When to Visit Laos?
The best time to visit Laos is from October to April when the weather is cool and less humid, making it great for outdoor activities and offering a high chance of a beautiful clear sky.
It can be extremely humid and hot outside from April to May, while the rest of the months can be rainy. However, that doesn't mean you can't visit Laos during these periods. The summer has some awesome festivals like Songkran, whereas the rainy season does bring down the temperature and makes it a bit more manageable to travel around.
How to Get to Laos?
From the US, you will first have to fly into Bangkok, one of the largest travel hubs in the region, via airlines like Qatar and Emirates. Then, you can take a domestic flight to Vientiane via AirAsia (which takes about 1 hour). Alternatively, you can take the sleeper train or bus across the border to Laos (which takes at least 15 hours).
From Europe, you also have to fly into Bangkok via airlines such as Emirates, Lufthansa, or KLM. From there, you can either fly with AirAsia to Vientiane or take the sleeper train or bus.
From Asia, there should be many options available from airlines like AirAsia, Lao Airlines, and Thai Airways that will take you from your home country to Vientiane in only a few hours. You can also fly domestically from Thailand to Nong Khai and cross the land border from there. It will be cheaper than taking a direct international flight.
To find a cheap flight to Laos, I would recommend that you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule, so you can compare and choose the best one.
How to Get Around Laos?
By Trains: Laos finally has its own high-speed train, thanks to China, making traveling around the country more accessible than ever before.
The high-speed train allows you to travel from Vientiane to Luang Prabang in 2 hours, whereas before, it would have taken 15+ hours due to the poor road condition and the mountainous geography of the north.
Taking the train is hands down the best way to travel around Laos, but there are a few caveats you should know about. For one, most of the train stations are located far away from the city, so you will have to organize a taxi beforehand.
Secondly, the train system has extremely strict security, almost airport-level. Since you can't load your luggage like on an airplane, items like aerosol or any kind of sprays are prohibited, and they will be thrown away. So, DO NOT PACK any aerosol or spray for this trip. You can leave it in Vientiane before you take a train to your accommodation if you wish to return to the city to fly out.
Since security is tight, you are expected to be at the train station at least an hour before departure in case of a long security line. They also check the ticket three times: once when you enter the station, another when you get on the train, and the last one when you exit the station. So, do not throw away your ticket once you have boarded the train unless you want to pay for it again upon exit.
Lastly, buying a train ticket in person as a foreigner is impossible at the moment, and the only way I found to reserve a train ticket online is via this travel agency. Make sure to book at least 24 hours ahead, as popular routes like Vientiane to Luang Prabang and vice versa get booked out fast.
Other than that, the train system here is way more efficient than I thought it would be. It is also much more comfortable than taking buses, with way more legroom, cleaner facilities, and air conditioning that actually works. It is definitely the best way to get around; just make sure you are aware of the caveats I mentioned above.
For more information on train travel in Laos, check out:10 Tips For First-Time Laos Train Travel
By Tours: Although many things to do in Laos can be done without an organized tour, certain activities like kayaking, tubing, and hot air ballooning require you to book one to get access to the equipment. The best place to look for tours and day trips is Klook. You can also try sites like Viator and Getyourguide, but I found Klook to be the cheapest.
By Rental Cars: I would not recommend this as the roads in Laos are filled with potholes and are not in excellent condition. However, if you insist on renting your own car and driving, you can click the link below to see how much it would cost to rent one in Laos.
How Much Money Do I Need for 7 days in Laos?
From this 7-day itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending here as follows:
Accommodation: For 8 nights in Laos, you can expect to pay around 72 USD for accommodation, considering you are staying in budget guesthouses or hostels.
Food: For 7 days, with 3 meals a day in Laos, you can expect to pay around 63 USD for food, considering you eat out every day.
Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay around 65 USD for motorbike rentals, buses, and trains throughout the country.
Activities: Depending on how much you want to do in Laos, you can expect to pay approximately $15 for tours, as well as entrance fees to tourist attractions around the country.
Total Budget for 7 days in Laos: 215 USD
Is it Safe in Laos?
From my experiences, Laos is pretty safe for tourists to travel around, especially in the three cities we will visit: Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang. People are very friendly, and I didn't experience anything unusual throughout my trip here.
That said, it is always a good idea to exercise caution by not leaving your belongings unattended, especially when in crowded places like a market, and ALWAYS keep an eye out for your belongings at all times.
Keep your hands in your pockets when entering or exiting crowded places to secure your phone and wallet. Other than that, you should be perfectly fine traveling around Laos independently.
Internet in Laos
There are 4 major carriers in Laos: Unitel, Laotel, Tplus, and ETL which offer prepaid sim cards tourists can buy while traveling in Laos. That said, if you are looking for a more convenient way, I highly recommend you look into getting eSIMs instead, which is something that you can buy prior to your arrival in Laos.
If you have a smartphone that supports eSIMs, I highly recommend you take a look at these eSIMs. The setup is fast and instant, and you can buy it before your trip, so you don't have to scramble to get one at the airport after a long flight. The data speed is pretty reliable in most cases with LTE speed in big cities, although it can sometimes struggle the further away in remote areas you travel.
For more information on eSIMs in Laos, click here: Check Laos' Available eSIM.
What to Pack for Laos
As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Laos:
- Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
- Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
- Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
- Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
- Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
- Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Laos in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
- Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
- Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
- Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
- Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
- Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
- Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
- Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.
For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.
