The land of Laos: Affordable and undiscovered
This small Southeast Asian country may be the next hot tourist destination
 David Longstreath / AP file A young Buddhist monk makes his way past That Luang Stupa in the capital city of Vientiane, Laos. |
 | Video |
 | Vientiane is historic and exotic April 30: TODAY's Matt Lauer takes a quick tour of Vientiane, the historic capital of Laos, the latest stop on his 2008 “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” tour. Today show |
| Video |
 | Inside a Buddhist temple April 30: In Vientiane, capital of Laos, on his “Where in the World” tour, TODAY's Matt Lauer enters a wat — an ornate Buddhist temple — and sees its monks at prayer. Where in the World |
Lost and found in Laos |
The land of Laos: Affordable and undiscovered Want to get off the beaten path? More and more savvy travelers are heading to this small Southeast Asian country. TODAY travel editor Peter Greenberg offers a glimpse. |
Where in the World has Matt been? |
 | Slide show |
 | Where in the World is Matt Lauer? Explore the countries Matt Lauer visited on his annual trek around the globe. more photos |
|
Laos is a true magical mystery tour. Few Americans visit. Fewer understand it. However, more and more savvy travelers are slowly discovering this small country.
Not too long ago, Vietnam was like this — before diplomatic relations with the U.S. were restored in the 1990s. The same could be said for Cambodia. Both Vietnam and Cambodia have recently exploded as tourist destinations.
And now it's this former kingdom's time to enter as a preferred destination in Asia. Ten years ago it was a backwater country, still trying to recover from its own 1975 revolution, which ended a 600-year-old monarchy.
The government — slowly but surely — has opened the doors to the outside world. And the world is curious to see what is there.
Laos is a landlocked country between Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and China. It’s lifeline is the Mekong River, which forms a large part of Laos' western border with Thailand. Centuries ago, it was the Kingdom of Lan Xang, or Land of a Million Elephants.
On the surface, little has changed. Laos is still a farming country specializing in rice. The official language is Lao, but English is widely understood in the cities.
The best part about traveling to Laos is that it’s affordable, but not overrun with tourists. But word has spread about Luang Prabang, “the Shangri-La of Southeast Asia,” so it’s more developed and filled with backpackers and vacationers. This 700-year-old town can get very crowded, and it is quickly transforming into a more structured, organized tourist destination. But not all travelers make it to the current capital city of Vientiane; southern Laos is practically undiscovered so you’ll find even fewer crowds and better deals in places like Pakse.
Getting there
To travel to Laos, you will need both a passport and visa. Thirty-day visas cost $50 and must be used within two months of issue. (Visit laoembassy.com for more information.)
One of the smart ways to travel to Laos is to combine the trip with visiting Cambodia, Thailand or Vietnam. It’s a very affordable destination — Geographic Expeditions estimates that you can travel through southern Laos for about $300 a day, including meals, accommodations, a private car and English-speaking guide; Luang Prabang and Vientiane will cost about $400 per person per day as they have higher-end hotels.
Another suggestion is to invest in an RTW ('Round the World) ticket that allows you many destination options. A company called Airtreks (airtreks.com) sells a number of these multiple-destination RTW tickets that start at $1,650. Here's one sample itinerary: San Francisco, Singapore, Saigon/Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Luang Prabang, Angkor Wat (Siem Reap), Bangkok, Xian, Beijing, Tokyo and San Francisco. Promotion code: HAT559079; airtreks.com
Laos has three airports: Wattay International Airport in Vientiane; Luang Prabang International Airport and Pakse International Airport. When traveling within Laos, the only domestic airline is Laos Airlines. A flight between Vientiane and Luang Prabang takes about 35 minutes. You can also travel by bus — but don’t say I didn’t warn you. You can expect to spend at least 11 hours traveling from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, but you’ll catch some beautiful mountain scenery. You can travel by boat or river taxi for shorter hauls around the country, but not all the way from Vientiane to Luang Prabang.
Tours
Geographic Expeditions: The majority of this company's Laos tours are customized small-group trips. Existing tours include the 27-day Mekong from Top to Bottom (this includes Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) for $12,999. An 11-day trip to Southern Laos costs $3,295 and includes Pakse, Sekong, elephant riding and a river trip to the Khong Islands. 800-777-8183; geoex.com
Distant Horizons: Check out a tour called A Reflective History: Myanmar and Laos. With Myanmar in the mix, this is certainly a trip for curious travelers. Led by Julian Brown, currently a researcher at the School of African and Oriental Studies in London, this tour takes you through Mandalay, Sagaing and Pagan — then flies you back through Bangkok to Laos to see Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Then you travel by boat along the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves. 800-333-1240; distant-horizons.com
Intrepid Travel: This Australian-based, small-group operator focuses on off-the-beaten track, immersive tours that involve homestays and local transportation (i.e., tuktuks instead of private motor coaches). The shortest group trip to Laos is 15 days, and includes Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, starting at just $1,010. Trail of the Khmer starts at $1,400 and includes Bangkok, Siem Reap/Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh, Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Airfare is NOT included but Intrepid is known for having affordable tour prices. intrepidtravel.com
Globe Aware: This company has volunteer vacation programs in Luang Prabang, in which volunteers primarily work with children in an orphanage. Projects include improving the facilities, teaching English to the children as well as monks in a local monastery, and simply playing with the children. Accommodations are in a hostel along the Mekong, which is walking distance from most major sites. Airfare is NOT included, but Globe Aware is one of the more affordable volunteer programs, with rates starting at $1,140 for eight days. globeaware.com
When to go
Peak season is November through March. For the best weather, go between November and February, when it’s not too humid and rainy. Not surprisingly, that’s also the best time to go to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. March to May is also good as it’s hot but still dry.
Lodging
Luang Prabang can get crowded, so book early. Vientiane, Pak Se and vicinity won’t have that problem.
Vientiane
Settha Palace Hotel: This is a luxury boutique hotel in a French colonial building. Rates start at $180 a night. Pang Kham Street, (856-21) 217581-2; setthapalace.com
Where in the World is Matt Lauer? |
Lao Plaza Hotel: This seven-floor hotel boasts its position as the “highest” hotel in Vientiane. Rates start at about $140 a night. 63 Samsenethai Road, (856 21) 218800-1; laoplazahotel.com
Don Chan Palace: This hotel is located along the Mekong River. Rates start at about $130 a night. Unit 6 Piawat Village, Sisatanak District, (856) (21) 244288; donchanpalacelaopdr.com
Luang Prabang
La Residence Phou Vao: This is a luxury spa hotel, and is part of the Orient Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises line, so it’s more expensive than others. Rates start at $210 night — but imagine what it would cost in Europe! Ban Xiengkeo, Khet Sangkalok (856 71) 253 851-7; grandluangprabang.com
Phousi Hotel: This is a very basic but clean hotel with reasonable rates that range between $45-$72 a night. Setthathirath Road, (856+71) 212192; phousihotel.laopdr.com
Pakse
There aren’t any chains here and most hotels are very simple, small three-star accommodations.
Champasak Palace Hotel: This place looks something like a massive wedding cake, but it has lovely views, clean rooms and plenty of space. Rates start at just about $40 a night, but those rooms aren’t in the palace themselves — to stay in the palace, you’re looking at about $45-$70 a night.
Where in the World is Matt Lauer? |
| Rate this story | Low | High |
MORE FROM WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MATT LAUER? |
 Where in the world is Matt Lauer? Section Front |
| Add Where in the world is Matt Lauer? headlines to your news reader: |