Officially called Lao People's Democratic Republic.
The country was taken over by the Communist Pathet Lao in 1975, shortly
after
Viet Nam fell to the Viet Cong and N.V.A.
It was once called Lang Xang, which means land of a "million elephants".
The former royal capital was Luang Prabang, which now has World Heritage
listing.
(The Lao king and royal family mysteriously disappeared after the takeover).
The capital city is now Vientiane, a quiet city situated on the Mekong River.
Lao has a population of about 5 million and a land area about the same as the
U.K.
Lao does not have the population pressure of neighbouring Viet Nam.
Roughly 40% of Lao's land area is old growth rainforest.
Tourism in Lao is still in it's infancy, which makes it an interesting country for
travellers who like get off the beaten track and away from "typical tourists".
The transport infrastructure is very primitive and most people travel by river
boat.
(When people in one end of the country want to go to the other end, they find
it easier
to cross the border and travel through Thailand. They don't need passports).
Lao is one of the poorest countries in S.E. Asia and poorer than Viet Nam.
When I first arrived in Luang Prabang I was surprised by the number of
relatively
new cars and motorbikes in the town. Later I was told that most of them were
probably stolen in Thailand and smuggled across the border !
The Lao people are just as nice as the Vietnamese but more laid back and
relaxed.
(I once ate at a restaurant, forgot to pay and left. Later, when I realised my
mistake
and went back to pay, the waiter seemed unconcerned, as though this was
common!)
While Lao does not have as many scenic attractions as neighbouring countries,
it is
one of the last remaining "developing" countries that is yet to fully embrace
"tourism".
As such it is a good place to visit for travellers with a sense of adventure.
Getting around in Lao is not so easy as in Viet Nam.
This is due to the poor roads as well as the occasional armed hi-jacking.
Also, there are no trains in Lao.
(I flew from Luang Prabang to Vientiane to avoid the possibility of being
robbed).
The main problem seemed to be a few renegade Hmong people turned to
banditry.
(Although I did speak to a girl who made the same trip by bus without any
trouble).
Last I heard the problem seems to have largely gone away.
But then flying in Lao is a risky business too as the Lao airline is known to be a
bit
sloppy with it's maintenance, especially with the old Russian or Chinese planes.
You can book package tours from your home country but these are usually
limited
to 14 days maximum. The government will only give a 14 day visa.
Independent travellers however can apparently extend their visa to 28 days.
As for money in Lao, don't take too many traveller's cheques.
Not many places accept them. Take U.S. dollars cash (the international
currency).
Thai Baht is also acceptable, if you're coming from Thailand and still have
some.
Hey, if you're feeling adventurous, just do it ! (If not, don't).
