Laos : Introduction

Brief
Laos, known in antiquity as Lan Xang (Million Elephants), is a sparsely populated country, finally enjoying peace after nearly 300 years of intermittent war with Annam, Mvanmar (Burma), China, Siam, France, Viet Nam and the USA.

Long the least developed of the three former French Indochina colonies, Laos has pulled ahead in economic and political re-form, yet most development advances at a snail's pace. Thailand rushes headlong into the 21st century; Cambodia suffers from internal political division; Vietnam rapidly industrializes in order to provide employment for its dense population, but Laos seems content to remain an Asian back water, developing at its own pace into one of the most stable economic and political systems in the region.

Having been virtually isolated for two decades, landlocked Laos has now opened its doors to the outside world, though its infrastructure limits the numbers of foreign visitors. In many ways a blessing, the overall lack of foreign influence offers travelers a glimpse of old South-East Asia. From the fertile Mekong valley to the rugged Annamite highlands, travelers who have visited Laos have found Laos to be the high point of their South-East Asian journeys.

When to Go
The best time to visit is between November and February - during these months it rains least and isn't too hot. If you're heading up into the mountains, May and July can also be pleasant. Roads can be washed out during rainy season (July to October), but there's plenty of river travel. Peak tourist months are December to February and during August, although there are relatively few visitors at any time.

Events
Festivals in Laos are generally linked to agricultural seasons or historical Buddhist holidays. The lunar new year begins in mid-April and the entire country comes to a halt and celebrates. Houses are cleaned, offerings are made in wats and everyone gets dowsed by water. Bun Bang Fai (the rocket festival) takes place in May. It's an irreverent pre-Buddhist celebration with plenty of processions, music and dancing, accompanied by the firing of bamboo rockets to prompt the heavens to send rain. The week-long That Luang Festival in Vientiane in November has the whole repertoire of fireworks, candlelit processions and music.

Money & Costs
Currency: the kip

Meals
Budget: US$0.50 -1
Mid-range: US$1-3
Top-end: US$3 and upwards

Lodging
Budget: US$2.50-8
Mid-range: US$8-15
Top-end: US$25 and upwards

Staying in Vientiane will cost you more than accommodation elsewhere - expect to pay from US$5 in the capital and about $1.75 in the country for a basic room. In a flashier tourist hotel you'll pay from about $15 a night, up to around $60. An average meal will set you back less than $2 - a cup of coffee costs about 15c, a bowl of rice noodle soup about 50c to $1 and a liter of beer about 70c. All up, you could get by on US$8 a day in the big cities, $6 a day in the country, but that's for the rockiest of rock-bottom budgets. If you want air conditioning, hot water and foreign food, you'll be paying between $25 and $75 a day.

The Lao kip is the only legal currency, but Thai baht and US dollars are regularly accepted, particularly in the cities. Often you'll be asked for kip for cheap purchases, baht for mid-range buys, and dollars if you want something expensive. In Vientiane you'll be able to change most major currencies, but in the country you should stick to US dollars or baht - you may also have trouble with travelers' checks outside the capital. Banks will give you a better rate than moneychangers, and you'll get more for travelers' checks than cash.

There's no need to tip in Laos, except at upscale restaurants where around 10% is expected. If you're buying things in markets or hiring a vehicle, always bargain; at shops it's usually worth a try. Keep it low-key: Laotians are generally gentle hagglers.

Activities
Due to the underdeveloped tourist infrastructure in Laos, there are virtually no organised activities. For the adventurous and resourceful, this can be a real boon. The hilly nature of the country makes it perfect trekking territory, though overnight camping is not allowed; ask around towns for a local guide. Mountain-biking is the next best way to take advantage of the terrain; there are bikes for hire in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. On Don Khon, an island in the Mekong River, there's an interesting walk across the southern tip of the island, which offers the chance to see Irrawaddy dolphins in the late afternoon between December and May.

Culture
About 60% of Lao, mainly the lowland Lao and a sprinkling of Thai tribes, are Theravada Buddhists. Every Lao Buddhist male is expected to become a monk for a short period of his life, usually between school and starting a career or getting married. The main non-Buddhist 'religion' is phii worship, a spirit cult which is officially banned. Hmong/Mien tribes practise animism and ancestral worship, and some follow a Christian version of the cargo cult, believing Jesus Christ will arrive in a jeep, dressed in combat fatigues. A small number of Lao - mostly the French-educated elite - are Christians.

The official language of Laos is Lao, as spoken and written in Vientiane. As an official language, it has successfully become the lingua franca between all Lao and non-Lao ethnic groups in Laos. There are five main dialects in the country, each of which can be divided into further sub dialects. All Lao dialects are closely related to the languages spoken in Thailand, northern Myanmar and pockets of China's Yunnan Province.

Traditional culture in Laos has been heavily influenced by various strains of Khmer, Vietnamese and Thai cultures. The lowland Lao share the same ancestry as many Thai tribes, so the similarities between Lao and Thai culture are especially strong. This can be seen in Lao sculpture, classical music, dance-dramas and cuisine. Lao folk music is more indigenous, based around the khaen (a double row of bamboo reeds fitted into a hardwood sound box). Folk music is often accompanied by dancing or bawdy theatre. The focus of most traditional art has been primarily religious and includes wats (temples), stupas and several distinctively Lao representations of Buddha. The Lao remain skilful carvers and weavers, but traditional silversmithing and goldsmithing are declining arts.

Rice is the foundation for all Lao meals, and almost all dishes are cooked with fresh ingredients such as vegetables, freshwater fish, poultry, duck, pork, beef or water buffalo. Lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander give the food its characteristic tang, and various fermented fish concoctions are used to salt the food. Hot chilies, garlic, mint, ground peanuts, tamarind juice, ginger and coconut milk are other seasonings. Dishes are often served with an accompanying plate of lettuce, mint, coriander, mung-bean sprouts, lime wedges or basil - diners then create their own lettuce-wrapped tidbits.

Environment
Laos is bordered by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar (Burma). Rivers and mountains dominate the country's topography. The largest river, the Mekong (Nam Khong), runs the entire length of the country, providing fertile flood plains for agriculture and forming the country's border with Thailand. It is also Laos' main transportation artery.

Over 70 per cent of the country consists of mountains and plateaus. The Annamite Chain, bordering Vietnam, runs parallel to the Mekong for half the length of the country. The rugged mountains average between 1500-3000m (4920-9840ft) in height, and at their southern extremity open up to form the Bolaven Plateau, a 10,000 sq km (6200 sq m) area that produces mountain rice, coffee, tea and other high-altitude crops. The highest mountain is Phu Bia (2819m/9246ft) in northern Laos.

Two-thirds of Laos is forested and only 10 per cent of the country is considered suitable for agriculture. Given the topography, it is fortunate that Laos has one of the lowest population densities in Asia - around 18 people per sq km (about 11 per sq mi). Most of the population is settled along fertile river valleys, although there are many small tribes living in the hills. The largest population centers, Vientiane and Savannakhet, are both in the Mekong River Valley; 85 per cent of the population lives in rural areas.

Despite large-scale bombing and the use of defoliants in the eastern section of the country during the US war with Vietnam, Laos has one of the most pristine ecologies in South-East Asia. Vegetation consists primarily of varieties associated with monsoon forests such as teak, Asian rosewood and bamboo. About 50 per cent of the country is covered with primary forest and another 30 per cent with secondary growth. The forests are endangered by illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture.

Endemic animals include the concolour gibbon, snub-nosed langur, lesser panda and raccoon dog. Exotic species found in neighbouring countries are usually found in greater numbers in Laos because of the forest cover and fewer hunters. They include the Javan mongoose, Siamese hare, leopard cat, tiger, Irrawaddy dolphin, and a few Javan rhinos thought to survive in the Bolaven Plateau. There are 17 recently opened Biodiversity Conservation Areas scattered throughout the country.

The annual Asian monsoon cycle gives Laos two distinct seasons: May to October is wet, and November to April is dry. Temperatures vary according to altitude. In the Mekong River Valley, the highest temperatures occur between March and April (38°C/100°F) and the lowest between December and January (15°C/59°F). During most of the rainy season, daytime temperatures average around 29°C (84°F) in the lowlands and 25°C (77°F) in the mountain valleys.

Getting There & Away
There are flights from Vientiane's Wattay airport to Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Yangon (Rangoon) in Myanmar (Burma) and Kunming in China. There is a US$10 departure tax.

It is now legal for non-Thai foreigners to cross the Mekong into Laos at the following points: Nong Khai (near Vientiane), Chong Mek (near Pakse), Nakhon Phanom (opposite Tha Khaek), Chiang Khong (opposite Huay Xai) and Mukdahan (opposite Savannakhet). Boarder crossings are open between 6am and 6pm. Use of the Friendship Bridge spanning the Mekong at Nong Khai is hampered by controls on foreign-registered vehicles, but individual travellers should experience nothing more harrassing than a slight delay. It's possible to cross to or from Vietnam via Lao Bao or Kuen Neua if you have a valid visa. It may also be possible to cross into Cambodia at the border town of Voen Kham, in Champasak Province. Entry to Laos is also possible from China's Yunnan Province at Boten.

Getting Around
It is now possible to travel to every province in Laos by some form of public road transport. Regular buses ply Rte 13 between Luang Prabang and Savannakhet. Other routes in the South, eg, Pakse to Sekong, typically use flat-bed trucks mounted with carriages and seats. The alternative mode of getting around is river transport. The main thoroughfares are the Mekong, Nam Ou, Nam Khan, Nam Tha, Nam Ngum and Se Don. With the increase in road travel, river passenger services are declining year by year, but you can still catch long-distance ferries (called heua duan, express boats, not to be confused with the extremely fast heua wai, speed boats) between Huay Xai and Vientiane. For shorter trips it's usually best to hire a river taxi or, in the upper Mekong, a speedboat.

There are a few taxis in the larger towns, plenty of three-wheeled motorcycles and, for shorter distances, pedicabs. Bargaining skills will be required. Small 100cc motorbikes can be rented in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet. Bicycles can be rented in Vientiane, Savannakhet, Don Khong and Luang Prabang.

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