Laos Travel FAQs

Up to date information for vaccinations before you travel to Laos are available from the NHS website

For up to date information around safety and security in Laos read the Foreign & Commonwealth Office latest information for Laos.

When is the best time to visit Laos? The small, landlocked country of Laos is best visited between October and April, when the weather's warm and dry throughout.

The Laotian Government requires British passport holders to have a visa for entry into Laos and the easiest way to do this is apply for your visa on arrival in the country. You will need US$35 in cash and two recent passport photos for a single entry visa. Visas are issued for a stay of 30 days.

The official currency of Laos is the Lao kip.

Asian elephant, pot bellied pig, tiger, sun bear, leopard cat, rhinoceros, kouprey, sun bear, gaur, giant flying squirrel and the newly documented saola. 5 species of gibbon, 4 species of primates, and 5 species of macaque are found here and over 740 species of birds have been recorded in Laos.

Laap, the national dish of Laos. Many of the standard dishes served around Laos are adaptations from Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food.

Vientiane Lao is the dialect which is widely understood and upon which the Laovocabulary is based. Several languages used in Laos and Thailand are closely related to Lao such as Tai Daeng, Phu Thai, Tai Dam, and Nyaw.

The currency in Laos is the Lao kip. In most places in Laos, tipping is not expected though as always it is appreciated. If you want to tip, 10% percent is pretty generous.

Local Laos travel experts are available.