General Tips

Tips on Accommodations

Book your hotel early during peak season (Aug and Nov-Mar), using travel agents and tour operators as necessary. Also be aware that most hotels in Luang Prabang are full during the Lao New Year, when thousands of tourists, both foreign and Lao, pour into the city for the festivities. Both standards and prices are generally good.

Tips on Dining

Lao cuisine is varied and interesting, with sticky rice (or glutinous rice) a staple that, over a longer visit, sometimes loses its appeal through redundancy. Lao fare mixes Thai and Chinese traditions, with a bit of French thrown in for good measure (and a few unique regional favorites). Try it at real restaurants whenever possible -- the street stands aren't up to those in neighboring countries. French colonial influence is clear in the many excellent Continental options in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.

Tips on Shopping

You'll undoubtedly leave with a few pieces of hand-woven Lao textiles, handcrafted silver, and other lovely objects. Many things are one of a kind, so if you see something you like, get it. Remember that the Lao do, of course, haggle. For foreigners, the starting price might be high, but bargaining here is not as relentless as it is in Laos's neighboring countries.

Telephone Dialing at a Glance

To place a call from your home country to Laos: Dial the international access code (011 in the U.S. and Canada, 0011 in Australia, 0170 in New Zealand, 00 in the U.K.), plus Laos's country code (856), the city or local area code (21 for Vientiane, 71 for Luang Prabang), and the phone number (for example, 011 856 21 000-000). Important note: Omit the initial "0" in all Laos phone numbers when calling from abroad.

To place a call within Laos: Dial the city or area code preceded by a 0 (the way numbers are listed in this book), and then the local number (for example, 021 000-000).

To place a direct international call from Laos: Dial the international access code (00), plus the country code, the area or city code, and the number (for example, to call the U.S., you'd dial 00 1 000/000-0000).

International country codes are as follows: Australia, 61; Cambodia, 855; Canada, 1; Hong Kong, 852; Indonesia, 62; Malaysia, 60; Myanmar, 95; New Zealand, 64; the Philippines, 63; Singapore, 65; Thailand, 66; U.K., 44; U.S., 1; Vietnam, 84.