Health & Safety

Health Concerns

It's also a good idea to check the most recent information at the Centers for Disease Control (click "Travelers' Health" at www.cdc.gov).

No water in Laos is considered potable, so stick with bottled water. Also, Lao cuisine uses many fresh ingredients and garnishes, and condiments made from dried fish that might have been stored under unsanitary conditions. Exercise caution when eating from roadside and market stalls and smaller local restaurants.

In Laos, medical facilities are scarce and rudimentary. Emergency medical facilities exist in Vientiane, but outside the capital you'll require medical evacuation. Contact information is provided under "Fast Facts: Laos," below.

Safety Concern

Visitors to Laos should refer to their home country's overseas travel bureau or with the U.S. State Department (click "Travel Warnings" at www.travel.state.gov) to learn more about the present situation in the area. Laos is not a dangerous destination, but it's important to remember that the current climate of calm and openness to visitors is historically quite new. Visitors should keep an ear to the ground when in country.

Travelers in the countryside should also remember that bus and boat breakdowns are frequent. Additionally, road conditions and poor infrastructure make rural travel unpredictable. Hospital facilities, even in the capital, are rudimentary at best, and any serious medical conditions require evacuation. UXO, unexploded ordnance left from years of conflict, is still a major concern, especially in Xieng Khouang near the Plain of Jars. It should also be mentioned that Lao Airlines has yet to pass any international standards for safety.

Warning: Although the period between 2000 and 2005 saw sporadic attacks by Hmong rebels on buses traveling via Route 13, just north of Vang Vieng, things have quieted down since then and hundreds of the rebels have surrendered to government forces. Still, the threat lingers, and local buses that ply the route have an employee on board with a concealed automatic weapon just in case.