Visitez Luang Prabang, et le reste du Laos

Laos launches eVisa

Benolaos — 2019-07-11T12:38:29Z

VIENTIANE, 11 July 2019: Laos launched its tourist eVisa service, earlier this week, a move that the travel trade says will make it more convenient for visitors.

The official website for the eVisa application is https://laoevisa.gov.la

Launched as a pilot project, the eVisa will be applicable only for travellers entering the country through Vientiane's airport or the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge checkpoint at the border with Thailand's Nong Khai province. The visa is valid for a single visit.

The process is almost identical to the highly successful eVisa service launched by Myanmar in 2016.

It is understood that once the service has been finetuned it will be extended for travellers flying to Luang Prabang and eventually for land border checkpoints.

Travellers can file for a 30-day tourist visa online with pre-payment using a credit card, which is non refundable.

They will need to upload a copy of their passport bio page, a recent portrait photo (jpeg, png) dimensions 4 x 6 cm. Both files should not exceed 2 MB. The passport must be valid for at least 180 days.

Visa applicants receive a QR code approval by email that they need to print out to present to immigration officials at the checkpoints. Digitial versions of the approval notification are not accepted. Travellers must print the letter out and ensure the QR code is clearly readable.

It takes around three days to receive the approval notification email, although officials said the objective is to deal with applications as quickly as possible and that the waiting period may in practice be reduced to a day excluding weekends and public holidays.

Payment can be made with VISA, MasterCard, JCB and UnionPay.

The exact fee is not mentioned on the eVisa website's information page. However, fees for a visa processed in the traditional manner at a consulate vary according to nationality with Canadians paying the highest fee at USD42, while other nationalities pay USD30 to 35.

Laos first announced its plan to introduce the eVisa system earlier this year with the hope it would attract more tourists to the country.

(Visit the website https://laoevisa.gov.la/index to view video on the eVisa process)

View online : From ttrweekly.com

Lao Airlines returns to Phnom Penh on 2019, Oct.

Benolaos — 2019-05-29T06:37:54Z

VIENTIANE, 29 May 2019:
Lao Airline has confirmed it will reinstate its own direct airline services between the Lao capital and Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

Set for the winter timetable, that kicks in this October, the airline will offer a daily service linking the two capital cities.

Currently, the airline offers a daily flight to Phnom Penh, but Vietnam Airlines operates the flights under a codeshare agreement with a roundtrip fare of USD245.

The airline hopes to tap Cambodia's growing popularity with international travellers, especially from China.

According to a report in the Khmer Times last week the Lao PDR ambassador to Cambodia, Amphay Kindavong, confirmed to the Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon that flights would resume October.

Lao Airline, in the long run, will establish direct services to three cities in Cambodia; Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.

The ministry's Facebook page noted that the two countries would create tour itineraries highlighting UNESCO-listed ancient temples in both countries.

View online : TTR Weekly

Go with the flow of the Mekong to Luang Prabang

Benolaos — 2019-05-28T09:30:00Z

The Mekong River is an unforgettable sight. Its whole length affords spectacular views and an insight into life among the communities that line this mighty waterway.

It is the world's 12th longest river and the seventh longest in Asia. It passes through Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, China and Laos where the Mekong River Commission works with each country to manage their shared water resources.

In Laos, the Mekong is regarded as the mother of water and life because it runs through the whole country from north to south. The river is central to tourist travel in Laos because of its spectacular beauty. It offers a relaxing form of travel as an alternative to road and air transport.

If you enter Laos in the north at the Golden Triangle in Huayxai district, Bokeo province, after leaving Thailand, one of the best travel options is to take a boat to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Luang Prabang province. What better way to arrive in this jewel of a town than by river?

The comfortable boat trip takes two days with an overnight stopover on land.
In Huayxai you can buy a ticket at the boat station in Ban Khankeo the day before you want to travel and then board the boat at 9am the following day.
It's a good idea to take along some food and drink for lunch, although the boat sells instant noodles, sweets and drinks.
The ticket has a seat number on it but in typical Lao fashion this is not adhered to and you can sit where you want. So get to the boat early so you can have a good seat.

More than 120 boats ply the river but only one leaves Huayxai each day. You might get a good craft or a problematic vessel depending on whether it's your lucky day.
The boat stops where passengers want to get off and embark. There's no break for lunch and the boat eventually arrives at Pakbaeng district at 4pm, where you will spend the night. Guesthouses are cheap, starting from 50,000 kip. You will be offered one when you get off the boat or you can look around for one by yourself.

You'll have a bit of time to explore the small town, which is attractive and welcoming. Most of the houses, guesthouses, bars and restaurants are situated along the main streets. My suggestion is to stay at the guesthouse by the river and in front of the Elephant Park (suggestion for hotel*** : Mekong Riverside Lodge). You'll have a great view and in the morning you can see elephants swimming in the Mekong.

The boat departs Pakbaeng at 9am the next morning but you will travel on a different boat for the second half of the journey. Right now the river level is perfect. It's low enough to see a lot of rocks and villagers setting up their fishing nets in hopes of a good catch. The river views between Pakbaeng and Luang Prabang are arguably more awe-inspiring than the first day's scenic offerings.

The boat I travelled on was new and well designed. It was very comfortable and we felt like we were in a restaurant when we sat at the tables to eat, and our seats were big enough to take a nap. My friend and I preferred sitting at the front of the boat where we had a clear view of both sides of the river. I sat on a chair with some snacks and a drink. I was totally contented and finished a book that I was reading.
When the sun moved across the boat, there was more shade and more and more people joined us to avoid the heat of the sun.

We passed many villages and people waved when we got close. We all got excited when we rode between the newly-built massive stanchions that will support the under-construction railway bridge close to Luang Prabang.

We arrived at the town itself at 4:30pm but the boat didn't drop us at the main dock because this was no longer allowed. Instead we had to get off the boat a little way from the centre and pay 20,000 kip each for a tuk-tuk to take us into the town or to our guesthouse.

This is without doubt the best way to travel to Luang Prabang and anyone who has the time to make this journey should do so while it's still an option.

By Patithin Phetmeuangphuan
(Latest Update May 28, 2019)

View online : Vientiane Times

Laos: High-speed rail makes progress

Benolaos — 2019-05-24T07:00:00Z

VIENTIANE, 24 May 2019:
The final concrete span of the first Mekong River rail bridge slotted into place last Saturday the Laos-China Railway Co Ltd confirmed in a report quoted by Xinhua.

The China Railway No 8 Engineering Group (CREC-8) reported it has completed the closure of the first span of the Luang Prabang cross-Mekong River railway bridge There are two cross-Mekong bridges under construction as part of a project to open a high-speed rail line linking China with Laos and ultimately Thailand.

The 1.459-metre long Mekong River bridge stands on the outskirts of the world heritage town of Luang Prabang some 400 km north of Vientiane by road.

The China-Laos railway crosses the Mekong River twice, with Luang Prabang and Ban Ladhan bridges under construction by the Chinese engineering company CREC-8.

The 414-km railway line will connect with China's high-speed rail track at the Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and end in Vientiane through mountainous terrain requiring the construction hundreds of bridges and tunnels covering distances of 60 km and 198 km respectively.


1st rail bridge in Laos, in Luang Prabang 2019

Construction started in December 2016 and should be ready for test runs in late 2021.

However, the operating speed of trains will have a limit of 160 km per hour considerably lower than the 200 kph trains that operate across China.

(From TTR Weekly, Source: Xinhua and People's Daily)

View online : TTR Weekly

Easy tourist access to Dien Bien Phu

Benolaos — 2019-05-14T06:37:00Z

For Visit Laos-China Year 2019, Vientiane Times is publishing a series of feature articles and images promoting the two countries' collaboration in tourism and hoping to inspire more people, especially from China, to experience the nature, culture, history and hospitality of Laos, the jewel of the Mekong.

The battle of Dien Bien Phu in central Vietnam was a much celebrated turning point in Vietnam's struggle to defeat French troops and throw off the yoke of foreign domination.
It was the power of unyielding national unity, loyal combatants, the solidarity of the Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian armies and ordinary people, together with the support of friendly foreign countries that won the day and forced the French to surrender.
Victory was secured on May 7, 1954, a day that people around the world celebrated and are doing so again now as the 65th anniversary of this astonishing feat is recalled.
The Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian people especially celebrate this event, as the heroic battle ended French domination in Indochina.

Foreigners often come to Laos after having visited the famous battleground in Dien Bien province, with many entering at the Panghok-Taichang border crossing. Most of them bypass Oudomxay and Phongsaly provinces and travel on to Luang Prabang province and Vientiane.
Deputy Director of the Luang Prabang provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Mrs Soudaphone Khomthavong, told Vientiane Times that many people tour the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang in combination with a visit to Dien Bien Phu.
“The road link between these two places is very good because it is paved with asphalt,” she said.
In the other direction, it's a distance of about 240km between Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces, then another 160km to the Vietnamese border via Khua district in Phongsaly province. Another popular route is to travel by boat on the Ou River to Khua district and then take a bus to the border and on to Dien Bien Phu.
While the road from Luang Prabang to Dien Bien Phu is good in the dry season, it's not in good condition in the rainy season.
But a 104.7km road between the Phouthipheuang and Nasone areas in Luang Prabang province to the border with Vietnam's Dien Bien province is currently being upgraded in a bid to restore the Luang Prabang-Vietnam road link.
About 655,000 tourists of all nationalities visited Luang Prabang province last year, with tourism officials hoping to boost the number to 700,000 by 2020.
The town of Luang Prabang can accept up to about 10,000 tourists a day, but some worry about the sustainable future of tourism if visitor numbers rise further during peak times.
But Phongsaly province on the other hand is suffering from a dearth of foreign visitors, even though the 200-km road that connects it to the Vietnamese border is full of great mountain views. Phongsaly is Laos' northernmost province and its majestic scenery is deserving of more visitors.
The province is now more regionally connected through better road networks, tourism and regional trade and has much to offer visitors looking for somewhere off the beaten track and a bit of an adventure.
Phongsaly borders on Yunnan province in China and Vietnam's Dien Bien province.
Chinese and Lao people travel regularly across the Lantouy-Sobhun border in Phongsaly, but few foreign visitors spend time in Phongsaly after entering Laos from Dien Bien province.
Some people believe that foreign tourists are put off by the province's perceived remoteness.
Tourism in general is on the rise, with more than 4.1 million people coming to Laos during Visit Laos Year 2018, an 8.2 percent increase over 2017.
This year, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism is hoping that the number of foreign tourists will rise to about 4.5 million.

By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
(On Vientiane Times, Latest Update May 14, 2019)

View online : Laos providing easy tourist access to Dien Bien Phu

Laos prepares to introduce an eVisa

Benolaos — 2019-04-01T07:00:00Z

VIENTIANE: News that Laos will ease its visa application process with a brand new eVisa service is a welcome move for tourists planning a trip to landlocked Laos.

The Lao PDR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a report published in the Vientiane Times, will launch the new service this June.

All international visitors to Laos will be eligible to apply online for a single entry visa with a planned maximum stay of 30 days, a senior official from the ministry's Consular Department explained.

In the report published by Vientiane Times, last Friday, the ministry's consular department said the eVisa would be valid for 30 days. Travellers who want to stay longer, or make multiple trips to other neighbouring countries and return to Laos to extend their holiday will still need to apply for a multiple entry visa at the nearest Lao PDR embassy or consulate.

The ministry claims it will streamline the process and make it convenient to apply online for a visa after they have booked airline tickets and hotel accommodation.

Travellers can apply for a visa-on-arrival at airport checkpoints and at major land border checkpoints such as the one at Nong Khai in Northeast Thailand.

The 30-day visa-on-arrival is the standard option for most travellers. Fees vary according to the nationality with Canadians paying the highest fee at USD42, while other nationalities pay USD30 to 35.

It is also possible to pay in Thai baht (THB1,500) the exchange rate is higher raising the cost to around USD45.

For the few nationalities not on the VoA list they need to apply for a 30-day tourist visas at the nearest Lao PDR embassy, which takes around three working days.

It will also give travellers in countries that do not have a Lao PDR embassy a convenient alternative to the visa-on-arrival option. Usually, there are long queues at the visa-on-arrival counters at airports and after a long trip skipping that queue would be a bonus that eVisa travellers could enjoy.

Laos needs to make visiting the country more convenient especially at land checkpoints where travellers often encounter “overtime fees” at all hours of the day.

Few details are available, but if Laos follows the lead of neighbour Myanmar, credited with having the most efficient and user-friendly eVisa, it will outsource the process to an eVisa supplier that has a strong track record. They usually add a service fee which would probably increase the overall visa fee by around USD5 per application. Thailand hired VSF Global to manage its eVisa service that started earlier this year.

It should also address the issue of multiple visa entries as more tourists are now crossing borders with neighbouring countries more than once during their trip to Southeast Asia. At present, the visitor would need to obtain a new visa-on-arrival at around USD30 a trip to re-enter Laos after spending time in a neighbouring country. However, it would benefit travellers if they could enjoy multiple reentries to Laos within the period of their 30-day visa-on-arrival.

The country welcomed 4.1 million visitors in 2018, an increase of 8.2% after two disappointing years and is now hoping to pass the target of 5 million in 2019.

(Source: Vientiane Times plus additional reporting).

View online : TTR Weekly

Experience river life with a Mekong Kingdoms' cruise

Benolaos — 2019-02-18T07:00:00Z

For those who seek a superior cruise experience that can be as spirited, laidback or personalised as their heart and soul desire, Mekong Kingdoms recently launched its luxurious Mekong River voyages on board Gypsy, an ultra-exclusive two-cabin river cruiser, between the ancient Laos capital of Luang Prabang and Thailand's Golden Triangle.

The Gypsy offers the most intimate journey where adventurous voyagers and armchair travellers alike can enjoy first class services – from plush contemporary surrounds to gourmet meals and bespoke experiences both on board and ashore.
A privately tailored three night, four day cruise from Luang Prabang to Chiang Saen in the Golden Triangle and a two night, three day cruise from Chiang Saen to Luang Prabang for up to four passengers are on offer.

The boat's contemporary designed interiors feature tongue and groove wood panelled ceilings, floors and walls; etched wooden cupboards and closets; solid wood tables; dark woven leather seating; and oversized bamboo daybeds.

Local handwoven ornaments adorn the spaces and freshly cut flowers create a naturally soothing ambience, while Thai silk and fabrics drape the furniture in bold colours and lustrous appeal.

The well-appointed spacious sleeping cabins are fully air-conditioned and consist of a king bed and twin bed configurations, each with an en-suite shower and vanity.
Intimate touches of bathrobes and slippers; crisp white bed linen; regular and feather pillows; and a choice of exquisite bathroom amenities provide convenient functions with the comfort of home.

Cruising along the majestic mighty Mekong River from near the world-renowned Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort in Chiang Saen to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang conjures up images of old Indochina, of languorous days gone by, teeming with exhilarating river adventure, mystical temples and stunning untouched scenery.

Voyagers will be captivated by the languid river lifestyle, soaking in nature's wonders along the Mekong River valley, marvelling at encounters with fascinating local cultures as they stop at villages and attractions along the way.

Daily shore excursions offer a mix of age old culture, local immersion and adrenaline charged adventure and include guided jungle treks; mountain biking in Ban Houy Phalam; freshwater fishing; a traditional weaving workshop at Ban Baw; Laos whisky tasting; a visit to a little known elephant camp in Pakbaeng; and the Pak Ou caves – with their breathtaking limestone karst formations, these two caves have been gifted thousands of Buddha images, left by pilgrims over the centuries.

Even while cruising the placid waters, guests can enjoy a range of wellness, cultural and fun diversions on board, including yoga; folk dancing; learning to speak the Lao language; a weaving workshop; and a cooking class.

After an adventurous day exploring Southeast Asia's most beguiling waterway, the boat's open decks offer a welcome respite to savour a decadent Champagne high tea while watching the world go by. As the sun sets, cocktails on the panorama deck are the order of the day before retreating to the dining area for an evening of fine dining and imbibing, courtesy of the on-board chef.

Mekong Kingdoms is pioneering a stylish new way of exploring the Mekong River with modern boats, bespoke itineraries, and a playful, artistic spirit.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update February 28, 2018)

View online : Vientiane Times