Comrades,

Mam has family near Nong Khai and so this summer, whilst staying in Surin,we thought we might call in on them. Clearly we would have to take a good number of the family in the back of the hired pick-up.

The plan is to leave them with family and Mam and I go over into Laos for two or three days. I will need to do a visa run in any case. What advice do you have?

I was assuming it would be best to leave the hire vehicle in Nong Khai and pay a taxi to be with us for our trip.

Going for two or three days, where would you go, where would you recommend to stay, what would you say is unmissable?

Any advice gratefully received.

Cheers,

John B

Should also have asked about visa requirements. Can you get visa on arrival at the Nong Khai crossing? If so, what needed? If not, where do you start?

Thanks,

John B

John

According to the misses you can cross here and get visa on arrival in Laos but you will need to take a few passport size photos with you and fill in an immigration form on arrival. It will of course cost you (she thinks but not sure) that last time we went it was 1500 baht .

Apparently there is a small bus that goes back and forth every 10 mins or so (20 baht or there abouts).

Best thing to do is to ask a taxi once there to spend the day with you and negotiate a price for the day and to take you to see everything. Do the same for the next day (not ask for both days at once she says).

As far as places to see in Vientiane there is a big Buddha, kings palace, a zoo type place (animals and garden type thing), market (silver quite good).

That's about as much as I can get out of Nok (head hurt for remember long time before).

Hope it's of use anyway.

quote:

I was assuming it would be best to leave the hire vehicle in Nong Khai and pay a taxi to be with us for our trip.

Yes, you won't be able to take a hire vehicle over the border. There is a car park on the left just before the visa shops near the bridge. They'll look after your car and give you a motorbike ride the last few hundred yards to the bridge for a small fee. Get their mobile number so you can call them to pick you up when you return.

No need to use any of the visa agents; just make sure you have a couple of passport size photos with you, as Gary says, and get a visa on arrival (VOA) at the bridge.

At the Laos end of the bridge you'll easily spot the VOA window as soon as you get off the bus. Go to the window on the right and pick up the forms, fill them in and hand them in with your passport and fee to the window on the left. After a short wait (anything from 2 to 20 minutes) you'll spot your passport being waved at you from the window on the right, visa and all.

Avoid lunchtime as it can get really busy and the VOA window closes for lunch whenever they feel like it. I think the bridge opens at 6am and closes at 10pm.

Other than that, Gary & Nok seem to have covered it.

Found this site for you, not sure if you are aware of it, looks like has good info on Lao and some info on places to stay which I did not have for you.

Hope it helps.

Lao Guide

Check out my site there is a bunch of pictures and some info aswell SiamSteve

Regarding accommodation I would thoroughly recommend the Beau Rivage. It's what they nowadays call a boutique hotel. Stayed there for four nights last summer. It's overlooking the Mekong, which is a tremendous view to wake up to. The hotel owner is an Aussie, a real laid back guy who's really friendly but not in your face.

Thanks guys, we are taking careful note.Please keep the advice coming.

mam and john

A supplementary from Mam. She is rather fussy about food and wants to know if Lao food is good and clean. I can eat anything and enjoy it but she is picky. Will she survive for two or three days in Lao?

Cheers,

john B

see if you can avoid the rip off baht buses on the lao side. if you can get the visa in advance (i did hear a rumour about a consulate in khon kaen)you can get the bus from udon and nong khai. Vientiane has little except good beer and the food is interesting. There are a lot of trendy guest houses and restaurants near the river. Try and use the local currency, there are atms near the morning market to spend on the over priced silver. I always enjoyed the baguettes (french influence)for breakfast. Haggle on everything if you can. Make sure you are in charge, the tuk tuks are very skilled on both sides.

quote:

No need to use any of the visa agents; just make sure you have a couple of passport size photos with you, as Gary says, and get a visa on arrival (VOA) at the bridge.

Not our experience, but that was 3 years ago and things may have changed. Thai Immigration official wouldn't let Pim through on her new Thai passport. So she couldn't get OUT of her own country, no way. I argued to the point he clicked the safety off his gun. Wife got twitchy and I thought it best to back off. He insisted we use a visa agent. With considerable bad grace I succumbed and paid up. Visa agent offered some half-assed explanation about, "New Thai passports being no good the first time they're used." Clearly they were both in cahoots and shared our money. We were travelling bu public bus but perhaps perhaps we looked opulent. They've probably got some other scam now.

Food - Immediately on hitting the streets of Vientiane Pim declared, "No food. I will die here." We found the local night market, dined exceedingly well on familiar stuff and she declared, "I can live here." As we travelled around the food just got better, street and restaurant. Baguettes to die for!

She was fascinated by the money and how much it could buy. She asked a woman selling fried bananas for 20 Baht's worth, did the conversion in her head, handed over her money and was startled to be given the lot! She was still donating them to taxi drivers and strangers half an hour later. Carries thousands in Lao Kip in her purse to this day just for fun.

Flying north from Vientiane to Luang Prabang I was reading about how the Americans trashed the place. Littering it with bombs from 6 miles up in the remote hope of hitting a Communist concealed under a coconut tree. The view from the plane window was one of such indescribable beauty I felt like crying. How could they do that?

Lovely people, bad roads and too darned hot. Really hot. Women ride motorcycles holding parasols and still manage to talk on the mobile and not fall off. Vientiane has a slightly seedy air and an edgy quality that I quite like. Next time I'll take a crumpled white suit, panama hat and a silk bandana to wipe my brow. Luang Prabang is a tourist trap but well worth a visit. We stayed in a boutique hotel too. Astonishing place. So fancy that there was no TV in the room! That didn't go down well. Language easy because Laos are fed on a diet of Thai TV. I'm told it gets funkier as you go further north and I'd like to try that sometime. Enjoy yourselves.

quote:

Originally posted by johnb:
A supplementary from Mam. She is rather fussy about food and wants to know if Lao food is good and clean. I can eat anything and enjoy it but she is picky. Will she survive for two or three days in Lao?

Cheers,

john B

Mam, don't panic. I am a very fussy eater and I survive for 3-4 days at a time when I go there (which may well be beginning of June again). I think you will love the food.

Forgot to mention before, take a BIG wallet if you are going to use the local currency (kip) as you get a lot for your Baht. Otherwise stick to Baht as (so far) everytime I have been all seem happy to take it although you may get change in Kip.

quote:

Originally posted by tudor & pim:
Flying north from Vientiane to Luang Prabang I was reading about how the Americans trashed the place. Littering it with bombs from 6 miles up in the remote hope of hitting a Communist concealed under a coconut tree.

I heard recently that the yanks dropped an equivalent to a plane load of bombs every eight minutes for nine years (for what)!!!

Anyway enjoy the trip and come back and let us know how it went.

Safe trip, Gary & Nok

Thanks guys, and for sure we will report back.

Mam and John