Going to Laos for first time. How does this sound for a day bag loadout? Anything you would add/remove and why?

Hat

Wet wipes

toilet paper

water

sunscreen

first aid

tylenol/imodium

headlamp

battery pack/cables

leukotape

sunglasses

bug spray

hand sanitizer

ear plugs

(obviously cash/ID)

Just a few photos and recommendations if you're looking to trek in the north of Laos !

So its not recommended to drink tap water in Vientiane, bottled water only is the norm but what when brushing your teeth. Is it safe to use tap water to rinse your mouth with after brushing?

Hi! I am a solo female traveller and planning a trip from Chiang Rai to Huay Xai via land border and was wondering if this is safe? For context - I am an ethnically chinese girl but born and raised in Ireland with the Irish passport, will I have an issue? Scared about safety more than anything as I’ve heard stories regarding the kidnapping and trafficking.

I am in Vientiane for the night solo traveling, since it's Friday, I'm looking to go out, get some drinks, and meet some people. Where's the best place to go? I've heard Dr Oscar's is the place to go later in the night, but where would be a cool spot to pregame and meet some people to go with?

I'm planning to visit Laos in late December 2026 - early January 2027. I have a few questions about arranging travel:

1) I've looked at previous posts which say that you can only buy train (LCR) tickets 3 days in advance. I know this has been talked about loads, but just want to check that's still the case in 2026? There's still no way to secure a ticket before this time?

2) How likely is it that I'll get an LCR ticket in late December / early January? I'm worried it's a popular time, the tickets will sell out, and I'll have issues, for example getting back to the airport on time to make my flight.

3) I land in Vientiane around 3pm, and was considering heading directly from the airport to Vang Vieng. Is this possible, and is there a reliable way to book this transport (minibus / taxi / shared bus?) in advance?

💥 ຫ້າມພາດ! ຕົວຢ່າງທີ ໒ ຂອງອະພິມະຫາພາບພະຍົນ ຣາມາຍະນະ: ເດິ ຣາຍຊ໌ ອອບ ເອບ ເລເຈນດ໌ ປ່ອຍຄວາມອະລັງການອອກມາແລ້ວ! ກຽມຕົວສຳຜັດປະສົບການສຸດຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ແຫ່ງປີ ກັບມະຫາການຕຳນານການຕໍ່ສູ້ລະດັບໂລກ ເລື່ອງລາວຄວາມກ້າຫານ ການສູ້ຮົບອັນດຸເດືອດ ແລະຄວາມຮັກອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ຂອງເຈົ້າຊາຍຣາມ ຈັດເຕັມດ້ວຍໂປຣດັກຊັນລະດັບເວີດຄຼາດ ງານພາບ CG ສຸດອະລັງການສົມຈິງທຸກມິຕິ ນຳທັບໂດຍຜູ້ກຳກັບມືທອງ ນິເທຊ ທິວາຣີ ພ້ອມການຜະນຶກກຳລັງຄັ້ງປະຫວັດສາດຂອງດົນຕີປະກອບລະດັບຕຳນານໂດຍ ຮານส์ ຊິມເມີ ແລະ ເອີ. ອາຣ. ຣາຮ໌ມານ! ສຳຜັດຄວາມຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ເຕັມອາລົມທີ່ຕ້ອງເບິ່ງໃນໂຮງພາບພະຍົນເທົ່ານັ້ນ ຈອງຕັ໋ວຂອງທ່ານແລ້ວໄປຮ່ວມເປັນສ່ວນໜຶ່ງຂອງຕຳນານພ້ອມກັນ ວັນທີ ໕ ພະຈິກ ໒໐໒໖ ນີ້ ໃນໂຮງພາບພະຍົນເທົ່ານັ້ນ! 🎟️✨

Going to Luang Prabang and parts north starting November 1. Will either bring no rain gear or cheapo poncho. Honestly thinking if it rains just get wet or find shelter for the moment., and air dry.
Bad idea? Why or why not?

Does anyone have a document or notice/rate structure of this year's water tariffs in Vientiane?

Thanks!

Haha I brought a water bottle from Laos as souvenir 🤣🤣🤣 is a weird souvenir but now I am back home with water from Luang prabang 🤓🤓🤓

Hi all. I’m giving a speech at any upcoming wedding where there will be many Lao family members in attendance. I am looking for help to pronounce “Congratulations to the bride and groom, Jane and John” to add to the end of the speech but I’m getting conflicting translations and none of them have an audio pronunciation. Is anyone able to help point me to something that can help make sure I use the right translation and I don’t mess up this sentence?

Heyy, heading to Laos next month. Just wanna ask where can I book the vientiane to BKK overnight train? Thank you

Hi everyone,

I will be visiting Laos next month. On one of the days I'm getting a train from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang at 08:55 and have a flight to get at Luang Prabang airport at 13:25.

I'm just wondering in people's experience how doable this would be. This is my first time in Laos so I'm not sure how the trains are as I'm pretty traumatised from how bad they are in my own country and I can see that the train station in Luang Prabang is a bit away from the airport.

I'm always making jeow for my friends/family and I'm now trying to bring it to ready-to-eat shelves. I'm testing recipes for a small-batch pantry line: a roasted tomato jeow (mak len), a roasted eggplant jeow (mak keua), a papaya salad dressing, and fish sauce, which is the heart of everything I make.

What do you wish store-bought jeow got right? What always tastes off to you? And how did your family make it: charred over coals, with palm sugar, with padaek, something else?

I would be in Luang Prabang from 15th November for three days and then moving to Vientiane.

I will of course traveling alone.

Would anyone like to join in any activity,like some hike or sharing a transportation.

I am M39 and would prefer somebody at around my age.

I would be arriving from Chiang Rai on a slow boat.

can anyone send me an unblurred version of this photo? about the incident of meth bound to manila? thanks

Hi everyone! I’m planning to stay in Vientiane for 3 weeks this December. I work remotely, so I prefer staying in one place rather than moving around. Do you recommend Vientiane for a long stay? Also, any recommendations for clean hostels with good Wi-Fi? Thanks!

Hi! I’m planning to travel from Thakhek to Pakse, spend a night in Pakse, then continue on to Siem Reap.

If you’ve done this route in 2025-2026:

• Which company would you recommend for each leg, and at what price?
• What time did you leave and arrive?
• How was the Laos-Cambodia border crossing (visa, extra fees)?

Thanks! 🙏

Hi everyone, I have a life-threatening tree nut allergy (mainly cashew, also pistachio, walnut, pecan and pine nut). I carry EpiPens. Peanuts are fine.

In May I spent 3 weeks in Cambodia and Vietnam with a card allergy in Khmer and Vietnamese. It worked really well: cooks and waiters took it seriously and I had zero incidents. I'm now going to Luang Prabang, Vientiane and in the north, and I'd like to do the same card in Thai.

I'd really appreciate a native check. I'm male, if that matters for the wording.

Which dishes contain cashews most often? Any info is welcome.

Many thanks !

I would like to do a hike around Luang Prabang but i do not know how to start.

Do I need a guide or I can do alone?

Any suggestions for a biking trails?

Thank you