Laos Travel Guide

Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia bordered by China, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

One of the trademarks of Laos is the diversity of its people and cultures. There are a number of traditional arts and crafts that represent their way of life. Lao has a rich cultural heritage with religious art and architecture forming the cornerstone of artistic traditions.

Most of the year is hot and humid. Laos enjoys a tropical climate with two distinct seasons. The rainy season is from the beginning of May to the end of September, and the dry season is from October through April.

Lao religious images and art is also distinctive and sets Laos apart from its neighbors.

Lao people are frank, open and friendly, and they possess a strongly developed sense of courtesy and respect. Everyone who adheres to the latter will receive a warm welcome.

Buddhism first appeared in Laos during the eighth century A.D., as shown by both the Buddha image and the stone inscription found at Ban Talat near Vientiane, now exhibited at Hor Pra Keo Museum. After the foundation of the unified Kingdom of Lane Xang, King Fa Ngum (14th Century) declared Buddhism as the state religion and urged the people to abandon Animism or other beliefs such as the Cult of Spirits. His policy meant to develop the Lao culture based on a common faith: Theravada Buddhism.

If you’re planning a trip to Laos, determining the best time to visit should be a top priority. You may want to plan your trip for a different time depending on where in Laos you’ll spend the most time, and how you plan to get around.

Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang, founded in the 15th century by Fa Ngum, himself descended from a long line of Lao kings, tracking back to Khoun Boulom. Lan-Xang prospered until the 18th century, when the kingdom was divided into three principalities, which eventually came under Siamese suzerainty.

Laos is an independent republic, and a landlocked nation in Southeast Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam. It covers 236,800 square kilometers in the center of the Southeast Asian peninsula and it is surrounded by Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, and Vietnam. About seventy percent of its geographic area is made up of mountain ranges, highlands, plateaux, and rivers cut through.

The majority of the Lao people are Buddhists. The Laos-Lum (Valley Laos) people follow the Hinayana(Theravada) form of Buddhism. The religions of the Laos-Theung (Laos of the mountain tops) range from traditional Confucianism to animism and Christianity.

Throughout the country, the climate is hot and tropical, with the rainy season between May and October when temperatures are at their highest, up to 35°C. The weather is very similar to that of northern Vietnam.

Punctuality is appreciated. Lightweight suits, shirt and tie should be worn. English is not spoken by all officials and knowledge of French is useful. Business cards should have a Laotian translation on the reverse. Best time to visit is during the dry season, from November to April.

Ha Tien is in the extreme south-west of the Vietnamese mainland close to the Gulf of Thailand and the Cambodian border. It’s a busy, but remote, town of about 42,000 people around 100km from Chau Doc and 340km from Ho Chi Minh City by road. There’s also a canal to Chau Doc.

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Ha Long Bay is well-known for its wonderful landscape of limestone mountains and islands rising up from the emerald ocean, scattering over the area in spectacular formations naturally decorated by dazzling stalactite caves. Read the list of top best things to do in Halong Bay to have more information for an exciting journey to this place.

A passport valid for six months is required for entry into Cambodia.Visas: Visas are required by all nationals referred to in the chart above. You can obtain these in advance or on arrival at most ports of entry.

Provided that you, unfortunately, get sick during Ho Chi Minh City day trips as well as Vietnam tour packages, the hospital is surely the place you have to find. List of the best international hospitals in Saigon below is hopefully your useful guideline.

Ho Chi Minh City lacks the heady blend of cultural collection found in Hanoi; however, the city still has plenty to offer on the entertainment front. Aside from day time frolicking in the city's water parks, visitors can hit the town after dark to sample local nightlife.