Tourist Trip to Laos

[Bangyuk]

I'm over for a vacation in July and I would like to visit Laos for the first time, having peered at it over the river so many times!

Any suggestions? Is a day trip to Vientiane worthwhile? Or maybe a night or two?

Thanks for your ideas.

[FrazeeDK]

sure, a couple of days would do it just fine.. $35 or so for a tourist visa on arrival.. I'd recommend going on a weekday ensuring it is not a Thai or Lao holiday to hopefully beat the long visa line on the Lao side.. After getting your visa, Grab a van or taxi (about 2-300 baht) and go to the town center. There are numerous guest houses and hotels there. You can do the "tourist" tour of the city pretty much in a day.. That Luang temple grounds (the national symbol), Patouxay National "Victory" monument, Talad Sao "morning market" (what's left of it), Wat Phra Kaew (original home of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok), the river walk (wear a hat, not too many trees) and going to some great restaurants.. Try the various Beer Lao brews (Lager, Gold, Dark) and in the evening check out a few of the clubs along the river walk.

[ting_tong]

you'll have to go 1x to see for yourself, lots of the info you can see online.
hotels are much more expensive than Thailand
food is more expensive there
shopping is a little more pricey, on most things..... excellent deals can be found if you know what to buy.
Lao people are very nice people.

I have to do a mandatory 90 visa run and do a day trip to the city for 1 hour for shopping.
I have a better and cheaper time in NK by the river, hotel 400 baht, VT daeng, and tasadet for shopping.

Laos tip: as you come out of the Laos immigration, go out towards the parking lot (right side) and look for the AC bus going to talat sao, its 25 baht, you return the same way on the same bus from the bus station (parked differently to leave).

[thaiguzzi]

2 days. 2 nights.
All the above and;
a night out in the Bor Bhen Yang rooftop bar, until closing time (midnight), then down to the Samlor pub for a night cap till throwing out time (1.30ish).
a daytime visit to the COPE museum and charity, will make a grown man cry.

[Bangyuk]

Thanks! Very helpful.