Laos

[ballan]

Next week i have business trip to Laos and i plan o bring my camera.
any one can give me recomendation place for taking photo and any suggestion to bring camera to Laos?
Thanks

 

[ed9119]

you have a few extra hours or a few extra days?

I assume your business will mean that you are in Vientianne, the capital.

I like shooting along the Mekong river and also the national monument Pha Thaat Luang

Victory Gate (Patusai, cant remember spelling) is another good place to visit.... Champs Elysses equivalent of Laos .... be careful of the traffic, its heavy at peak hours

Visitng the main local market is a must as well as the main bus terminal

If you have a few extra days on your hands..... fly up to Luang Prabang (try not to take bus unless you want to stop along the way and explore, the ride is wrenchingly painful and uncomfortable with lots of potholes and bad roads) ..... really beautiful place and a UNESCO World Heritage listed site.... lots and lots of temples and caves ... weather very pleasant , rooms are very cheap and can rent a motocycle to ride around and shoot

Temple monks in long rows walking around town early morning daybreak collecting alms is a very common sight and an almost must shoot.... but must get up BEFORE daybreak

Best to visit this site which I think have listed down most of the above and maybe more with a good collection of photographs that will give you an idea of what to expect

http://www.laosphotolibrary.com/gallery_213185.html

good luck !

p/s I reached Laos via Bangkok.... take an overnight train with bed..... reach early next morning at Nong Khai , Thailand that is bordering Laos across the Mekong. Hordes of motorcycles will hustle you to apply for visa and send you across the border. Can get chilly in the mornings and nights so bring a windbreaker or similar

 

[ballan]

Thanks you very much for the usefull advise, i hope i have 1-2 day free so i can explore the country with my camera.

 

[m1kid]

you have a few extra hours or a few extra days?

I assume your business will mean that you are in Vientianne, the capital.

I like shooting along the Mekong river and also the national monument Pha Thaat Luang

Victory Gate (Patusai, cant remember spelling) is another good place to visit.... Champs Elysses equivalent of Laos .... be careful of the traffic, its heavy at peak hours

Visitng the main local market is a must as well as the main bus terminal

If you have a few extra days on your hands..... fly up to Luang Prabang (try not to take bus unless you want to stop along the way and explore, the ride is wrenchingly painful and uncomfortable with lots of potholes and bad roads) ..... really beautiful place and a UNESCO World Heritage listed site.... lots and lots of temples and caves ... weather very pleasant , rooms are very cheap and can rent a motocycle to ride around and shoot

Temple monks in long rows walking around town early morning daybreak collecting alms is a very common sight and an almost must shoot.... but must get up BEFORE daybreak

Best to visit this site which I think have listed down most of the above and maybe more with a good collection of photographs that will give you an idea of what to expect

http://www.laosphotolibrary.com/gallery_213185.html

good luck !

p/s I reached Laos via Bangkok.... take an overnight train with bed..... reach early next morning at Nong Khai , Thailand that is bordering Laos across the Mekong. Hordes of motorcycles will hustle you to apply for visa and send you across the border. Can get chilly in the mornings and nights so bring a windbreaker or similar

hi, last year i went backpacking also took the same transport and route as you... thier captial city a bit dull. all their buildings the most 3 storey high and if i not wrong they got only 1 shopping centre which is the tallest building in their city... i think is only 5 storey high. if got time i suggest u go Vangvieng about 6h ride i think from their captial city. the place is visited by a lot of Europeans and it is like a mini village tourist place. the scenery is very nice there with beautiful mountains, mekong river, rice padi fields etc

 

[icebooke]

Hi, I'm Singaporean but own a couple of hotels in Laos. In case you would like some more info about the country, drop my Tours Div Head, Mr Dton an email I'm sure he can assist you more. rittarda@mylaotours.com

Good luck and have fun! Recommend you bring a couple of wide angle lenses including fish-eye. Cos the landscape scale there is really huge. Not the typical mountain landscape.

 

[Rangefinder_fan]

I second trying to make it to Luang Prabang. It's a very small town, but magical. Took a bus, which may take time that you do not have, so perhaps you should fly in.
Much more interesting than the capital city.

 

[ballan]

Thanks all for the advise,if i enough free day,i'll try to take flight to Luang Prabang sound the place so interesting...
@icebooke: i'll contact your tour div head for more info..thanks for the advise

 

[nuts]

Luang Prabang is such an idyllic and laidback place, it should be enjoyed leisurely.

http://blog.roving-light.com/2009/03/laid-back-luang-prabang.html

Vang Vieng is nice too, specifically the scenery.

The town centre is alittle too "westernised" though, with tons of establishments with angmohs lounging and watching DVDs.... little wonder, since alot of them is owned by foreigners..

 

[icebooke]

Hi Ballan,
My apologies, I was typing my last message when I was not thinking/tired!
His email is: rittarda@mylaotours.com
He's the head of my Tours Division (not the hotels)
Cheers!

 

[ckgoh]

laos is a wonderful place...been there almost 20 times...so wat biz u have there?

 

[davee78]

Hi , I am planning to go Luang Prabang. But I am a bit confused by the travelling part...

I checked the airlines, Vietnam airlines fly to Vien., transit at Vietnam but it takes 20hrs including the transit in all??:sweat: not considering the journey to Luang Prabang ?

If I go through Bangkok and take overnight train, it will also take up a day rite? I am a bit tight on time actually, only got at most 5 days for the whole trip.

Airasia flies from KL though so I have to go KL first..seems more viable for me (budget traveller:sticktong)

So, really, for a budget traveller like me and also tight on time, which is the best way to reach Luang Prabang from Sg? Any other ways??

 

[LiuLangMao]

Hi , I am planning to go Luang Prabang. But I am a bit confused by the travelling part...

I checked the airlines, Vietnam airlines fly to Vien., transit at Vietnam but it takes 20hrs including the transit in all??:sweat: not considering the journey to Luang Prabang ?

If I go through Bangkok and take overnight train, it will also take up a day rite? I am a bit tight on time actually, only got at most 5 days for the whole trip.

Airasia flies from KL though so I have to go KL first..seems more viable for me (budget traveller:sticktong)

So, really, for a budget traveller like me and also tight on time, which is the best way to reach Luang Prabang from Sg? Any other ways??

options 1.
fly to udon thani(thailand) directly...last time jetstar still got fly...dunno abt now....
from udon thani...2 choice
1. take a bus directly to vietianne(laos)...if u miss the timing than go choice 2 to nhong kai

2. take bus to nhong kai(thailand) ....than from nhong kai take bus to vietianne

than from vietianne...take another 12hr bus ride to Luang prabang...

options 2

take plane to chengmai....
from chengmai go cheng rai, than cross the border to Laos(cant rem the border name)
than take a 12hr boat ride down mekong to Luang prabang.

than u can take the bus down to Vietianne(less than 12hrs cos its down mountain, faster)....than to Udon thani...if still got plane..than u can go back from here..or else..u have to go to BKK to fly back...

there are no short cut...
u wanna fast.....not cheap...
wanna cheap...not fast..

my advise...u only got 5days...u will spend almost 3-4days on the road...dun waste ur time lah....

 

[davee78]

options 1.
fly to udon thani(thailand) directly...last time jetstar still got fly...dunno abt now....
from udon thani...2 choice
1. take a bus directly to vietianne(laos)...if u miss the timing than go choice 2 to nhong kai

2. take bus to nhong kai(thailand) ....than from nhong kai take bus to vietianne

than from vietianne...take another 12hr bus ride to Luang prabang...

options 2

take plane to chengmai....
from chengmai go cheng rai, than cross the border to Laos(cant rem the border name)
than take a 12hr boat ride down mekong to Luang prabang.

than u can take the bus down to Vietianne(less than 12hrs cos its down mountain, faster)....than to Udon thani...if still got plane..than u can go back from here..or else..u have to go to BKK to fly back...

there are no short cut...
u wanna fast.....not cheap...
wanna cheap...not fast..

my advise...u only got 5days...u will spend almost 3-4days on the road...dun waste ur time lah....

hahaha...ya, I thought so now..think better wait for my annual leave to recharge first..:sweatsm: Otherwise, I will be rushing through..

 

[davee78]

I saw some interesting photos in Northern Laos..can i check if LP refers to Northern Laos as well?:embrass:

 

[Timolol]

Hordes of motorcycles will hustle you to apply for visa and send you across the border. Can get chilly in the mornings and nights so bring a windbreaker or similar

Any idea if Singaporeans have to apply for Visa or any special permits, or can just go there chop passport (like Malaysia)?

 

[LiuLangMao]

Any idea if Singaporeans have to apply for Visa or any special permits, or can just go there chop passport (like Malaysia)?

we are all ASEAN.....no need visa...

I saw some interesting photos in Northern Laos..can i check if LP refers to Northern Laos as well?:embrass:

yes...LP is North...very near to the golden triangle ....

 

[joseph.lwl]

Hi Ballan,
My apologies, I was typing my last message when I was not thinking/tired!
His email is: rittarda@mylaotours.com
He's the head of my Tours Division (not the hotels)
Cheers!

Hi icebrooke,

Any idea how we can rent a minibus from the airport Vientiane to Vang Vieng?

I'm going there with some friends next week and the planners can't seem to figure that out.

Cheers.

 

[ckgoh]

hihi...if you have a small gp and like to save some money...u can go to Morning market (Talat Sao in Laos). there are buses leaving every hr. advise u to take morning bus...u need abt 3 hrs travel time..
u can rent van from many tour co there..but its expensive...or u can call contact me...i give u some laos contacts..