The following are several things to be aware of when traveling in
Vientiane and are listed in alphabetical order.
Laos installed the first
ATM in the country in Vientiane, and in
the early 2000's still could not handle International transactions!
Fortunately today, there are several international ATM's scattered
throughout town. There are at least 6 or 7 banks in
Vientiane that can handle cash advances or change money. A good souvenir
is a "brick" of small denomination bills which you can get at
one of the banks.
Some of the Lao kip costs less than typical "play" money does in the USA -
and and we purchased "bricks" of this money at the banks for very little. It
made great souvenirs!
Changing Money
- the Lao Kip CAN be changed once you cross the
border into Nong Khai - however, you will have to find a money changer.
These people tend to hang around the border in the hopes that you will
have extra kip. Their exchange rate is probably worse than you could get
in a bank, but if you have extra kip with you, and you don't want to keep
it as a souvenir, you might as well exchange it.
International calling can be done at the Public Call Office which
is located at Thanon Setthathilat. You need to first go inside and
purchase a calling card. There are only 2 or 3 phones that you can use and
sometimes there can be a short line for these.
It is quite expensive to call out of the country using one of the countries several International phone lines. There is a main post office where you can buy calling cards based upon a certain number of minutes. I recommend using the much cheaper "net-to-phone" service
available in several of the Internet cafes. I found the reception to be quite clear. Note for some reason the cafes offering the "net-to-phone" service did not allow phone calls to Thailand.
The combination of very few
Street Lights and large holes in the sidewalks can be a dangerous combination at night - be careful when walking around after dark.
Transportation around Vientiane is best done by walking or taking a
Tuk-Tuk (see below). Transportation from Vientiane to locations in the
rest of the country is cheaply arranged by taking buses. There is a
central bus station in Vientiane located near the corners of Thanon
Mahasot and Thanon Khu Vieng - its within walking distance of the main
part of town.
Transportation from Thailand to the border Thai/Lao border town of Nong
Khai is usually done via train. Its an all night trip from BKK to Nong
Khai. However, once you reach Nong Khai expect at least 90 minutes to
reach Vientiane due to the numerous stops you have to make at the border
checkpoints - as well as allowing for the drive to Vientiane once you
finish with the border stops.
Be sure to bargain with the
Tuk-tuk drivers when ever you use their
services. They will also start the price out quite a bit higher than the
actual "going rate." Most of the Tuk-tuk drivers hang out on the
streets close to the Mekong River.
Admission to most of the major
Wats
and monuments in Vientiane is about
30 cents.
About
Dave's Pick