Laos suffers from a terrible misconception that it is a difficult country for travelers. This misconception is perpetuated by its neighbors, mainstream travel media, and many “official” travel guides. Laos is not extensively sold over the internet, and the government is a bit anti-social, which does not earn it points with tourism officials and visiting diplomats. However, traveling to Laos and traveling within Laos is not difficult and for the most part travel within the country is not expensive, either.

The first point to be taken care of when traveling to Laos is the visa. You will need one, but how to get one? Laos does not maintain a large network of embassies, but it does require a visa for entry. Not having a local embassy to visit, many travelers write off the country because they believe that you can’t get in without a visa. However, rather than maintain an expensive embassy network, Laos has opted for a much more direct path that is the soul of simplicity. Upon arriving in the country, you purchase a visa directly from customs officials. It is $50 USD, payable in cash, for the very fancy stamp. There are not waiting times, interviews, or required documents. However you arrive, at the first border checkpoint you simply state your desire for entry, pay the fee, get the stamp, and go on your way. The entire entry process takes less than 10 minutes.

Moving beyond the visa barrier, let us return back to the logistics of traveling to and within the country. You can travel Laos by air, bus, or boat. Which method you select depends both on the season and your personal appetite for adventure.

Traveling by air, one arrives in Laos at either the capital, Vientiane, or in the main tourist attraction of Luang Prabang. Flights to both are available daily from Bangkok, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh, primarily on Lao Air although other regional carriers also serve the country. Weekly flights are available from Chang Mai, Siem Reap and a number of other secondary cities throughout Southeast Asia. For internal flights between Luang Prabang and Vientiane, daily service is available for less than $100 each way with a flight time of less than an hour.

A caveat on air flights: Online purchases are limited. It has historically been necessary to work with a travel agent to book tickets, so many travelers wait until they are in SE Asia to buy these tickets. Purchased 2-3 days in advance, prices will still be less than $200, even for one way tickets. Same

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