Laos

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE TRAVELING TO LAOS

"Sabaidee" is the first word to learn. It’s the usual form of hello. Use it in conjunction with the nop (similar to the wai in Thailand): the gesture of putting your hands together as if in prayer.

Laos is a strongly Buddhist country. Don’t point your feet at people or prop them on furniture.

Tuck your feet under or to the side of you if sitting on the floor. Don’t touch someone’s head. Dress modestly, behave discreetly. Remove your shoes on entering a home/temple.

A chance of Karma. People release animals back into the wild in an attempt to gain merit.

Self-restoration. The Baci ceremony is performed to restore spiritual equilibrium: White threads are tied around the wrist – binding the person’s wandering guardian spirits to them. You must leave the threads on for at least three days before untying (not cutting) them.

Alms etiquette. If participating in the alms-giving take a mat to kneel on and some rice or sweets for the monks. You may want to wear a scarf or sash, as the locals do – some hotels will help with this.

Stay on the beaten track. Many people worry about landmines, but if you stick to heavily touristed areas, they have been cleared. Exercise more caution should you decide to do more independent ventures. As usual for developing countries, leave expensive jewelry, purses, etc., at home. While it seems and sounds remote, Laos is a quick flight from Bangkok, where one can receive world class medical care.

Boiled and well-done. All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised. Avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Needles needed. Hepatitis E occurs and hepatitis B is highly endemic and dengue fever, tuberculosis and Japanese encephalitis are known to occur so be sure you are up to date on your vaccines before you travel.

Cash is king. Try to bring sufficient amounts and appropriate forms of cash with you upon entry. Laos now has ATM machines, but they are only sparsely located in Huay Xai, Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Vang Vieng. And even these can sometimes be problematic to use and have expensive fees on a percentage basis due to the small amounts you may only be allowed to take out at a time. The only foreign currencies readily usable in Laos are US dollars and Thai baht, so try to bring as much of these as you comfortably and safely can. Make sure to have some smallish notes as part of your stash, because change for large notes can sometimes be difficult to find. Credit cards can sometimes be used in higher end tourist shops and hotels, but usually incur a 3 percent surcharge. Bottom line - cash is king, especially for budget travelers.

Mindful motorcycling.

Motorcycle travel in Laos is not without risks but the rewards of truly independent travel are great. There are several rental shops in Vientiane only and bike rentals in other parts of the country are few. Quality of machines varies from shop to shop so you need to fully inspect your new friend before you head out on the road. There are many good roads and many paved ones and touring Laos is done easily. Most bikes in Laos are Honda Baja or XR 250 dual purpose bikes and anything else is usually mechanically questionable. Helmets are not only mandatory in the country but a valuable item in a place where traffic rules are made up by the minute. Police have been cracking down on people who do no have a motorcycle license, so expect to pay a fine if caught without one.