After concluding our miniseries on Hanoi, I will now be sharing with you about a rather mysterious nation which has been overshadowed by its neighbours in terms of numerous aspects such as tourism, urban development and economic growth. I had the opportunity to embark on the well-travelled backpacker circuit along the northern region of Laos in January – traversing the territories from Vientiane to Luang Prabang via the quaint village of Vang Vieng. 

Despite being within close geographical proximity, the thought of visiting this country has never crossed the minds of many Singaporeans who would rather visit other more established cities like Bangkok and Hanoi. By sharing about my little trip to the Land of a Million Elephants, I hope to inspire more like-minded travellers to give this exotic destination a chance and explore Laos while it still retains its authentic feel. Its amicable residents are also one of the reasons why so many tourists have crowned this country as their favourite in the entire of Southeast Asia. 

Previously a prosperous kingdom known far and wide as Lan Xang, Laos had fallen victim to the imperial prowess of regional nations (Burma, Vietnam and Siam) in their quest of territorial expansion. After failed defences against aggressors, the land became a Siamese vassal state and thereafter a French colony, resulting in much of its local culture and traditions being undermined with continual raids conducted on Laotian monuments and temples.

Vientiane | Even though temples have been destroyed and had to be reconstructed, the Buddhist practices are well preserved and still prominent in the locals' livelihood today.

However, the largest scale of destruction was dealt during the Secret War. Already torn apart by civil war between the Laotian royalists backing the monarchy and the pro-communist Pathet Lao militants, the nation was further implicated by its neighbour to the east. Although the United States supported the Kingdom of Laos in this proxy war, they bombed the territory extensively in an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail which reinforced North Vietnam with supplies. From 1964 to 1973, a total of more than 2 million tonnes of explosives were dropped in Laos during 580,000 missions, which translates into a plane full of bombs every 8 minutes for a torturous span of 9 years. In the end, the pro-communist Pathet Lao forces managed to gain control of the nation to establish one of the last socialist governments we still see today. Sadly, Laos has consequently become the most heavily bombed nation per capita in the history of warfare.

Luang Prabang | Devastated by the war, Laos has picked itself up and locals are championing the cause to bring new meaning to the bombs and help themselves escape poverty.

Although some stalls in Laos do accept US dollars and Thai baht, the country has its own currency – the Laotian kip (LAK). However, it is nearly impossible to exchange LAK anywhere else in the world except Laos. While numerous money changers may accept a wide variety of foreign currencies, I recommend checking them out first online to find out what works best for you. The general consensus is that the more times you exchange your currency, the more monetary value you lose. However, it does not seem to hold water here in Laos. For instance, during my trip to Laos, exchanging SGD for USD before changing to LAK got me 10% more kip than directly changing the SGD to LAK. 

Laos seems to be breaking all stereotypes and unspoken facts because the exchange rates provided in the airport are equivalent to those found in the city centre. No matter which airport you are entering the country from, there will be opportunities to exchange your currency to LAK. You may wish to take reference from exchange rates published online by the Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao (BCEL) at this site here. 

This nation prides itself in utilising its own linguistic rendition – the Lao language. Although the written script differs slightly from Thai, these two languages are mutually intelligible, making it very easy for Laotians and Thais to communicate. This also explains why Thai television channels are able to be broadcasted widely across Laos to offer locals an alternative form of entertainment. (I even heard the Thai national anthem being played over the television when I was having dinner!) As the language does not employ the usage of the Latin alphabet but rather is written in a foreign script, it may seem daunting to comprehend what is being communicated. Nevertheless, street names are always indicated in French which definitely makes distinguishing different streets (rue), avenues and boulevards much simpler for us travellers.

Vientiane | Road signs are written in both Lao and French, making it easy to recognise street names.

Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, which both receive large influxes of tourists, almost always have menus clearly indicated in English. Ironically, it was the capital Vientiane that I found slightly more difficult to communicate in English in, but it was definitely a breeze in comparison to Hanoi. What came as a huge surprise to me was the huge influence that tourism has had on Laos – there were numerous signs in Chinese and Korean propping out of stores to attract these large tourist populations to visit their shops. Therefore, contrary to my preconceptions, it was really simple to communicate with the locals in Laos using good old English or French if you please.

Luang Prabang | Roadside stall menu written in English and French on a piece of rag!

If all else fails, you can always depend on sign language which I used to try to find ‘S’-sized tees. Most vendors are able to count in basic English, but you can fall back on the calculator to ensure that both of you are speaking on the same wavelength. A word of caution: when the stall owners say ‘2’, be sure to ascertain whether they mean that the item costs 2,000 LAK (USD 0.30) or 2 US dollars to avoid any unpleasant outcomes, as I witnessed some misunderstandings arising from this when I was at the night market. 

The common misconception when travelling to Laos is that it will be extremely cheap. Sorry to break that bubble, but no – the cost of living in Laos is comparatively higher than regional countries like Thailand and Vietnam. Being less developed and landlocked, the nation has to import a large amount of commodities to sustain its citizens’ livelihood. All these add up to higher prices of goods and services offered around the country in the Southeast Asian region. 

Nevertheless, as compared to other popular travel destinations and big cities around the world, Laos is extremely affordable. If you are on a budget, you will still be able to travel around the country rather easily, as local fare is inexpensive and can be found everywhere. For instance, you can get a bowl of udon-like khao piak for a mere 10,000 LAK (USD 1.20) and a bottle of Beerlao will set you back only 5,000 LAK (USD 0.60), so there is absolutely no need to worry. Despite the fact that Laos is costlier than its neighbours, everything was still much cheaper than back home in Singapore, so I had no qualms pampering myself with café lattes and fancy restaurant meals.

Vientiane | A small bowl of khao piak along the road can go as low as LAK 5,000 (USD 0.60)!

Much of Laos has a tropical monsoon climate very much like Vietnam. As I prefer sunny, dry periods to explore places when I am travelling, I would recommend for like-minded tourists to avoid the rainy season lasting from May to October, as the precipitation is significantly higher than the dry season. Coming from a country where it is summer all year round, I relished the opportunity to enjoy the cooler period of the dry season which stretches from November to February, where average temperatures are projected to hover around 20°C. I managed to enjoy some cooler days towards the end of my vacation, but the start felt just as hot as back home!

Climate of Laos throughout the entire year

What was interesting to me was that there were huge fluctuations in temperature throughout the entire day when I was there – 16°C in the morning could gradually transform into a sweltering 33°C in the afternoon before abruptly dropping back down to the low 20s in the evening. Therefore, I would recommend bringing a jacket or layering your clothes regardless of the weather forecasts, as the climate can change rather drastically within a matter of hours.