Many visitors travel by bicycle and spend a few weeks visiting the country in this way. These visitors must be careful, not because Laos is dangerous (its certainly one of the countries where muggings are the least numerous in the world) but because Laos or rather North-Laos is a mountainous country, very difficult and which requires a top notch physical condition.
No problem ... Bô pen niang !
Laos is THE most serene country for bicycling. No circulation, or if there is, its only mopeds. A few buses now and again, a few lorries full of Chinese material, but nothing more. The roads are in (...)

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Laos is a very poor country and the health sector is no richer. If you are in Vientiane you can easily find very good help (there is also the Thai border which isn’t far away, so you can feel reassured). If you are in Luang Prabang they have a new hospital that was offered to tgem by the Chinese, the rest of the country has almost nothing in the way of facilities nor qualified personnel.
Anti-malaria
Anti-malaria medicine can be taken or not. There are only very few cases each year, but certain people prefer to take one or the other of these preventive medicines (Lariam, Malarone, etc.). (...)

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Formalities for entering the country used to be long, difficult, expensive and restrictive. They’ve become much more flexible these last few years. The administration has made a great effort, but they are still influenced by a French past which wasn’t particularly efficient. With a smile, everything becomes much easier in this country For those that are interested ...
Previously (up until the 1st of July 2007)
A valid passport, (with a period of at least 6 months before needing renewal)
2 recent identity photographs, in colour or black & white, size 1,18”x1,57”
A valid visa (i.e. with (...)

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