Laos is a real gem in South East Asia. It is beautiful, cheap, happy and relaxed. Laos has something for everyone. Night markets, elephants, lagoons to swim in, jungle trekking, caves to explore, tubing, waterfalls. What do you need to know about Laos for family travel?

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Things to do in Laos:

Luang Prabang
Kuang Si Waterfall
Also see Mount Phousi for sunrise (in town) and see the morning and night market along Sisavangvong road

Vang Vieng
There are lots of epic lagoons in the area which a amazing for a refreshing dip
You can also go tubing, visit caves, an elephant sanctuary and other adventurous activities. You can also see monks taking collections around town in the morning.
Note about tubing: many of the bars along the tubing route have now been closed down.

Vientiane - capital city
This is a lovely chilled out capital city, with great food and coffee shops.
A short bus ride out of town is the Buddha park with lots of awesome statues.

Other places to see in Laos:
Head to Pakse to see 4000 islands
Lang Nam Tha to explore the north (almost on the Chinese boarder)
Plain of jars (in the East) … it is literally a plain of huge jars!


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Planning a trip?

Weather - hot and dry or hot and wet. North Laos can be cool in the evenings so bring a warm layer.

The currency is Kip
Rough exchange rate: 10,000Kip = £1
Good value - not quite as cheap as Thailand and Cambodia

At present for UK citizens visa $35 and visa on arrival. At present there are no evisa options.
Top tip: Have some US dollars and passport photos to spare.

Locals do speak English in the cities but in rural areas English is less well spoken.

Slow wifi. Can get wifi in hotels and coffee shops, but not as much as Thailand.
Can get sim cards.

Accommodation: Clean and simple. Not quite as good value as Thailand and Cambodia.
£10 starting price for a simple room (simple beds and fans). There are some luxury places too. LINKS TO COME :-)

Food: Delicious, fresh, healthy. Somewhere between Vietnamese and Thai style.

Transport: Tuk tuks, bicycle (a great way to see Laos)
Longer distance: Overnight buses - not fun with a baby! Probably not that great without! Mountainous roads -not fun.
Mini-buses and day buses: You do lose time but

Pram and sling are both possible: Sling - sweaty but more maneuverable.

Safety: Beautiful, gentle, simple culture. Seems like there is less theft and scams than Thailand.

Health: Dengue and malaria are a risk in some areas. Keep your jabs up to date. Mixed reports on hospitals. If you need to go to hospital and you can, get to Bangkok. Remember to get a good travel insurance policy [ Ссылка ]

Toilets: some western toilets available, most places have Asian style squatty toilets. Rare to fine proper baby changing facilities, so you many need to change your baby in random places.

Baby supplies: You can buy some baby supplies in supermarkets in the main towns. It is worth bringing some supplies if you can. The locals LOVE to give babies bananas - which make great healthy snacks.

Packing: All the normal things. Keep clothing light and make sure you have long sleeves for protection from the sun. Suncream, mosquito repellant and shampoo.
Mosquito nets: LINKS to come!

The culture is very welcoming and caring about families and always have a spare banana for a babies :-)

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