Vietnam and Laos
 

We are considering going to Vietnam and Laos for the first two weeks of January, 2009. Would you suggest an itinerary?

Thank you.

Carol

What are your interests? Have you been to Asia before, and if so where? How do you travel (plane or train, resort or hotels or guest houses, etc.)? How long do you have?

Most importantly, why have you picked these destinations? Also, have you read any guide books or trip reports so you have an idea of where you want to go?

We are going to a wedding in Taiwan and then will have 12/28-1/10 to travel. We have been to China twice and considered going back but if we went we would want to go to smaller places/countryside and that's a problem because of the cold weather. We have also been to Vietnam, from Hill Country to Saigon, but it is an exciting country and we would go back and spend more time, starting with Hanoi. We are considering Laos since we have never been. We travel by plane, train, private car. We can stay at hotels or guest houses: more important is being well located in each town,etc.
We are looking for suggestions on where you would visit and how to get from Vietnam to Laos. Thank you.

I like Vietnam, but LOVE Laos. I would spend my entire time there and just do a little "slow travel", like the country itself. Sleepy, friendly and cheap. Great French coffee and bread, with good Asian food. Enjoy!!

Hello Cmenoni:

Can you tell us what you did in Laos? What sites did you go to? Where did you stay? Since we will be there in January, do you see any restrictions or preferences? How did you get there?

Arranged in Chaing Mai, from Chaing Khong, Thailand, we took a little package tour (in 2001, around $85/pp) with a stop in Pakbeng. (Don't book ahead - use a local company when you get there.)We floated down the Mekong River to Luang Prubang. From there, we took a bus to Vang Vieng and spent a couple of nights there. While it is noted for being a opuim den of a city, we were in our 50's and just said "no" and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and food. From there, we took another bus to Vietienne. Great little sleepy world capital. I was there in 1997 and nothing had changed in those years. Great, cheap food and beer.

Trust me, this is a great part of the world to explore - before it gets even more toursity.

GO!! ENJOY!!!

Hello cmenoni:
Thank you for your response. We are starting in Taiwan, and will try to fly to Thailand. Unfortunately our total time is limited so it would be best if we could plan more in advance, and would appreciate your help. How long was your total trip to Laos?

How long was your boat ride down the Mekong Delta? Overnight? Do you have a contact name for the boat? How were the conditions on the boat, especially if it is long trip?

How long were the bus rides? Are they local buses?

Since our time in Laos is limited to 5-6 days, where would you recommend we spend our time?

Thank you. Carol

Carol, if you only have 5-6 days, and you choose Laos, you'll likely want to spend all of your days in Luang Prabang and the surrounding area. You can take a boat from northern Thailand to Luang Prabang if you'd like (note: this is NOT the Mekong Delta area, which is farther south and mostly in VN) There is a luxury boat that does this cruise with an overnight stay in a village in Laos, the Luangsay, do a search on Fodors on Luangsay (type into the search box at the top of the page). There are also several other boat arrangements, both one day trips and two day trips that are much less comfortable.

If you are flying from Taipei, it may make the most sense to fly into Bangkok and fly from there to Luang Prabang. That will give you the maximum amount of time in LP. You are welcome to look at our Luang Prabang photos at www,marlandc.com There are also photos of Hanoi and the surrounding area, if you still want to consider Hanoi.

To Kathie

Thank you for your message and your wonderful pictures. Were the waterfalls, the Khuang Xi waterfalls? Where were you when you took the pictures along the Mekong? Have you been to, or heard others talk about the Plain of Jars? Is it worth the time? What hotel do you recommend in Luang Prabang? Why did you decide to not go to Vientiane and Lang Vieng?

We appreciate any help you have time to give us. Thanks. Carol

Carol, our week in LP was part of a longer trip to SE Asia. We go somewhere in SE Asia every year. We wanted a full week in LP, so didn't visit anywhere else in Laos. I would love to visit the Plain of Jars. Do a search on this board as there was a long posts about the Plain of Jars recently.

While I will visit Vientiane at some point, I'm not sure I'll visit Vang Vieng. It has becaome a sort of backpacker's haven, so has lost much of its charm by all reports.

There should be photos of both sets of waterfalls outside LP in our photos. The photos on the Mekong were taken on the trip to/from the Pak Ou caves.

We stayed at La Residence Phou Vao. It was really lovely.