Never be quick to judge!

So, who would have thought I would end up in Laos? I never thought that I was brave enough to travel to Laos where it’s quite unheard of where I am from. What’s in Laos anyway? It’s not such a popular destination for wandering but here I am, in Laos, quite a mysterious country and a mysterious landscape to explore.

When I first arrived here, I felt exhausted and it impacted the way I see the environment. Navigating the border was something that was exhausting and so was the whole ordeal moving from Thailand to Laos.

To tell you the truth, First both are day and night. It might shock you that the houses in certain areas are quite rundown and it just reminds you of a suburb or the humble part of bangkok. There are not that many skyscrapers in the city as well and even going to the hostel was quite an interesting experience. When I got here, I was like, “ am I getting into a sketchy neighbourhood?”

Apparently that wasn’t the case. The next day after getting some more rest, I explored the place I am staying. I eventually talked to the barista from the cafe and that loosened up my guard a little bit more. As you talk to them, you realise that they are very friendly and it’s only the language barrier that actually is the wall between us.

Surrounded by fancy cars, the road isn’t just built for them but people go about their day and manage. There are also tuk tuk around and they can be a bit costly when moving from one place to another. However, Vientiane is quite walkable except that sometimes the heat is as unforgiving as Bangkok. The traffic isn’t as bad as in Thailand and crossing the road is way easier than if you go Bangkok. In this post, I will cover some of my first impressions about the food, the internet situation, and also the ATM fees.

Food

When I first arrived, the food looked pretty foreign to me. Everything is grilled on the skewers and much more humble. People wrapped the food in banana leaves over here and then wrapped it on plastic. I happen to visit the market where locals eat and I am very surprised that they taste similar to Indonesian grilling methods. Compared to Bangkok, my palate is much similar to food I found in Vientiane and I was extremely happy that I could taste food at home in Vientiane.

The cost of a grilled food varies from one stall to another. However, the food cost in Laos, especially Vientiane, isn't that different from Indonesia. This is why I have an easier time understanding how money works in Laos compared to when I was in Bangkok, Thailand. As Laos and Indonesia money are of the same denomination with very small difference in terms of value.

The Internet

When you come to Laos, there are more than 20 ISPs to choose from I happen to get one from Unitel which is the 2nd provider in Lao as the first one is a state enterprise. The wifi speed in Vientiane is as you can see below, they’re pretty fast.

Apparently among SouthEast Asia Capital, they’re not that bad and are definitely much faster than in some parts of Indonesia. You can see the report here South Jakarta among the slowest spee in SEA. You should not have any problem with the internet and anything that has to do with connecting yourself to the interweb.

ATM, Currency, Money

In Laos, on the border they accept USD and Baht. The exchange rate is a little bit funny but should you need anything, you can use any ATM. I have not tried many ATMs but you should be good with Phongsavanh Bank, they are privately owned and their website is very nice.

website : https://www.phongsavanhbank.com/psv/index.php

You can see the conversation rates on their website too. Withdrawing from the bank will cost you 20000 KIP and perhaps an extra service from your bank. It is definitely less than what you will be paying in Thailand. I also heard that 20000 Kip is also the fee with BCell bank.

Cryptocurrency is also available in Laos by that I mean, they have state recognized exchanges. I have not tried their service but since they have that, it means they’re not really opposed to it.

Culture and Local Customs

Though being respectful should be your way going around SEA, Laos is slightly more conservative than Thailand. Everyone I came across dresses modestly and even where I am staying, there is a note that we should dress accordingly and not too revealing.

There is also a note about feet etiquette.

Showing the soles of your bare feet is considered a rude gesture and most Laotians sit in a way that hides the feet from view. Lao Customs

I also read that in many government travel advice, cohabitation between laotian and nonlation are illegal. Also PDA isn’t something common in Laos and if you like doing it, do it behind the curtain.

I suppose I covered some of the most important things and my first impressions about the country. It’s an intriguing place to visit and a worth try even just a week in Laos especially Vientiane.