Laos Travel Guide

Laos is one of the easiest countries in the world to visit — virtually everyone, save for citizens of a few countries, can enter the country visa-free or obtain a visa on arrival.

Visas

Citizens of the following countries may enter Laos for tourism purposes without a visa. The maximum permitted stay is:

The Lao currency is the kip (ກີບ), pronounced kiip and officially denoted by the symbol "₭" (ISO code: LAK). Wikivoyage articles use kip to denote the currency. The largest note is 100,000 kip (less than US$5). Other notes in common circulation are 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 kip. Withdrawing the maximum of 2,500,000 kip from an ATM could result in 25 100,000-kip notes. This makes carrying large quantities of kip quite inconvenient. In speech, it's common to drop the final three zeroes, so "20" means 20,000.

Travel within Laos has historically been slow, often painful and sometimes dangerous, but the 2021 opening of a railway spanning the northern half of the country and the ongoing construction of a parallel expressway is set to shake things up. Nevertheless, if travelling off the beaten track, allow plenty of leeway in your schedule for the near-inevitable delays, cancellations and breakdowns.

The official language of Laos is Lao (ພາສາລາວ pháa-sǎa láo), a tonal language closely related to Thai. The Thai dialect spoken in the northeastern Isaan region of Thailand, historically a part of greater Laos, is in fact very similar to Lao.

Laos in general is a safe country, in part because violent crime is punished to a significant extent by the government. This said, petty crime remains a concern. In accordance with the law, you are required to have an identification document on you at all times, and the police have the legal right to ask you for it. What this means: a copy of your national identity card or your passport. If they ask you for it, just give it to them. Failing to produce an identity document on request will result in a fine.

Laos is on track to hit its goal of eliminating malaria by 2030, but there are still occasional outbreaks, particularly in the south (Savannakhet and beyond). Anti-malarials are recommended if visiting those areas for an extended period, but check with health professionals: there is also a high incidence of drug-resistant parasites in Laos. Other mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue, can be life-threatening, so make sure you bring at least 25% DEET insect repellent and ensure that you sleep with mosquito protection like nets or at least a fan. Vientiane seems to be malaria-free but not deng…

Laos phone numbers have the format +856 20 654 321 where "856" is the country code for Laos. Numbers starting with 20 are mobile numbers, while all others are landlines. Internet cafés can be found in larger towns, however access speeds are usually painfully slow and cafe staffs have less knowledge. The most reliable connections are in Vientiane, and usually cost around 100 kip/minute, with the cheapest offering 4,000 kip/hour. However, Internet security is not guaranteed and computer viruses ar…

Dress respectfully (long trousers, sleeved shirts) when visiting temples and take your shoes off before entering temple buildings and private houses. As with other Buddhist countries, showing the soles of your feet is very poor manners. Never touch any person on the head. Despite the prevalence of cheap alcohol, public drunkenness is considered disrespectful and a loss of face.