Laos, and why you should go there.

Laos is a landlocked country in South East Asia. Many tourists skip Laos because it doesn't have the beaches and islands that Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam have. Here is my list of reasons for why you should add Laos to your South East Asian itinerary.

It's cheap

Laos is good for budget travelers. Outside of cities, rooms can usually be found for less than 15$ a night. Meals can be found for less than 5$, but the tourist areas will have higher prices.

In my opinion, Laoatioan food ranks below Thai food, but quite a bit higher than Vietnamese food. Thai food is my favorite, but I liked Laoation food more than Vietnamese food. The Chicken Lap is especially delicious (not pictured). I think budgets can be ranked similarly, with Thailand being more expensive than Laos which is more expensive than Vietnam.

It's Rustic

If you've been traveling from city to city, Laos is a great place to unwind. The capital city of Laos is smaller and less developed than many "small towns" in Vietnam and Thailand.

Laos presents an opportunity to see an older way of life. Even with the modern vehicles and plastic trash on the roads, it's easy to imagine some of the villages as they were hundreds of years ago.

It's Slow

A sign spotted in one of the hotels in Laos

Laos is a slow country. There isn't much urgency in anything. After spending time in Thailand with nonstop restaurant barkers, street vendors, annoying bar girls, and run-of-the-mill opportunists, Laos is a paradise of calm. Resturant owners don't seem to care if you come or go. You can go to bars without bar girls constantly pestering you. In fact, most Laoations seem to prefer ignoring tourists over getting money from them.

If you dislike the aggressive touts of Thailand and Siem Reap, Laos is the place for you. If you expect good customer service where ever you go, you may want to skip Laos. They'll give you what you need, but you usually have to ask for it.

It has an interesting history

Laos has an interesting history that provides plenty of sights for history buffs. Everything from the kingdom of Lan Xang to being part of the French Indochina protectorate has left a mark on Laos. There are beautiful temples and French-era semi-abandoned resorts. It makes for some interesting locations.

It's beautiful

Writing about Vietnam has used up all of my flowery phrases for "beautiful". You'll just have to look at the pictures and come up with your own adjectives.

Laos is a beautiful land. If you love rivers, waterfalls and weird geological formations, Laos may be the right place for you.

It has most of the animal kingdom available to eat

This was displayed in front of a house, along with a dead chicken. I think they were for sale.

A girl of about 12 years came out of the forest with this basket on a long pole. It's full of ant eggs. She ate one and offered me one, but I declined.

Animal liquor with a scorpion and snake.

Ever seen eggs on a stick before?

I'm pretty picky with what animals I eat, so this is more for people who like to eat weird shit. In Laos, it seems like they'll cook up anything that can be cooked up. If your bucket list includes eating porcupines, ant eggs, or fried water buffalo skin, Laos may be the right place for you.

It's fun to ride scooters in (especially the Thakek Loop)

I rented scooters in Vang Vien, Thakek, and Pakse. I also brought my Vietnamese scooter to Laos when I made a visa run.

In Vang Vien, I just wandered around for a day. Thakek and Pakse both have popular tourist loops, the Thakek Loop and the Bolaven Plateau Loop. I rode both loops. If you can only ride in one place in Laos, ride the Thakek Loop. It had the most enjoyable riding out of all the places that I rode in Laos.

Riding in Laos felt more isolated than riding in Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand. But on the Thakek Loop, you can meet other tourists when you stop for the evening.

Expect restaurants to have Lao only menus, and very little English to be spoken when you get off the tourist trail. Don't worry about not speaking the language. People know what you want when you walk into a hotel or a tire repair place. Don't over think things and use photos on your phone to show what you want, google image search is your friend.

It's Communist

I'm not a fan of communism, but as that ideology breaths its final gasps, now is the time to see countries still waving that flag. None of my experiences felt particularly communist, but the country is covered in imagery celebrating one of the most deadly ideas in history. You can't see that everywhere.

It has drugs

A sign posted in my hotel room in Vang Vien.

If you're into hippy drugs, you may want to visit Vang Vien, Laos. I didn't notice any drug use in most of Laos, but in Vang Vien, several restaurants had weed and shrooms on the menu. All of the milkshakes and pizzas can be made "happy" (weed) or "magic" (shrooms). They don't say how much they're adding to your food, so it's actually pretty dangerous.

I tried a "happy" pizza and could taste the weed, but never felt it. I also tried a "magic" pizza, but that's a story for a different post.

Needless to say, if you hate drugs and drug users, skip Vang Vien.

It's home to my favorite truck on earth

Have you ever seen a cooler truck than this? Didn't think so. You gotta go to Laos to see this bad boy.

So there you have it, my reasons for why you should visit Laos.

Laos was the second country that I visited in South East Asia, with Thailand being the first. Laos was a pleasant contrast from Thailand. After months of being harassed every time I set foot outside of my hotel rooms, being left alone in Laos was bliss. Of course, nothing is perfect. In my next post, I'll discuss why I'll never return to Laos. Until then, ride safe!