South East Asian Trips

Forget about air or rail travel once you're in the country- there are only two ways of getting around Laos, either by road or by river. Even the roads don't have a very good network, and buses are few and far between, In fact, you're unlikely to find long-distance buses; most buses, wherever there are any, operate in and around towns. Hitchhiking on trucks isn't really recommended, but it's a possibility. Renting a car is the best option but suggest you hire one with a driver.

By Air

No intercontinental flights link Laos to the rest of the world, so the only way to enter the country is by taking a flight to Vientiane from one of the neighbouring countries. There are direct flights to Vientiane's Wattay International Airport, from Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Hanoi and Ho Chih Minh City (Vietnam), Bangkok and Chiang Mai (Thailand), Yangon (Myanmar) and Kunming (China).

By Road

Within towns, you should be able to find the odd taxi; in addition, three-wheeled motorcycles or pedicabs can be hired. Some of the larger cities have facilities for hiring motorbikes and cycles too

Alternatively, you could enter Laos by road. There are border crossings at Nong Khai (near Vientiane), at Nakhon Phanom, Mukdaharn, Chiang Khong and Chong Mek, all along the Thai border. You can also enter the country from Vietnam at Lao Bao and from China at Boten. Make enquiries well in advance if you're planning on road travel- some crossings may require special documents or visas.

By River

A more adventurous, but more common and convenient, way of making your way around the country is by river- ferries, river taxis and 'boats for hire' are common on a number of waterways, the chief rivers for transport being the Mekong, the Nam Ou, the Nam Khan, the Se Don, the Nam Tha and the Nam Ngum.