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Published: January 26th 2011
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Laos
28/12/10 - 13/01/11
1 USD = approx 8000 kip
Our budget = $60 per day including accommodation.
We took the VIP bus from Phnom Penh which goes over the border near Stung Trieng all the way to Pakse in Laos for $20 each. This simplified the border crossing process here as it was organised by the bus helper boy!
Visa and Border Crossing
As for Laos visa - we were advised in Phnom Pehn that a visa on arrival at the border was not available so we bought it using a travel agency through the Anise Hotel. But once we got to the border we found out that they were available and were slightly cheaper (minus the commission!!). The price of the visa was approx $35, for some reason it is more expensive for Canadians but I have no idea why. I think we paid $40 each.
Anyway so we watched all the tourists (like 4) get off at the first stop in Laos for 4000 islands. We planned to go to Dhone Khong - which is a bigger island about 20 minutes more north up off the same road which has
Slightly more developed hotels on it. It also looked easier to get to than Don Det and Don Khon so we thought we would go there and made the decision. When we were dropped off on a dark road and all the other tourists had got off for 4000 islands the bus helper pointed to a road and said the boats are 100m that way. At this point I freaked out a little which was highly unnecessary as it was just 100m down the road to the boat which took us across the water for about $5 dollars. I suppose I didn't really know how safe Laos was at that time and it's like the safest place on earth!!
Dhone Khong
We decided to check into a hotel called Hotel Muang Khong which was $35 per night (negotiated down from 45). It was not great though and the bathroom was not exactly clean but it did the job and so we stayed there for 2 nights.
The next day we decided to go and visit 4000 islands including Don Det and Don Khon - well, everyone else went there! We had to charter a boat for 300,000
kip (8,000 to 1USD) as we got up too late for Mr Pon's shared boat at 9am! Bloody rip off!
Don Det is backpacker haven and is renowned for it's 'happy' goods, i.e. pizza or shakes laced with Marijuana. Obviously we did not partake in this activity, opting for a normal sandwich and having an argument over being able to afford a $1 iced bun! Which we didn't have in the end incidentally. The accommodation there seemed quite basic - huts with shared showers in smaller huts in the majority. Apparently there is nicer accommodation available on Don Khon.
The 2 islands are joined by an old railway bridge, the line is a long time gone and now is just a very bumpy track which you can cycle. We hired two bikes and cycled to the waterfalls on Don Khon and then cycled around Don Det. To enter Don Khon you need to purchase an entry ticket for 20000 kip each. The bikes were 10000 kip each for the day.
The next day we took a minibus to Pakse to get a bus to the capital Vientiane. The hotel sorted it for us for 150000kip each including the boat over to the mainland. The minibus was 45 mins late and the luggage was put on the roof which made me quite nervous but it did make it!
At Pakse we had to 6 hours in-between arriving and the time of the sleeper bus departing. We therefore explored Pakse and spent a long time in a coffee shop!
The sleeper bus to Vientiane seed initially comfortable but after few hours it was very cramped! I would recommend buying a bed each if you can afford it as the beds are made for those of 5'6" and under!! You do get a blanket which was sufficient!
Next to Vientiane.....
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