Vientiane Warnings Or Dangers

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The roads within the Vientiane CBD left a little to be desired. Our hotel was located on one of the main streets and a van pulled up outside our hotel and the front wheel fell through the drain cover.

10 metres from the van the road had potholes. As you move out of the city the roads we travelled on usually needed repair. Our stay was limited to 3 days and my assessment is based upon limited road use.

Laos is a very hot and humid nation make sure you are prepaired. I am from a hot and humid place and Laos was almost too hot for me. Lots of water and cool off as often as possible the heat sneaks up on you before you know it!

All atms in Vientiane charge a fee, but they don't all warn you about it eg. BCEL.

It's better to stick to the ANZ ones, light blue in colour, as they charge a standard 20,000 kip, are up front about it and they have the highest withdrawel limit, so it works out better value, but better then bcel, with is 70k per withdrawel, less than $100, so use it two or three times to get what you need, and pay a fee for each use!

If you're going to the Thai embassy in vientiane for a visa, don't forget your two ID pictures and two photocopies, one of your passport photo page, one of your current visa for laos.

Once at the embassy, there are no ID pictures. There's a Xerox in the Thai embassy, but the power cable mysteriously missing and outside there are a couple of booths waiting to rip you off.

Don't let the staff at the gpo put your stamps on the envelope or card like I did recently. After I'd paid the envelope was dropped in her draw. I insisted on seeing it and she pretended she didn't understand, but eventually made out she'd 'forgotten' pulled it out and stuck more stamps on. I.e. the stamps she'd affixed were less than I'd paid.

But then the envelope went back in her draw. I still wasn't allowed to examine it, but eventually, she cancelled the stamps and dropped it in the outgoing mail box rather than her draw.

I think it would be better to let them know you want to stick your own stamps on from the start.

These were massive, gaping holes where the full concrete cover was missing - and filled with foul looking and smelling water. Pays to watch where you are putting your feet, rather than ogling the closest temple or food outlet! Aaaarrghhh....the idea of ending up in here still makes me nauseated!

When you go travel south of Pakse be carefull not only for mines but the more you go down,the more you can find yourself in 'red' the zone. It does not meant that 'red'zone is the end of the world it is only that those people have other ideals,values.Those are not better or worser than ours they are just different and we have to respect them and their world.

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When we took the trip from Luang Prabang to Vientiane on the so-called first class bus, the experience was a once only! We firstly found out fairly quickly that there was no real efficient air conditioning - particularly on the mountainous road, in the heat of the middle of the day!

Secondly, the driver had a "girlfriend" with him, sitting right on top of him in the front of the bus. She clearly needed a lot of attention - and gave as good as she demanded! While it was clear that full attention was required to drive over the steep hills, and poor road condition, she cuddled, kissed, prodded and cavorted with him - I think the low point was when I realised that she was picking his pimples!!! There was a collective sigh from the front passengers when she alighted at a town enroute!