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DAY ONE:
After spending 17 nights in Pattaya I was in need of a change of scenery so I booked a flight to Vientiane, Laos for four nights. I visited Laos some eight years prior, and had some good memories of traveling with a few friends. Laotians are laid-back, friendly, and the nightlife very tame compared to that of Pattaya.
If anyone is looking for an in depth look at the nightlife scene in Vientiane, you might as well stop reading here because during this trip I only took one girl. For those inclined, a pretty good overview of the Vientiane scene can be found here:
That said and out of the way, I booked my flight with the budget airline Thai Smile from BKK-VTE and paid 5,000 baht. The flight was just over an hour and the service was quite good for a low cost carrier. 20kgs checked bag, select your seat, and a light meal were not additional charges, unlike Air Asia.
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Wattay International Airport is small but seems to be well laid out. When visiting Laos you need a visa which can be obtained through the Laotian embassy of your home country or you can get a visa on arrival. I opted for the visa on arrival and it was simple to do. Bring a photo, fill out the form, and pay them in US dollars. The visa amount varries by nationality and Canadians pay more than any other country--42 dollars US. The Yanks pay thirty something which kind of pissed me off...they bombed the fuck out of the country during the Vietnam War but pay less than Canadians.
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Anyway, just outside of the arrivals area you can get a taxi to your hotel for 7 dollars US or you can pay in Thai baht. There are a couple of ATMs there too so you can get Kip as well.
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I booked at the Souphaphone Guest House near the river. Very nice and clean room but it didn't have a lift so you have to carry your luggage upstairs.
After unpacking I noticed something else my room didn't have and that was a safe. I took my valuables down to the front desk only to learn there wasn't a saftey desposit box there either. Was litterally gobsmacked. The hotel I stayed at years before had safety boxes but a more modern place didn't. Anyway, to say I was uneasy leaving my passport, credit cards, and a fair amount of cash in my room would be an understatement. (More on this after).
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I went to an ATM to withdraw some Lao Kip. The rate was about 8500 Kip to the US dollar; good to note that there is a withdraw fee on 20,000 per transaction. The maximum amount at the BCEL bank was 1.5 million per use although I read somewhere that one of the other banks allows up to 2 million per withdraw.
Went to a small restaurant by the riverfront and then took a walk at the night market.
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Was worried about leaving my valuables back at the hotel and I was absolutely spent due to my fairly heavy drinking over the past couple of weeks. Went back to my room early and alone.
After spending 17 nights in Pattaya I was in need of a change of scenery so I booked a flight to Vientiane, Laos for four nights. I visited Laos some eight years prior, and had some good memories of traveling with a few friends. Laotians are laid-back, friendly, and the nightlife very tame compared to that of Pattaya.
If anyone is looking for an in depth look at the nightlife scene in Vientiane, you might as well stop reading here because during this trip I only took one girl. For those inclined, a pretty good overview of the Vientiane scene can be found here:
That said and out of the way, I booked my flight with the budget airline Thai Smile from BKK-VTE and paid 5,000 baht. The flight was just over an hour and the service was quite good for a low cost carrier. 20kgs checked bag, select your seat, and a light meal were not additional charges, unlike Air Asia.
oneone.jpg
two.jpg
Wattay International Airport is small but seems to be well laid out. When visiting Laos you need a visa which can be obtained through the Laotian embassy of your home country or you can get a visa on arrival. I opted for the visa on arrival and it was simple to do. Bring a photo, fill out the form, and pay them in US dollars. The visa amount varries by nationality and Canadians pay more than any other country--42 dollars US. The Yanks pay thirty something which kind of pissed me off...they bombed the fuck out of the country during the Vietnam War but pay less than Canadians.
three040.jpg
Anyway, just outside of the arrivals area you can get a taxi to your hotel for 7 dollars US or you can pay in Thai baht. There are a couple of ATMs there too so you can get Kip as well.
four.jpg
I booked at the Souphaphone Guest House near the river. Very nice and clean room but it didn't have a lift so you have to carry your luggage upstairs.
After unpacking I noticed something else my room didn't have and that was a safe. I took my valuables down to the front desk only to learn there wasn't a saftey desposit box there either. Was litterally gobsmacked. The hotel I stayed at years before had safety boxes but a more modern place didn't. Anyway, to say I was uneasy leaving my passport, credit cards, and a fair amount of cash in my room would be an understatement. (More on this after).
five.jpg
I went to an ATM to withdraw some Lao Kip. The rate was about 8500 Kip to the US dollar; good to note that there is a withdraw fee on 20,000 per transaction. The maximum amount at the BCEL bank was 1.5 million per use although I read somewhere that one of the other banks allows up to 2 million per withdraw.
Went to a small restaurant by the riverfront and then took a walk at the night market.
six.jpg
Was worried about leaving my valuables back at the hotel and I was absolutely spent due to my fairly heavy drinking over the past couple of weeks. Went back to my room early and alone.
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