullest. The best time to visit is  

From November to February, when the weather is  dry and pleasantly warm. March and April can   be hot and smoky due to the burning of crops.  The rainy season extends from May to October,   bringing the potential for landslides  and flooding. While it’s not ideal,  

Travel during this time is still  possible if you use caution. Now, we’ll go over a few travel itinerary  options. To get an idea of where things are   in relation to each other, we put a map on the  screen here with our top 10 places to visit.  

Depending on your available time, we recommend a  few different itineraries to explore Lous fully.   If you have one week, it’s best to stay on the  tourist route as it’s most easily connected.   This main route includes Vang Vieng, Luang  Prabang, and Nong Khiaw. If you do this option,  

You should fly or take a boat into Luang Prabang.  If you have two weeks, you can add Vientiane to   your list and fly there. If you fly out of Luang  Prabang at the end, then this will also give you  

Time to visit the remote town of Muang Ngoi, which  is usually accessed by boat from Nong Khiaw. More   remote parts of the country, such as the far south  and far north, require at least 3 weeks and it  

Takes time and patience to travel to them by bus.  For instance, the bus from Thakhek to Vientiane   took us almost 8 hours even though it was only  340 km in distance. The slow speed was because  

Of bumpy road conditions. If you want to see all  the highlights of Laos and be efficient with your   transportation route, then it’s best to enter  via northern Thailand into Huay Xai. Then, make   your way through northern, central and southern  Laos until you reach the border in Cambodia,  

And fly out of Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. We did  all of these stops ourselves but had to backtrack   to fit them all in, since we didn’t plan to end  or exit via Thailand. The route shown here will  

Give you a sense of how you can best link all  of the destinations in 30 days as well as which   mode of transportation that we took in each area.  You can pause or rewind for a more in-depth look.

Now that you’ve got an idea of where things are,  we’ll go over how to get around the country. Laos   has a variety of transportation options for  travelers, ranging from buses and minivans to   boats and tuk tuks. A new train is also available  in certain areas after construction was completed  

In 2021. The Laos-China Railway offers the most  convenient way to travel with a high-speed train   that runs from Vientiane through Vang Vieng and  Luang Prabang. It even continues all the way to   Boten at the Chinese border. We highly recommend  taking the train between Vang Vieng and Luang  

Prabang, as it cuts travel time significantly.  If you’re heading from Luang Prabang to Luang   Namtha after, you can also combine a train ride  to Nateuy with a local minivan to Luang Namtha,   which saves you more than 4 hours of travel  time. Make sure to book your high-speed train  

Tickets in advance as spots fill up quickly.  When we visited, it was best to book the train   tickets through a travel agency in town or your  accommodation as they had the updated schedules. Buses and minivans are other affordable and  common options. However, they can be slow and  

Challenging due to mountainous roads. You should  be prepared for rough road conditions, especially   in the North and South. There are also sleeper  buses and we took one to Nong Khiaw from Huay Xai,   but it did feel dangerous driving the windy  roads with cliffs on the side of us at night.  

Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep. Also,  you should know that buses can be unreliable   especially in less-visited destinations like Luang  Namtha. If you’re seeking a unique experience,   consider taking a slow boat from Huay Xai  to Luang Prabang. Many people do this after  

Arriving in Laos from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai  in Thailand. Boats offer a scenic and relaxing   way to enjoy the natural beauty of Laos, but  they can also be noisy and bumpy. It takes 2   days to reach Luang Prabang from Huay Xai, with  an overnight stop in Pak Beng, so budget enough  

Time. Laos is also currently building lots of  hydropower stations along the Mekong River and   its tributaries, making boat travel difficult  between certain destinations. For instance,   you can no longer travel by boat from Luang  Prabang to Nong Khiaw. The construction of dams on  

The Nam Ou River since 2017 has altered the route,  and it’s better to take the bus now instead. Finally, flying is another option with  Vientiane and Luang Prabang being the main   airports. If you’re looking to travel  quickly from the south to the center,  

Consider flying into Pakse, which has a  small airport. The most accurate place to   get up-to-date transportation information is from  your hotel host or on the website hobomaps.com. Once you’ve arrived at your destination  in Laos, you’ll need to navigate the  

Area. To explore its attractions, renting a  scooter is an excellent way to get around,   but be aware of the road conditions. Many smaller  roads are gravel and have animals walking on them,   so proceed with caution. In general, you  should also watch out for big trucks on  

The main highways. Make sure you also have  travel insurance and valid international   driver’s license, although there weren’t  many checkpoints on the road when we visited. Another option for getting around is hiring  a shared tuk tuk driver. But always negotiate   the fair before you hop on. Other modes  of transport in Laos include bicycles,  

Taxis, and cars. Unfortunately the  popular Grab App service that you can   find in most other Southeast Asian  countries, does not work in Laos. When you arrive in Laos, there are a few essential  items to consider obtaining. A local SIM card from  

Unitel is a popular choice, offering cheap data  packages to stay connected during your trip.   Upon arrival, you’ll also need to obtain a visa  which cost about $40 and must be paid in cash.   It’s important to note that credit cards are  not widely accepted, so having cash on hand is  

Crucial. There’s also an option to get an eVisa  before you travel and we left more information   on that via the link in the description below  the video. For outdoor activities and hikes,   invest in good hiking shoes as the trails can  be muddy and rough. Insect repellent is also  

Essential due to the abundance of mosquitoes in  jungle areas. There are also a few Apps that we   recommend downloading right away or even before  you get to Laos. Google Translate can be handy   since not everyone speaks English. Maps.me is  another good App that provides detailed maps  

With hiking trails. And finally, Google Maps  is an essential App to navigate to all of the   destinations. In fact, we have our own Google  Maps lists for different destinations around   Laos that you can download. We also left links  for those in the description below the video.

As with any travel destination, it’s essential to  be aware of safety considerations and potential   dangers. But in Laos, the danger comes more from  the natural surroundings. Keep an eye out for   animals, such as poisonous snakes, spiders, and  centipedes. Particularly in rural areas you’ll  

Also likely come across cows on the roads when  driving. Adventure activities such as zip lining,   kayaking, and hot air ballooning are popular  but it’s crucial to research and select reliable   companies. However, even when you do your research  things can go wrong. We flipped our kayak on a  

Guided tour in Vang Vieng, fell off our motorbike  at night on the Thakhek Loop, and got a flat tire   one evening. Luckily, a local helped us out  with that one. You should also be cautious when   exploring the mountains as Unexploded Ordinance  remain a concern ever since the Second Indochina  

War. Stay on marked routes for your safety and  don’t wander off trail. Additionally, be aware   of weather conditions including the potential for  landslides and flooding during the rainy season.   Finally, Laos has a curfew at night, so make sure  you return to your accommodation before midnight.

We hope this video has helped give  you a better idea of how to travel   around Laos. To get more details about  all of the destinations we mentioned,   make sure to check out our full Lous playlist,  which includes our top 10 destinations to visit  

In the country as well as specific videos  for many of the locations. And if you’re   planning your Los trip, we recommend keeping  things organized with our interactive travel   planner. Find a discount code in the  description below the video. We also   included important links that you’ll need  for your Laos adventure in the description,  

Such as an interactive map with all the places we  mentioned. We’ll catch you on the next adventure!

Welcome to our travel guide about Laos, a beautiful country known for its vast landscapes, rich culture, and many adventure opportunities. In part 1 of our video series, we highlighted 10 beautiful places to visit here. However, due to limited online information, planning a trip to these places can be challenging. That’s why in this video, we’ll be sharing essential tips on transportation, safety, visas, itineraries, and more. We hope this detailed information will help you plan your own trip to this hidden gem destination.

🔗 LAOS LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION
– How to get around Laos: https://hobomaps.com/index.html
– Laos Visa on arrival: https://www.laosvisatravel.com/visa-on-arrival
– Our complete Google Maps of Laos: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kgZojqX4mzaBgN928
– Luang Prabang Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HTGaH33snsx4XM6d6
– Vang Vieng Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/taySmeECpabYn4926
– Thakhek Loop Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UPT5BiRepcdUa3ye8
– Nong Khiaw Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GQmK7w1NBLgYfdTJ7

✏️ LAOS BLOG
https://www.worldwildhearts.com/post/laos-travel

🎥 MORE LAOS VIDEOS:
– Laos Top 10 Places To Visit: https://youtu.be/BuE78EiOGkk
– Vang Vieng: https://youtu.be/QliHbSr7FcQ
– Luang Prabang: https://youtu.be/CG9yX515ksU
– Driving the Thakhek Loop: https://youtu.be/kou5txT42BI
– The Gibbon Experience: https://youtu.be/EalsfRu_4_8
– Laos top 10 places to visit: https://youtu.be/kou5txT42BI

✍️ GET TRAVEL PLANNER AT 50% OFF:
https://www.worldwildhearts.com/product-page/comprehensive-travel-planner

💰 SAVE MONEY ON YOUR TRIP:
– Book cheap flights: https://skyscanner.pxf.io/c/3559813/1027991/13416?associateid=AFF_TRA_19354_00001
– Book cheap accommodations: https://www.booking.com/index.html?aid=7936148
– Book cheap rental cars: https://rentalcars.tp.st/czR4KczE

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🎵 MUSIC CREDITS:
Stay Instrumental Version by Louis Island
Rejoice in the morning by The David Roy Collective
Always Mine Instrumental Version by Logan Pitcher
Lighter Times by Paper Planes

🎥 VIDEO CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
1:10 Best time to visit Laos
1:52 Travel itineraries
4:04 How to get between destinations
7:00 How to get around at the destination
7:56 Things to get upon arrival and bring with you
9:17 Travel safety and dangers
10:37 More Laos travel tips

#laos #laostravelguide #laostraveltips