Day 1: Laos - Vientiane

4 Feb 2012

We took an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Vientiane and I must say its airport is very efficient. Immigration clearance is prompt and baggage is out quickly for collection. 

Currency exchange: Laos currency, the kip, is only available in Laos and the money changer in airport has a fair exchange rate (unlike in places like Singapore where exchange rate tend to be poorer at airport compared to in the city). 

To city: From airport to city, the taxi charges a standard USD 7 or 57000 kip per trip. (Tip: calculate whether it is cheaper to pay in kip or in USD for anything - it varies) In this instance, we paid USD as exchange rate was 7910kip=1USD. So we paid 55370 and save about 2000kip. (Note: the smallest denomination in kip is 500).

Hotel: We stayed in Seng Lao Hotel at USD25/night - a room with twin beds and hot shower. Owner is friendly, spoke good English and Mandarin. I booked with Agoda and pricing for walk-in is comparable.

Breakfast: Owner recommended a french baguette stall and it was good. Regular @ 10000kip. (you can share a medium one @ 16000kip, just ask her cut into two)

Around city: Most attractions can be reached by walking. First we explored our area (Chou Anou street) and I visited a friend at Saoban which work with traditional artisans to preserve and promote Lao village crafts; and to create employment opportunities for villagers.

After Saoban, we head for Si Saket Temple which was quite alright. You won't spend too long there. From the temple, we walk to Talat Sao Market where you can find anything under the sun in this large "market" - souvenirs, shoes, shirts, electronics, household items, jewellery, food etc. 

Next, we head to COPE, a rehab centre for disabled folks, especially those who are victims of cluster bombs. You'll be shocked to find that Laos is the most heavily bombed country, per capita, in the world. COPE has a very informative and interesting museum that seeks to educate the public about the effects of cluster bombs and what victims went through and how we can help. A must go.

For our dinner, we decided to try Phatoke Laoderm, a dinner served with traditional Lao food and performances of Lao show. It's USD 15 and you can book it through Seng Lao Hotel as Phatoke uses the hotel's hall. The food was very good and the show was quite good, although I suspect they fused modern dance into traditional dance to give some dances a more modern twist. Overall, it's an enjoyable evening.