To make your Laos vacation interesting, comfortable and memorable, read these ten tips for vacationers:
- Most of the population of Laos is Buddhist. There are still tribes that worship animals and spirits. There are Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Religious tolerance is high, there are no special prejudices. Interestingly, Laos is led by a communist party, which is quite tolerant of Buddhists.
- Telephone wire communication is poorly developed here. On average, the cost of a minute with Ukraine and Russia will cost 3-4 USD. But cellular communication is available here, the best reception is in big cities. Near the borders you can take SIM-cards of Vietnamese and Thai operators. There is Internet in many places, in hotels you will find such convenient free WiFi, you will also find a lot of cafes where Internet is paid by tariffs.
- If you are traveling on your own, be careful of routes that have not been thought out in advance. Especially when it comes to the eastern parts of the country. Bombs and shells have been around since the Vietnam War, and there are entire unexploded minefields. This is a real threat, so don't go off the trails and highways to the side of the road.
- If you decide to travel to Laos, take care to prevent malaria. There is a risk of getting Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis B, cholera, typhoid, diphtheria, dysentery and tuberculosis, tropical fever. It is better to anticipate maximum diseases, and get immunized. Do not use water from local reservoirs, springs, only bottled water from the store.
- People in Laos are friendly, smile and they will try to help you, even if they don't know the language. People here are rarely in a hurry, and many things are taken for granted. It is not customary to shake hands here. And it is better to learn the complicated system of greetings in advance. For example, you may be greeted by a child or staff with a traditional "wai". This is familiar to all connoisseurs of the East palms folded "boat" and applied to the head in the area of lips or chest, without touching the body. So, in this case, it is better to respond with a smile and a nod, but not with the same gesture.
- Get into the habit of not only carrying phrase books, but also writing the names of tourist sites, cities, destinations on cards, carrying maps with local names. This will make it easier to get around the country. Ask hotel staff to write the name of the hotel in the Lao language or dialect common in the region. The more of these "bedding straws" you have, the easier it will be to drive around and find the right places. Some names are duplicated in French or English, but very rarely, and only in the largest cities.
- Any statue of Buddha, no matter what state or form it is in, is believed to be sacred. Respect people's traditions, do not climb on sculptures to take photos. By the way, do not point your toe at people or Buddha sculptures, it is extremely indecent.
- One should not touch the heads of locals, small children. And women should not approach the monks, give them things, objects.
- If you visit a Laotian, he may offer you tea or fruit. It is not polite to refuse. As a rule, if you are at a dinner party, men and women sit on opposite sides of the table. Before taking pictures of the locals, ask if you can.
- In the north of the country, military patrols occur at night to provide security along Laos' strategic highways. If you are traveling by foot or bicycle, avoid traveling in these areas at night, or be prepared for questions and route clarification. The roads in the country are not very good, except for the central roads, so the journey may take longer than you planned.
