Laos Pictures

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Commotion before the departure.


It's not Samsonite and TUMI being loaded into cargo area.

I really liked Vientiane when I spent a few days there. I'd like to spend some time looking around the interior of that country. You're right though, sure is rough around the edges.
I'm still cursing myself for accidentally erasing my pics of that trip. I remember sitting in a riverside restaurant in Vientiane looking across the Mekhong to Thailand (I'll always remember that beautiful sunset)... and me and the woman I was with (a girl from Khon Kaen) were listening to a Morlan from the Thailand side and trying to identify the music. It's also close enough to pick up the AIS signal and make calls on the home network for my Thai SIM.

Border immigration check point, Lao side...

Inbound




Outbound


A sign showing changing side of the lanes takes places from this point on.

This post has been edited by Nordlys: 30 July 2007 - 09:55 AM

Mandrake, on 2007-07-29 23:22:42, said:

We could receive calls from Thailand but not make calls, even though our phones are registered for int'l roaming, why?

I meant that down by the river (Laos side) you could pick up the signal from Thai transmitters... no roaming required.

Sure I knew what you meant.
I was just hoping if someone could answer if int'l roaming with Thai mobile operator-issued SIM works in Laos.

This post has been edited by Nordlys: 30 July 2007 - 10:37 AM

I would think it does work. Can't think of any reason why not... but I guess it's the same reason I can't always use my Thai bank cards in the UK... random red tape fukc ups.
... or perhaps you didn't enter some kind of magic prefix.

I did not have any problem when I went there a few months back, so I guess Mandrake is right.

Mandrake, on 2007-07-29 23:22:42, said:

Any idea how much time one would need for sight seeing in Vientiane? I heard there's very little tourist attraction the city has to offer to tourists. I got there close to 1PM after taking 10:30AM bus from Udon Thani (which left at almost 11AM). There was no decent transportation available at the Vientiane central bus terminal other than those motorcycle illegally modified into very primitive tuk tuk and all these driver swarming at us immediately after stepping out of the bus which seemed pretty alarming (I didn't have any travel advisory info for Laos). No travel agent/tour operator office around in sight and worst of all I had to catch the bus for Udon Thani with 6PM being the last and they don't accept reservation but to start selling tickets only two hours prior to departure time and I had to make sure I don't miss the bus or I won't make it back to Udon Thani on time to catch my flight next morning, so we headed back to Udon Thani on the next available bus after less than two hours in Vientiane not leaving the neighborhood of the bus terminal.

This post has been edited by Nordlys: 01 August 2007 - 11:05 PM

It really depends on what you class as tourism. I spent 3 days there and still had more to do. Sure, it's not developed as a full tourist destination but isn't that a good thing? One day we even spent an entire afternoon wondering around the indoor market (no white faces there, I can tell you) just trying to find some certain type of Laos coffee that a friend had asked us to pick up and what a fascinating afternoon that was.
(Incidentally, it was kind of a romantic trip with late nights and getting up late, so we probably could have done more with our time... but I don't like to rush).
Even well known attractions, like Wat Si Saket in Vientiane are relatively quiet and have a feel of authenticity to them because there seems to be little in the way of restoration work.
There is a beautiful Wat next to what I seem to remember was the premiers residence that is in desperate need to conservation work, I just can't remember the name because I lost all of my pictures of that trip... but the place was wonderful.
There are also a couple of interesting museums in Vientiane, one of which has large areas dedicated to the Indochina wars of the 60's and 70's, with much rhetoric about the American invaders and displaying weaponry and bombs they left behind, or was captured.
Another was a little way out of town and was a fascinating morning looking around regional history and artefacts... a tuk tuk driver would know where I am talking about... indeed, that's the best way to see Vientiane, befriend a good driver for a couple of days to find out the best places to see, especially where few tourists visit (not that Vientiane is very busy with tourists).

It also helps to be travelling with a Lao speaker, as I was

There is some nice accommodation down by the river at a reasonable price. I recommend staying down by the river, where you can enjoy some nice evening strolls, eat food and watch beautiful sunsets... watch out for the mosquitoes though, right by the river, they are VICIOUS!

If you want choreographed tours and KFC everywhere and everything air conditioned luxury, then Laos is not for you... but that's exactly why it IS for me.

I found this site with some great photographic work.

Quote

http://kees.zenfolio.com/

Street scene in Savannakhet...

Asian girls are amazing at balancing themselves side saddle on a motorbike while holding a phone and umbrella at the same time. This street scene is in Savannakhet again...

Here are 3 pictures taken in the biggest copper mine in Laos.

The first one is early morning, these people work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, so breakfast was at 5.30...
The second one was taken a bit later and the third one at the top of the mine.

They actually are in Hmong territory, building roads, getting electricity there and overall, doing their best to help them. Management is Australian and quite a few Filippinos, Thais, Indonesians are there. Not that many Laotians actually, very difficult to find qualified ones, it seems.

Hey Bluecat. Is this the Oxiana mine at Sepon? I have Lao friends in Savannakhet who work/have worked here.

No, it is not Sepon, Sepon is much smaller and not really in the mountains.
And well Oxiana does not exist anymore, it has been taken over...