BootsnAll Travel Community

everyone i know says laos is awesome. Being it's ultra cheap, it's def. a place we're looking to stay for a while. I want to know about the places that aren't on the typical backpack trail but really shouldn't be missed. Don't want to hang w/ a bunch of drunk college kids (ok, maybe just a couple nights). Also, interested in heading down the Mekong Delta.

anyway, let me know what you loved about Laos and where it's located. Thanks

I unfortunately only spent just over a week in Laos so I didn't get to explore too many places that are off the beaten track.

I did take the very crowded but still pleasant slow boat to Luang Prabang.

Even though there were a lot of other people around there were plenty of places to go just outside of Luang Prabang via bicycle that were peaceful. I really enjoyed Laos because it was quiet. It just had a certain feel to it that no other country had. It really is different then any other place in SE Asia.

"Peaceful" is the word that bests describes the little bit of Laos I did get to see.

funny... i was thinking of heading off to laos soon for an extended period myself. my friend spent a month in laos, and loved it. Even bought a (bamboo) house next to a waterfall! Ok so he is sharing it with a Laotian family that he knows but still.

He spent his entire time in Luang Prabang - crossed over from Thailand. Rented a room in a family house because it's cheaper. Apparently there are room for rent signs and you could negotiate with the family for a lower price if you indicate that you're willing to stay for a long period.

Spent most of his time drinking mango shakes, writing by the riverside and filming.

I was there seven years ago, so my "off the beaten path" recommendations should be taken with a pile of salt. But I really liked the Plain of Jars (mostly for the crazy mountain roadtrip to get there) and the area around Phongsali. Again, especially getting there: the boat trip up there was way more beautiful than the slow boat to Luang Prabang. And instead of being in a cramped backpacker float, we were with a bunch of Lao people and actually had a bit of space.

My favorites were Luang Prubang -beautiful setting, lots of day activities, better than average night market and Don Det (4000 Islands) the islands are as laid back as can be. You only have electricity for a few hours each day just spend some quality time in a hammock. I also did "the loop" as described in Lonely Planet from Tha Kaek which was a good adventure.

Howdy!

Well my girlfriend and I had the advantage to hit the 'off the beaten track spots' because we had bought a couple motorbikes in Vietnam. Luang Prabang is beautiful but I hated it. Its worth seeing but it has become gentrified and filled with rich tourists who dont care how much they pay therefore the prices on everything are outragous!!!

The 4000islands group down south sounds more off the beaten track and amazing so maybe look into that. We toured a bit around the north which didnt have any singular feature to point out but the village life up there was amazing!

We also went to Paklai for an elephant festival which was one of the highlights of the trip, well over 1000 people there yet maybe only 20 of us were foreigners!! It was the most amazing way to see real Laos life!

I also enjoy Vientianne, less touristed than LP and the temples are just as nice, if not nicer!

Luang Prabang is full of tourists even in low season, it's still worth for a visit though

shopping at the night market is not very cheap and the price is as much as you spend in Thailand, tourist price..you know.

If you want to avoid tourrists, maybe Pakse? can fly/ overland from Thailand.

Hi all!
I was just doing a search on Laos and spotted this thread, so instead of starting my own I'm going to hijack this one for my own nefarious use. From reading the above I really want to visit the north; Luang nam tha and Phongsali, and also the 4000 islands in the far south. I just have a few questions - I'll be crossing the border from Thailand at Huay Xai in the middle of October and was originally planning on getting the slow boat to Luang Prabang, but now I'm going to head in the direction of Luang Nam Tha.

So I have a "few" questions:
Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can get to Luang Nam Tha i.e. bus/boat etc.
Has anybody any recommendations for places to stay in the towns I've mentioned?
Is Udomxai worth a visit?
And is the language barrier an issue in these lesser visited areas?
Any recommendations for particular eco friendly trekking companies in the north? I was going to do some trekking in Chiang Mai but am rethinking this plan.

So many questions, so much excitment. Sorry about the hijacking!