i have in the family a young woman 34 years who is planning to go visit laos together with her girl friend as backpackers in late october/november.
is there anybody who can inform me of the ,,dangers,, if any.
they are both experienced china travellers, but have never been to thailand/laos.
laos safe for young woman backpacker?
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d p meijer
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 85
- Joined: March 12, 2007, 6:03 pm
Yes having lived in Laos for seven months and four months respectively and also a frequent visitor these last four years,i have found it to be generally safe and never found it to be threatening in any way..Just be aware of overchargeing,tuk tuks etc..
If ur going to laos via nong khai try stating in mutmee guest house in nong khai where a lot of back packers stay prior to crossing and comeing back from laos.It is an english/thai guest house on the banks of the mekong. There you will find a wealth of information from the management and other people who have crossed over and returned.
Travelling north to van vieng and luang prabang over the mountains is not a comfortable journey on the old busses,but at least the views are spectaculary out of this world..From luang prabang onwards travelling gets a bit more uncomfortable as no busses go but truck busses go at crawling paces thru the mountains on roads that are virtually not roads and ur sat on benches being rocked around as the truck navigates thru all the pot holes..Another alternative in luan prabang in going north towards the chinese border is to hire a long tail boat and travel up the the mekong towards china.I did this and it was amazing,seeing wild elephents drinking and trumpeting on the mekong and seeing all the small ethnic tribes living on the banks as we passed....It is good to try to finf a boatman who can speak some of the dialects of these tribes.so he can stop off and answer any questions....It would be good if you bought some A4 Notebooks and pens and pencils as a gift for the children, as there are no schools or electricity in these villages,and helps endear the villagers to you...
If i can be of more help feel free to pm me...I hope they enjoy their stay as i did.
If ur going to laos via nong khai try stating in mutmee guest house in nong khai where a lot of back packers stay prior to crossing and comeing back from laos.It is an english/thai guest house on the banks of the mekong. There you will find a wealth of information from the management and other people who have crossed over and returned.
Travelling north to van vieng and luang prabang over the mountains is not a comfortable journey on the old busses,but at least the views are spectaculary out of this world..From luang prabang onwards travelling gets a bit more uncomfortable as no busses go but truck busses go at crawling paces thru the mountains on roads that are virtually not roads and ur sat on benches being rocked around as the truck navigates thru all the pot holes..Another alternative in luan prabang in going north towards the chinese border is to hire a long tail boat and travel up the the mekong towards china.I did this and it was amazing,seeing wild elephents drinking and trumpeting on the mekong and seeing all the small ethnic tribes living on the banks as we passed....It is good to try to finf a boatman who can speak some of the dialects of these tribes.so he can stop off and answer any questions....It would be good if you bought some A4 Notebooks and pens and pencils as a gift for the children, as there are no schools or electricity in these villages,and helps endear the villagers to you...
If i can be of more help feel free to pm me...I hope they enjoy their stay as i did.
You don't have to take local busses on the most-traveled routes. Minivans, although ususally cramped, are available. Lao Youth Travel is a reputable agency I've used in the past and have had good luck with. They have an office in Vientiane but I'm not sure about Luang Prabang. They do have a website. www.laoyouthtravel.com. Yes, travel in Laos is pretty safe. Just like anywhere else, one needs to keep his/her eyes and ears open. Laos is a fantastic country with wonderful, laid back people. I hope your friends/family enjoy their trip.