Not too long ago me and my friends traveled to Laos, well that must be 3 years ago I guess. So you might ask, why Laos (pronounced as lao)? Well the idea was to go to Thailand but knowing that the country has been a tourist melting pot, it wouldn’t be nice seeing the same bunch of white people. Don’t get me wrong, I know Thailand is a great destination but since I’ve always been fascinated by not so popular and often take for granted places such as Lao, we took the chance.  

 Basically Laos is a poor state but that doesn’t mean it does not have right culture that is unique to the Lao. So what are the things that you will need before heading to this far-flung place in the middle of the Indochinese Peninsula?

 1.      You should obtain a tourist Visa from Vientiane or Luang Prabang. Aside from that, they will require you to bring three passport photos as well.

2.      Money, yes of course that’s one thing you should never forget and make sure you will bring more than what you actually need. The worst thing that can happen to you is to be empty-handed in a foreign land.

3.      You should also take note of the hotel reservation that you plan to get. Make sure that the amenities are complete and at the same time the place is well known by tourists.

 The first stop that we visited was Laos’ capital called Vietiane. The distinct and influential French culture is still extremely visible in this country particularly in Vientiane. One thing that immediately caught my attention was when the Lao people give food to their monks every morning which have been a part of Lao tradition since time immemorial. When looking for transportation you can take their taxis called jumbos or rent a bicycle for approximately 2 USD.

 Meanwhile, your Lao trip will be incomplete without visiting the That Luang. It is basically a massive golden temple that has a spire that shoots 150 feet into the air. Take note that the idea of Lao nationality isn’t very clear for the Lao people. Primarily because since antiquity, their country has been part of the Siam empire which is now Thailand. It is not uncommon that Lao people would have Cambodian, Thai and even Vietnamese relatives. So don’t be surprised when you see the Thai king’s picture hung inside a Lao household.

 Moving on, another hot destination spot is Luang Prabang which happens to be one of the oldest cities in Laos. It also used to be where the Lao royal family resided when the country was still under monarchy. We only spend 5 days in Laos and before you start packing your things here are some useful things that you might want to remember:

 1.      The Thai bhat is widely accepted in Laos aside from its official currency the Lao Kip.

2.      Giving tips isn’t customary in Laos.

 So there, that’s pretty much what Laos is in a nutshell but I am sure that you’ll find a lot more enticing things when you visit the country by yourself.