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From: "http://www.pmgeiser.ch, Peter M. Geiser" Newsgroups: rec.travel.asia,soc.culture.laos,rec.answers,soc.answers,news.answers Followup-To: rec.travel.asia Subject: Laos - The Internet Travel Guide (FAQ) (part 2/2) Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Summary: Travel guide to Laos. Expires: 31 Dec 2004 23:59:59 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 212.254.90.222 Message-ID: <3fed4d53_2@news.tiscalinet.ch> Date: 27 Dec 2003 10:13:55 +0100 X-Trace: news.tiscalinet.ch 1072516435 212.254.90.222 (27 Dec 2003 10:13:55 +0100) Organization: Customers of Tiscali DataComm AG - http://www.tiscali.ch/ Lines: 859 Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news2.telebyte.nl!newsfeed.stueberl.de!npeer.de.kpn-eurorings.net!newsfeed.tiscali.ch!news.tiscalinet.ch!not-for-mail Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.travel.asia:187771 soc.culture.laos:75944 rec.answers:84412 soc.answers:18666 news.answers:263633 Archive-name: travel/laos-guide/part2 Url: http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos Posting-Frequency: quarterly LAOS - Peter M. Geiser's Hotel and Travel Guide Laos is not too well known among tourists, but this is one of the attractions of this quiet country. Vientiane, capital of Laos, has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. Many temples are home to numerours monks, all of them friendly and eager to learn. Luang Phabang, Laos' old royal capital, is a UNESCO world heritage site and has some of the most beautiful temples in the world. Places Attapeu Bolaven Plateau Champasak Don Khong Island Ho Chi Minh Trail Luang Namtha Luang Phabang Muang Phin Pakbeng Pakse Plain of Jars Salavan Savannakhet Tadlo Resort Vang Vieng Vieng Xai Vientiane Wat Phu Xieng Khouane Transportation Flying Boat Bus Roads General Information Geographical Information Climate People Events Visa Embassies Border Crossing Getting Around Money Mail Internet Food Opium Health ************************************************************************** LAOS - Peter M. Geiser's Hotel and Travel Guide Copyright (c) 1995 - 2004, Peter M. Geiser http://www.pmgeiser.ch http://www.pmgeiser.com http://www.mineralwaters.org http://www.dussy.ch ************************************************************************** BOOKS For books, please have a look at the online version at http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos ************************************************************************** FLYING http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/transport/plane.htm International Flights Vientiane is connected with numerous foreign cities, such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Pnomh Penh, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. International departure tax is USD 10. Domestic airport tax is LAK 1000. Domestic Flights Flying in Laos is easy and relatively cheap. Inquire at Lao Aviation, just opposite Raintree Bookstore in Vientiane. Lao Aviation uses Chinese Y-7 and Y-12 and French ATR-42. The flight between Vientiane and Luang Phabang lasts 40 minutes. There are three flights per day. There is a flight between Vientiane and the Plain of Jars (Xieng Khouang). It leaves at least every second day. Prices from Vientiane to Attapeu USD 130 Huay Xai USD 88 Luang Namtha USD 80 Luang Phabang USD 55 Pakse USD 95 Phongsaly USD 87 Sam Neua USD 70 Saravan USD 91 Savannakhet USD 61 Tha Khaek USD 57 Udomxai USD 71 Xieng Khuang USD 35 Prices from Luang Phabang to Huay Xai USD 46 Luang Namtha USD 37 Phongsaly USD 46 Sam Neua USD 47 Udomxai USD 28 Xieng Khuang USD 35 Prices from Pakse to Attapeu USD 26 Khong Island USD 29 Lasko USD 78 Saravan USD 33 Savannakhet USD 44 Prices from Nantha to Huay Xai USD 37 Prices from Savannakhet to Laksao USD 44 ************************************************************************** BOAT http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/transport/boat.htm An easy way to get from Vientiane to Savannakhet is by boat. However, this depends very much on the season. I was there in September, and I could use it. But in December already the trip was not possible anymore. The boat leaves twice a week (normally Tuesday and Friday, but this sometimes change. Ask at Lao Tourism) at 5 am. Since the boat leaves about 4 km south of the center of Vientiane, I boarded the ship the previous evening. There are two decks, one is 'inside' (all windows and doors are open or rather nonexistent anymore) with some benches and no space, the other is the upper deck with only the steel floor to sit upon. Laotians bring big sheets of plasic with them to sit and lay upon. Bring enough to drink, since you cannot buy water on the ship. It was possible to buy some food (rice, eggs, some vegetables), but to be sure bring some food with you. The fare is LAK 5150. The boat stopped around 7pm for the night. There was a hotel just next to the harbor with double rooms for USD 12, with private bath (yes, bath and hot water) and toilette. There are also some restaurants around. We started the next day at 6am and arrived shortly after 10am in Savannakhet. There are boats between Vientiane and Luang Phabang, but I decided not to take it, since it took three days downstreem and much longer upstream. Depending on the season it may not even be possible to make the trip at all. The most beautiful part of the Mekong river is supposed to be the part from Luang Phabang upstream, but I don't know if the sight alone is worth all the trouble and the long time. There is a speedboat from Huay Xai to Luang Phabang which takes only 5 - 6 hours. The fare is LAK 24000 or THB 3000. The boats leave in Luang Phabang from a special jetty some 4 km outside the town beyond the airport. There is also a cargo boats that is slower with two to three days and costs only LAK 7000 (?). The price from Luang Phabang to Huay Xai is LAK 30000 per person, or 100000 for the whole boat. The boat from Pakse to Ban Muang Sen - Nua costs LAK 5000. The boat leaves around 9 am and the journey takes all day. (Anna, Jan 96) The boat from Pakse to Muang Saen on Don Khong leaves at 8am from the riverbank (near to where the ferry boat docks). Cost: LAK 2000, and worth every LAK. Arrive at 7am to claim a space on the floor. Bring enough food and water for 24 hours and a mosquito net as the boat will stop when darkness falls. You will stay on the boat overnight, or possibly in a nearby house. The motorbike ride from Muang Saen to Muang Khong is LAK 1500. ************************************************************************** BUS http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/transport/bus.htm Road conditions are bad, with unpaved, dusty streets. During the rainy season the roads are often flooded or washed away so that transportation is not possible. During travels, the savest thing to do in a bus is to hold on to your seat, so as not to bump your head at the top, or to bounce on your feet and use your legs as natural springs, since the bus does have none at all. Normally busses seem to leave major towns at around 5 am, but there are many exceptions, so better check. Overland travel from Vientiane to Luang Phabang is possible but still not a safe undertaking. The bus from Vientiane to Vang Vieng departs early in the morning (6:30 am) from the Morning Market or the Evening Market and takes about 4 hours on the good road. To Luang Phabang it should take 10 hours, but it may also take 17! There are daily busses (or trucks) from there to Kasi. The bus from Luang Phabang to Vientiane leaves at 9:30 am and should arrive around 3 am (!) in Vientiane. It costs LAK 10500. Although there are many soldiers around, sometimes evern accompanying the bus, the road is not safe, especiaaly the 40 km after Kasi. In December 1994, four local UN drug prevention officers were shot on this road and just about ten days earlier, six Vietnamese were killed north of Kasi! In autumn 1995 three foreigners were killed. On 11 September 1996, a French travel agent and four Laotian men were killed when their minibus was ambushed some 120 km (75 miles) north of Vientiane. The trip from Lung Namtha to Luang Phabang costs LAK 11500 and takes some 12 hours. You will have to change in Muang Xai. If you arrive in Savannakhet by bus and intend to go to Pakse, there is a bus the same day around 12 am. To be sure you don't miss it, take a TukTuk to the bus station. As soon as it is full it'll leave. The bus from Savannakhet to Pakse costs LAK 2500. It takes about 8 to 9 hours. The bus from Pakse to Champasak costs LAK 600 (including the ferry costing LAK 100). It leaves every couple of hours (we left shortly before 10 am). There is no bus back from Champasak to Pakse in the afternoon. You'll probably have to spend the night in Champasak. I was lucky to get a ride back to Pakse in a private Toyota pickup. The bus from Don Khong to Pakse leaves at 8 am, takes about 4 to 5 hours and costs LAK 4000. (Anna, Jan 96) Bus from Pakse bus station to Tadlo Resort/Saravan left at 8am when full (Timetable: 7am and 10am). Surprisingly, there is an excellent road from Pakse to Saravan. 3.5 hours to Tadlo, then 40 min to Saravan. (Anna, Jan 96) The road from Saravan to Muang Phin (Highway 23) is unusable as an important bridge is missing. Purportedly, there is a bus from Saravan to Muang Phin via Xeno leaving every day at 4am. (Anna, Jan 96) Bus from Saravan to Khong Sedon at 7am and 10am each day. 3.5 hours. If you get off at the T junction 10km before Khong Sedon you _may_ have a chance to catch the Savannaket bus. We missed it so hitched instead. The bus from Pakse to Savannekhet costs LAK 5000. It was supposed to leave at 5 am. Lucky enough I was at the bus terminal at 4:30 am. I was able to get the last place. Five minutes later the bus left, slowly driving towards the center, but at 4:45 am it turned right to cross the bridge to leave the town. If I'd been at the terminal at 5 am I'd missed the bus! Two other travellers were told that the bus was leaving at 4 am, but since this was not true, they had to wait until 8 am! From Savanaketh there are direct busses to Vietnam. Some fares are: Hue LAK 18000 Da Nang LAK 22000 I wanted to go to Hue. There was one bus for all people going to Vietnam. We were supposed to leave at 3 am, but were 15 minutes late. We should have arrived at 1 pm in Hue. Unfortunately the driver began to sleep and at 4 am the bus left the street to tumble down a small board and finally flip oevr. Luckily nobody was seriously hurt. Around seven o'clock the regular bus came and three Vietnamese and me got on (I don't know what happened to the others or what they were waiting for.) Around 2 pm we arrived at the border to Vietnam, where there was no problem crossing the border. Under normal circumstances, the bus from Savannakhet to the border at Lao Bao passes Muang Phin at 7.30 am. ************************************************************************** Roads http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/transport/roads.htm Very few streets in Laos are paved. They are made directly from the red earth and contain many holes. It is safe to hold on to your seat so that you don't bump your head at the roof. Of course the earth turns to very fine red dust. You will have the dust everywhere, on your clothes, in your clothes, even between your teeth. You will easily get used to it, and it certainly helps to remind you to drink a lot. In the evening you'll get a shower and since laundry service is available in every hotel and for reasonable prices, you can change your clothing every day. ************************************************************************** GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/geography.htm Area 236'800 km² Capital Vientiane Borders China (423 km), Vietnam (2130 km), Cambodia (541 km), Thailand (1754 km), and Myanmar (Burma, 235 km) Highest point Phu Bia, 2820 m Time GMT plus seven hours Measures Metric, local variations in rural areas. Electricity 220 V, 50 Hz International telephone code ++856 In the Web-version of the Internet Travel Guide at http://www.pmgeiser.ch there would be a map right here. ************************************************************************** CLIMATE http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/climate.htm In Laos the dry season lasts from November to April. The other half of the year is the rainy monsoon season. The temperature can reach 40 degrees in the Mekong delta in summer. In the montains however it is easily 10 degrees colder and can become very cold during winter. Vientiane Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Air C 28 31 32 34 33 33 32 32 32 30 30 30 F 83 87 90 93 91 91 90 90 90 86 85 86 Water C 28 28 29 30 29 30 29 29 28 28 28 27 F 82 82 84 86 84 86 84 84 82 82 82 81 h sun/day 8 8 8 10 8 6 5 5 5 6 7 8 days rain 1 2 4 7 15 17 18 18 16 7 1 1 ************************************************************************** PEOPLE http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/people.htm Population 5.4 mio (annual growth rate 2.74%) (est. July 1999 Life expectancy 54.2 years (male: 52.6 y, female: 55.9 y) 68% Lao Loum (lowland Lao), 22% Lao Theung (lower mountain dwellers, Mon-Khmer), Lao Sung (Hmong, the high altitude hill tribes), Thais, Chinese, Vietnamese and members of 68 minority groups. Language Lao and Lao dialects, French, English, various ethnic languages Script Modern variant of the old Khmer script, which in turn originated 1700 years ago from the Bhrami script of India. Literacy 60% (male: 70%, female: 48%) Religion 85% Buddhist, 15% animist and spiritualist cults ************************************************************************** EVENTS http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/events.htm In Laos most festival are still celebrated on dates determined by the lunar calendar, so it is often not possible to give a fixed date in our Western calendar. In these cases I just indicated the month with the lunar event (e.g. full moon) in brackets. 1 January International New Year 13-16 April Boun Pimai, the Laotian New Year Boun Pimai, the national New Year used to be celebrated on the last day of the waning moon in the fifth lunar month, lasting as much as 14 days. Since 1975 it has been fixed to 13-16 April. Boun Pimai is celebrated most festively in Luang Phabang. 1 May International Labour Day May (full moon) Visakha Puja celebrated on the 15th day of the 6th lunar month. On this day Buddha was born, enlightened and has passed away. At the same time Bun Bang Fai (the Rocket Festival), a pre-Buddhist ceremony is celebrated. The Festivals of the Rain and Fasting are Buddhist festivals. They take place between the full moon of the eight and eleventh lunar month (July, and October, respectively). At the end of the rainy season is the festival of Boun Ok Pansa. There are boatraces on the Mekong. November (full moon) The That Luang Festival takes place at its namesake in Vientiane and lasts a week. ************************************************************************** EMBASSIES http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/_embassy.htm ************************************************************************** BORDER CROSSING http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/border.htm Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand have now an agreement about border crossing for tourists. There is no need to apply for a particular crossing when filling out your visa application form. It still seems to be a bit unusual, though, to choose any other crossing as the friendship bridge or Vientiane airport. Vientiane, Wattay International Airport Vientiane's Wattay airport is connected to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Guangzhou and Kunming. There is a USD 5 departure tax on international flights. Thailand There are several border points open to Thailand: Tha Khaek - Non Khai (the Vientiane Friendship Bridge), Huay Xai - Chiang Khong, Savannakhet - Mukdahan, Ubon Ratchathani - Chong Mek. For all, except the first, you have to have a valid permit. Vientiane Friendship Bridge The Friendship Bridge is the "standard" way to enter Laos by land. It is located conveniently near Vientiane. There are minibusses leaving to and from the bridge every 30 to 60 minutes. (Sebastian) We left Laos over the friendship bridge. Unfortunately, it opens too late (at 8:00) to catch the 7:40 train to Bangkok. (Reservations for trains and buses can be made in Vientiane. Apparently, there are only three trains to Bangkok a day, two in the evening and the one in the morning.) Bus No. 14 will take you right to the bridge. Pakse (Sebastian) The immigration people had probably never seen a Malaysian passport before and it took us some time to convince them that it was a valid document even though it wasn't issued in Kuala Lumpur. From what I heard, it's definitely no problem leaving the country wherever you choose. Since it was Sunday, we had to pay 50 Baht extra for crossing the border. I've been told that it's the same at the friendship bridge. Anna had to pay 60 Baht extra in Jan 96 when she wanted to cross during lunchtime. Huay Xai The border at Huay Xai / Chiang Khong is open from 8 to 17. It is now possible to obtain a visa on the spot. There are reports of travellers having to pay THB 50 to the Laotian immigration officers on Sunday, but this could be a temporary scam. Vietnam Most roads between Laos and Vietnam are now open for crossing. Lao Bao It is easy to leave Laos by way of Lao Bao. Since Jan 96, it is possible to cross both ways, into and out of Laos. On the Vietnamese side, the busses don't go all the way to the border, you either have to walk the last 3 km or pay one USD for a motortaxi. I decided to return to Vietnam by land at Lao Bao. Arriving at the border there were many people trying to 'help' me. Ignoring them I headed straight to a small hut on the left side of the street (a Vietnamese from the same bus I came with pointed it out to me, I would have missed it). There a very friendly lady, that didn't speak any English was examining my passport. I had to fill in yet another arrival/departure card. After some stamping I was free to go on. Cambodia Tha Boei Currently, there is still an occasional Khmer Rouge activity, so it's not absolutely safe. China Nam Tha The border to China is also open. It is, however, also subject to Chinese regulations, meaning, that if the officials there want to make some extra money, the crossing is more expensive... Mohan-Borten There is no problem to cross from China into Laos. There are tuktuks waiting on the Laotian side. ************************************************************************** GETTING AROUND http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/getaround.htm It is necessary that you go to the immigration office in every town in order to let them stamp your passport. This is usually done at the point of your immigration (e.g. airport, river bank, etc.) However, nobody seems really interested in the details. (Steve) Who knows what happens to all the information they copy from your passport; if you can see the names written down they are often things like "Mr Blue Eyes" or "Mr Cambridge England"! (Sebastian) The travel permits which used to be necessary for travelling from one province to another were abolished (April 94). However, you still need to register with the police wherever you go (this only applies to the northern parts of Laos, i.e. anything north of Vientiane). If you fail to do so, you will be charged 5$ per day as a penalty. It's entirely up to you to look for the police office, nobody will tell you that you have to go and register! The police will stamp your departure card for a small fee and you're free of any hassle. Apparently, this does not only apply if you move from one province to another but also when you spend a night in a different village of the same province. The only exception is at airports where you can have your card stamped upon arrival. However, you'd better ask twice whether that's all which is needed: We got into problems with our business-visas in Luang Phabang. We flew there and registered at the airport. Apparently, that wasn't enough as we found out when we wanted to fly out again: business people have to register a second time at the immigration office in town.... It took me 20 minutes of hot (but restrained) discussion to convince the chap behind the counter that I wasn't prepared to pay 30 dollars as penalty. I had, however, to go back into town and register before he let us fly off... ************************************************************************** MONEY http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/money.htm The currency of Laos is the Kip (ISO code LAK). Exchange Rate: 1 USD = 7300 LAK (Jan 2003). Historical development: 7600 (Dec 2001) 7700 (Jan 2000), 9350 (Nov 1999), 7680 (Sep 1999), 4270 (Apr 1999), 4330 (Feb 1999), 3680 (Oct 1998), 2500 (Jun 1998), 1705 (Nov 1997), 1170 (Jul 1997), 920 (Oct 1996), 930 (Sep 1995), 714 (Sep 1994). To get a nice small conversion table that you can put in you pocket, look at the Currency Cheat Sheet at http://www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet?user=pmgitg. Sometimes small amounts lower the rate drastically. Shopping around is recommended. Anna got better rates at jewellery shops (Jan 96). Traveller's cheques are well known and every bank changes them. Visa and American Express are accepted at some of the better hotels and restaurants. (Sebastian) Kip, baht and US dollars can be used all over the country. Even for big transactions it is, however, usually best to pay in kip. If you pay in baht or dollar they usually calculate the price with a slightly less favourable exchange rate than what you get at the banks. Kip are available in denominations of 1000, 500, 100 and 50. I once got a 20 kip note as "small change" at the post office but it's not generally in use anymore. One dollar equals approx. 725 kip [94], one baht will get you about 29.15 kip. In Vientiane you can now change a great number of currencies both in cash as well as in travellers cheques. For the cheques you will be charged an enormous amount as commision (at least 3%, I met a British couple who paid 6 pounds on a cheque of 100 pounds!) The bank mentioned in the lonely planet guide is definitely not the best place anymore to change your money. I found that the money changers inside the morning market gave the best rates. Credit card cash advances are also available at various banks in the city, usually for at least 3% extra charge. As soon as you leave Vientiane you'd better take baht or dollars CASH with you. I heard that the bank in Luang Phabang changes travellers cheques but I wouldn't count on it.... ************************************************************************** MAIL http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/mail.htm Postcards to Europe cost LAK 800, a letter is LAK 1200. ************************************************************************** INTERNET http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/internet.htm Internet access in Laos is not exactly common, the best choice is to get an independent provider that lets you access the internet all over the world for the price of a local phone call. ************************************************************************** FOOD http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/food.htm It is possible to eat for one or two dollars, but you also can pig out for several times this amount. For breakfast try Lao coffee and ba-tan-gho, fried dough available from street vendors. A filling breakfast can be had for under LAK 1000. Sticky rice and chicken or laap (delicious chopped spicy meat), and spicy soup are great introductions to Lao food, as is waterfall beef. Don't drink tap water. Even in the smallest guest houses in the remotest villages there are thermos bottles with boiled water. It is used to drink tea. Instead drink tea, mineral water, or soft drinks. Apart from the well known American products like Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, etc. there are many local versions of sweet lemonade. They are much cheaper and cause no health problems. Beer Lao Tha Beer Lao tastes very well. It contains about 5% alcohol and is served either in bottles of 3 dl and 6 dl, or in 2 l jugs. In Thalat, north of Vientiane they sell 4-5 litre bags for a few thousand LAK. Eating on the bus Since busses leave very early and somtimes arrive late in the evning it might be a problem to get a decent meal in a restaurant. However, there are many people selling food when a bus happens to stop near their food stall. They sell for LAK 50 to 200 eggs, rice, fried chicken, fried bananas, fresh fruit, bread, etc. Most of the time the food is cold. They also sell drinks in bottles and cans (cans are much more expensive than bottles). The bottles must be paid or left back. If you don't want to drink all of a bottle they are happy to fill the drink into a plastic bag which they give to you to drink with a straw. Generally this is a very cheap way to get to know some typical Lao food, although it is not outstanding quality. As for hygene, I never encountered any stomach problems, although the food was kept in the open and got dusty and cold. ************************************************************************** OPIUM http://www.pmgeiser.ch/laos/general/opium.htm THE WHITE GOLD OF LAOS by Michael Buckley The material is excerpted from VIETNAM, CAMBODIA & LAOS HANDBOOK, by Michael Buckley, (c) copyright 1998, all rights reserved, reprinted with permission. Reprinted here with permission of Moon Travel Handbooks, California (www.moon.com). Laos is the world's third-largest producer of opium. The notorious "Golden Triangle," defined by Laos, Burma, and Thailand, provides 60% of the world's heroin supply. Opium growing is associated with the hilltribes that descended from southern China, particularly the Hmong and Mien. The opium poppy is grown all over northern Laos, even on steep slopes and in poor soil, and cash returns are high. Some hilltribes use opium in traditional medicine. There is significant opium addiction in Phong Saly, Hua Phan, Luang Prabang, and Xieng Khuang Provinces. Most opium in Laos is smoke--nearly all refined opium is earmarked for export. The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is one of more than 250 species of poppy. When the petals fall, the seed pod is sliced to release a milk-white juice that dries to a brown fudge that can be stored for years without losing its potency. The brown substance can be refined into heroin for easier transport--there are thought to be hidden labs in the north of Laos that handle this process. Opium is grown in 10 Laotian provinces (marijuana is planted in provinces along the Mekong River). The annual opium yield in Laos is upwards of 200 tons (puny compared to Burma, where annual production is estimated at over 2,200 tons). Some is used locally by hilltribe addicts; the rest is smuggled through to Thailand or China. Opium and heroin are used in bartering for Thai consumer goods. According to an official report by the National Commission for Drug Control, Laos seized 53 kg of heroin, 292 kg of opium, and 9,402 kg of marijuana in 1994. Most of the heroin was intercepted at Vientiane's Wattay Airport; the cannabis was seized in Savannakhet Province. The opium trade was once legal in Laos. The practice of growing opium was forced upon the Hmong by the French government of Indochina, which secretly sold opium to Marseilles gangsters to finance the war against the Vietminh. Later the CIA became involved in the trade, using the profits to finance US operations in Indochina. Opium dens were permitted until the Pathet Lao takeover in 1975. These were small places, similar to a country pub, where patrons would drop by for a few pipes. In 1975, Vientiane featured 60 licensed dens, and a lot more unlicensed houses. There is some evidence that even after 1975, Lao Army elements and provincial officials continued a clandestine role in opium and heroin production to ameliorate the disastrous financial situation of the late 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, Laos agreed to cooperate with the US and UN in narcotics control. The main thrust of the program is to substitute cash crops like coffee or mulberry trees for opium poppies. There have been arrests of drug traffickers, but in the unruly Golden Triangle, enforcement is difficult. The Counter-Narcotics Unit, Laos' enforcement agency, was set up in 1992. It employs only 26 officials and relies heavily on foreign support. ************************************************************************** HEALTH http://www.pmgeiser.ch/general/health.htm This section intends to give some advice on health issues in South East Asia. It does not cover all possibilities and in case of problems you certainly still should visit a qualified medical doctor. This is especially true for vaccinations. Depending on the country you are travelling, medical facilities may not be widely available. This is true especially for Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. China and Vietnam does have a wide variety of medicines, but you may not be familiar with them. In case of serious troubles consider leaving the country and going to a place with good facilites (e.g. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.) Chinese people are very aware of health problems. The Chinese medicine is world famous and obtainable even in the smallest villages and also many of the surrounding countries (e.g. Vietnam). However, Western medicine is not very widely available. Doctors and hospitals normally expect immediate cash payment. If you regularly need some medicine, bring enough of it with you since chances are that you will not get the same or a replacement for it. It is also recommended to bring one or two clean needles in case of an emergency. Be carful not to drink water directly from the tap. Although it is not a problem anymore in big cities like Shanghai, depending on your resistance it is better to be safe than sorry. Especially in China, even the smallest guest houses in the remotest villages there are thermos bottles with boiled water. It is used to drink tea. However, if you follow the rule of "cook it , boil it, peel it, or forget it", you can eat and drink from any restaurant or street stall and ridiculous things (at least for people with an average stomach) like bringing your own chopsticks is really not necessary. AIDS AIDS is a serious threat in many countries. According to recent figures by UNAIDS, the United Nations program, about half of Cambodia's prostitutes are HIV positive. The total figure of the population with the disease is estimated at 120'000, with the most explosive growth in Asia. Aids iis also increasing rapidly in other countries. Malaria The four essential steps when dealing with malaria are: Awareness: know about the risk of malaria. Bites by mosquitoes: prevent or avoid. Compliance with appropriate chemoprophylaxis. Diagnose breakthrough malaria swiftly and obtain treatment promptly. Malaria (from Italian 'mala aira', bad air) is a life-threatening disease and a major health risk for travelers visiting tropical countries. It occurs when small parasites are passed from one person to another by the bites of certain mosquitoes (Anopheles). The parasites use red blood cells to breed and finally cause their decay. This decay causes fever and eventually a lack of oxygen which can, in case of a malaria cerebral, cause brain damage. Depending on the type of malaria these fever shocks appear every three (malaria tertiana) or four (malaria quartana) days. Death rate of malaria can be up to 2%. There have been many discussions on how to best deal with it and even the doctors have not yet agreed on a single opinion. Probably the best paper describing malaria and its prevention and cure is from the PHLS Malaria Reference Laboratory of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and can be found at: http://www.phls.co.uk/publications/CDRreview/cdrr1097.pdf Dr. Arlene Goldman published an excellent guide to the various drugs used in malaria treatment and lists region with malaria resistance. The URL is http://www.publinet.it/pol/malaria.htm Bilharzia The parasitic infection bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is caught by contact with river water. You do not have to drink the water or swim in the river, just getting wet may be enough. The microscopic parasites in the water burrow into your skin and cause a damage to the liver and other organs. It is a chronic debilitation disease. The most dangerous region is in south Laos (south of Pakse) and in Cambodia. ************************************************************************** LAOS - Peter M. Geiser's Hotel and Travel Guide Copyright (c) 1995 - 2004, Peter M. Geiser http://www.pmgeiser.ch http://www.pmgeiser.com http://www.mineralwaters.org http://www.dussy.ch **************************************************************************