Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

There are no direct flights into Laos from London. The easiest route is to fly to Luang Prabang via Bangkok which will take around 17hrs using Thai Airways.

Useful Tips

• Dine at the Tamarind Restaurant in Luang Prabang

• If staying on 4,000 Islands at Sala Don Khong, take ear plugs - it's lovely but the walls are very thin!

• Even if not staying the Apsara in Luang Prabang is a lovely place to go for a evening drink

• And the night market here is the perfect place to buy your holiday presents

• If visiting the caves at Vang Vieng, take a torch

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps of Laos are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at www.stanfords.co.uk

Relevant Reading:
Tragic Mountains: The Hmong, the Americans and the Secret Wars for Laos, 1942-1992, by Jane Hamilton-Merritt, follows the Hmong's successive struggles against the Japanese, the Viet Minh, the Pathet Lao and the North Vietnamese.

Moon Handbook: Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, Michael Buckley, is a great resource for the independent traveller, this guidebook, although mostly focused on Vietnam, features a thorough introduction to the land, history and culture, as well as astonishing practical detail on getting around, where to go and where to stay. It features 100 illustrations and 116 maps, as well as a small fold-out map on the inside back cover. With its thoroughly-researched background, cultural data and wealth of practical information Michael Buckley offers advice on avoiding land mines and malaria while steering travellers to the best of Indochina.

A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, Norman Lewis is a classic account of travels and adventure during the last years of French Indochina, strong on atmosphere and including wonderfully detailed descriptions of local cultures and archaeological treasures. Originally published in 1951, this was the first title by John Hatt.

Laos and Cambodia Insight Guide, Clare Griffiths. This guide to Laos & Cambodia covers all the countries’ highlights for visitors, area-by-area, illustrated with hundreds of full-colour photographs and cross-referenced with detailed regional and city maps. A wealth of practical and concise information, a detailed essay section including in-depth features on the countries' history, culture and people and hundreds of stunning colour photographs, illustrating all the major sights and portraying the character of both countries.

Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos Footprint Guide, Jack O'Tailan et al is a detailed, practical guide to Bangkok, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, filled with maps, background on attractions, practical information on transportation, food, activities and lodgings, and a handful of well selected photographs.

When To Go

Indochina has a climate that ranges from cold and wet in the mountainous of the far north " mainly at night and in the early morning until the mist has been burnt off " to hot and humid in the south. October - February is the cool season so it’s really nothing too drastic. In northern Laos bring a fleece and waterproof jacket for the evenings and In southern Laos the daytime temp will generally be 80-100 degrees so hats and sunscreen all round.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Laos. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.
On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with, so as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 4 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long.
• 2/3 pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear dresses and skirts
• 2 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts
• Good quality fleece or warm jumper
• Waterproof jacket or poncho
• Warm nightwear
• Change of clothing for the evenings
• Sun hat or cap
• Swim suit or trunks
• Pair of walking shoes/boots (walking)
• Pair of recreational shoes, adventure sandals, trainers or pumps

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for you trip:
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Flip flops/sandals for showers
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Plug adapter (see ‘Electricity’ section)

Personal First Aid Kit:
While we do carry a large medical kit on all our group tours, we would still advise that you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets (if necessary)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers
(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
• Calculator (for currency conversion)
NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Laos is 7hrs ahead of GMT.
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
Rice is the foundation for meals, and almost all dishes are cooked with fresh ingredients such as vegetables, freshwater fish, poultry, duck, pork, beef or water buffalo. Limejuice, lemon grass and fresh coriander give the food its characteristic tang, and various fermented fish concoctions are used to salt the food. Hot chillies, garlic, mint, ground peanuts, tamarind juice, ginger and coconut milk are other seasonings.
Vegetarians or those with special dietary needs can also be catered for.

Electricity:
Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should also bring a two-pin, continental style adapter. In most hotels you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug, in some areas power will be unreliable so be sure to have spare batteries.

Money:
In Laos the unit of currency is the Kip.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com
A few points to help you plan:
• The unofficial currency throughout Indochina is the US Dollar so bring as much as you feel you need for souvenirs, beverages, laundry etc.
• Sometimes the exchange rates for currencies other than US Dollars are just unfavourable.
• Credit cards are only really usable in major towns and big hotels but worth bringing all the same. And ATM machines are becoming more readily available.

Language & Religion:
The official and dominant language of Laos is Lao. It is a tonal language of the Tai linguistic group which only just over half of the population speaks. The remainder speak various ethnic minority languages, especially in the rural areas. Just fewer than 70% of the population are Theravada Buddhist with the majority being officially unspecified. The proportion of Buddhist could be as high as 98% as religion remains one of the most important social forces in Laos. Christian missionary work is restricted by the government and the Christians are mostly in the Vientiane area, whereas Muslims are located to the Myanmar border region.

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building. Please exercise care in this regard as the penalty may be to have your film and/or camera confiscated.