Tag Archives: Laos

Getting to Laos from India

Getting to Laos may sounds more complicated than it is because there are no direct cheap flights from India to Laos. To save money, you could fly in and out of Bangkok. Laos has a land border with Thailand, which several travelers cross on a daily basis, however, Indians do not get a visa on arrival for Thailand if you do not have a flight ticket for your onward journey and the VOA issued is valid for a single entry. However, all the complications can be put to rest if you get a prearranged multi entry Thai visa that covers the length of your stay in Laos so that you can leave Thailand and return via the land border, saving you lots of money. The visa for Laos is available on arrival for Indians. All you need to know about Visas for Laos is here. You could fly into Vientiane from Bangkok. Most flights offer packages which means you get flown to the Thai border town of Udon Thani from where you board a bus or car that brings you into Vientiane. There are several flights everyday and is a good options in terms of saving you money and time. You could also take a train or bus from Bangkok. The bus takes around 14 hours and costs about THB 700 from Khao San Road. The train takes about 1000 THB. If you want to add adventure to your trip you could head to the North Thailand and take a boat out to Luang Prabang from Chiang Mai. The boat could take multiple days and takes you through Laos country side on the mighty Mekong. This way you get to Luang Prabang first and can make your way down to exit out of Vientiane to Bangkok.

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The emerald pools of Kuang Si Falls

Kuang si are the spectacular waterfalls about 30 kilometers from Luang Prabang. Jump into a tuk tuk for a shared ride at 35,000 kip or sign up for a minivan at 40,000 kip that your hotel can arrange for you or you could find one waiting along the Sisavangvong road. The falls are multi-tiered and their turquoise blue or sometimes emerald green pools are a sight to both behold and jump in. We decided to trek all the way up to the top of the falls in the true spirit of exploration. And we were rewarded with the breathtaking top view of the falls and multiple tiny lakes. The climb although not too long is not so straightforward either. It is both adventurous and a little daunting because many a times you will be guessing if you are heading the right way. We were often left guessing wondering if we were the only ones heading up but a lot of people make the effort to climb up the top. So if you find the company of others and the waterfall symphony missing for too long, you know you are going the wrong way. The hike up is slippery, through wild woods, underneath the green canopy and definitely not for everybody. To navigate your way across the water pool at the top stepping over the moss covered rocks to get to the other side needs caution. If you slip, there is nothing to hold you back except for a railing of bamboo. But to put your feet on the black stones smothered by the time and water gushing down brings a feeling of peace to your nerves as you are panicking with both thrill and horror. To walk down is more challenging. But each step is a wonderful surprise. We stepped down a …

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