Laos report reavel.

  

After happily passing the mini boat cruise and returning to Hanoi, I go to the old quarter and in any agency I book a bus for Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The cost is 32 USD or 670 Dong and costs about 8 USD or 170 Dong more than the cost of the ticket taken at the Bus station, but the free transfer to the distant Boung Cho Boung Ve Station in Hanoi is included.

In the end, just before departure, I and the numerous tourists understand that there are fewer seats than the tickets sold and therefore a kind of fight breaks out for who has to go up sooner or later and then in the end we all manage to get on: some manage to grab seats very comfortable reclining seats, some are stuck together and 3 end up lying in the corridor. Logically I am among the latter 3.

The bus leaves at 19.00. The journey lasts 22 hours. The bus stops many times to take breaks and usually arrives at the border between Vietnam and Laos of Nam Can_Nam Phao at 6.00 but the border opens at 7.00 and therefore you have to wait an hour. Then you have to pay the 1 USD fee to get the Vietnam exit stamp. Logically, they also accept Dong. Then you have to walk for over a kilometer, on the paved road often in the middle of the mud, to reach the Laos border. You have to fill in the appropriate forms and pay the sum of 36 USD + 2 USD if you don't have passport photos to get the visa at the border, which is issued quite quickly. Logically, they also accept Dong and Kip. Then attached there is the exchange counter with disadvantageous rates.

 

Arrival at about 5.00 pm, after a 22 hour drive at the Dong Dok Bus Station, located 9 km south of the center of Vientiane. I share with the other tourists the tuc tuc for the center paying 20,000 Kips. The same leaves me in the center at the intersection of Fa Ngoum Street and Norkeokoummarn Street about 200 meters away. from the very clean Vientiane Back Packers Hostel, located on Norkeokoummarn Street, a few meters from the intersection with Setthathirath Street. It is beautiful and very popular and costs only 40,000 Kips per night for a dorm bed, including breakfast, internet and luggage storage.

The following morning I rent a bicycle at the aforementioned hostel at the price of 15,000 Kips per day including the lock.

Getting around Vientiane by bicycle is great because there is little traffic.

Admission to the Wat Sisaket Museum costs 5,000 Kips. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 16.00.

Admission to the Ho Phra Keo Museum costs 5,000 Kips. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 16.00.

Sending a postcard from Vientiane to Italy costs 14,000 Kips, including the price of the same.

Entrance to the Phra That Luang Museum costs 5,000 Kips. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 8.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 16.00.

To go to the North Bus Station, located 8 km northwest of the center of Vientiane, I take a tuc tuc by myself, because I can't find anyone to share it and I still pay 40,000 Kips for it.

At the North Bus Station, located 8km northwest of Vientiane city center, I take the Sleeping Bus to Luang Prabang which departs at 8pm. If you buy the ticket at the aforementioned station, you pay 150,000 Kips, if you take it at the hostel, you pay 190,000 Kips, but the expensive transport to the North Bus Station is free and therefore this second option is definitely worthwhile, as it avoids a lot of hassle . There are about 8 buses a day that travel the Vientiene - Luang Prabang route and vice versa. Day buses usually cost 110,000 Kips.

After 10 hours of travel, I arrive at the Southern Bus Station, located 3 km south of the center of Luang Prabang, at 6.00 in the morning, after I slept on the very comfortable sleeping bus, with the reclining seats that become almost like beds.

I share the tuc tuc for the center with the other tourists paying 10,000 Kips. The same leaves us in the center of Sisavangvong, near the Tourist Office.

To get around, I rent a bike with a lock at the price of 20,000 Kips per day. A security deposit of 100,000 Kips must be left. Many shops and guesthouses rent bikes on Khem Khong Street.

Admission to Wat Xieng Thong Monastery costs 20,000 Kips.

To go to the Southern Bus Station, located 3 km south of the center of Luang Prabang, I take a tuc tuc by myself, because I can't find anyone to share it and I still pay 15,000 Kips for it.

 At the Southern Bus Station, located 3 km south of the center of Luang Prabang, I take the Express Bus to Vientiene which leaves at 14.00. There are about 8 buses a day that travel the Luang Prabang - Vientiene route and vice versa. The Sleeping Bus costs 150,000 Kips.

Arrive at approximately 24:00 after a 10-hour drive at the North Bus Station, located 8km northwest of downtown Vientiane. I share the tuc tuc with the other tourists for the center paying 20,000 Kips. The same leaves me in the center in front of the very clean Vientiane Back Packers Hostel, located in Norkeokoummarn Street, a few meters from the intersection with Setthathirath Street. It is beautiful and very busy and costs only 40,000 Kips per night for a dorm bed, including breakfast, internet and luggage storage.

The next day I walk to the Talat Sao Bus Station, located in the center of Vientiane at the intersection of Nongbone Road and Khu Vieng Road.

From there I take bus n. 14 which runs the 16 km southbound many times a day to Tha Na Leng, where there is the border and where the Friendship Bridge that separates Laos from Thailand begins.

 

There I take the Tuc - Tuc which travels the dusty 9km stretch east, adjacent to the Mekong River, which leads to the beautiful Xieng Khuan Buddha Park located adjacent to Thadeua Village. I pay 10,000 Kips even if on a sign on display it says that it costs 40,000 Kips and therefore you have to negotiate a lot to get the right price of 10,000 Kips.

The entrance to Xieng Khuan Buddha Park located adjacent to Thadeua Village costs 5,000 Kips over 3,000 Kips, for the possession of the camera. Dozens and dozens of concrete Buddhas make this place truly incredible.

After visiting the Buddha Park, I return to Vientiane with the same means of transport and the same prices described above.

My complete travel report with map, photographs and videos is available at this link:

http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2016/12/viaggio-in-indocina-myanmar-vietnam.html