The Best of Cambodia & Laos

Water in restaurants is safe to drink
since it is purified. Apart from that, stick
with bottled water. There are also the usual
soft, sweet fizzy drinks available. Then
there is Beer Lao. This used to be the only
beer on the market—now in tourist areas
you can also get Heineken, Carlsberg, and
Tiger, although Beer Lao is still by far the
cheapest and most popular. Beer Lao has
achieved high international status and is
now widely exported. People rave about it
as if they had joined a religious cult. It’s
hip, it’s fashionable, and it’s popular. Laos
is a country that is very proud of its
Laos is a very conservative place on a tight
social leash. Education is low and generally
people are not very worldly and are
easily shocked. Dress modestly. You will
see that people of both sexes dress conservatively,
showing little skin above the
elbow or midcalf. You as a foreigner can
get away with shorts and T-shirts, but if
they are excessively short or dirty you will
garner a fairly negative reaction.
It’s all about respect in the end. Avoid
open displays of affection. The usual rules
of respect for religion apply. Take your
shoes off when entering a temple (and
indeed a private home). Women should
never make any physical contact with a
monk. It is also important not to point the
soles of your feet at another person and
certainly not at a Buddha image. Never
step over food or people. The feet are seen
as being dirty while the head is sacred.
Don’t pat people on the head, even if it is
meant as a gesture of affection.
The traditional greeting is called the
“nop” or “wai,” and if you can master it you
will be considered very polite. You don’t
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national beer, though there is serious dissent.
Some people describe it as a flat,
overrated, chemical brew. If you like beer,
you will have to decide for yourself
whether you wish to be a Beer Lao evangelist.
The other thing that Lao people drink
in quantity is “lao-lao.” It is an astonishingly
cheap, brutally strong white rice
liquor and is really best avoided unless you
are a supremely confident hangover adventurer.
The stuff is lethal. As with French
food, Laos is also a great place for French
wine in the major towns and it is also very
reasonably priced.
do it to waitresses or children. It is a sign
of respect for your equals and social superiors.
To perform a nop, place your hands
together at chest level as if you are praying,
bow your head to your hands, and your
upper body slightly. In a business setting,
a handshake is also appropriate. When you
beckon someone, do not do it the Western
way. Flap your whole hand downward
with your palm flat. If you do it with your
hand or finger pointing up, it is interpreted
as either very rude or a sexual
gesture.
As in neighboring countries, the concept
of “face” is pivotal, and even if it
means things take longer try and engineer
things so that no one loses face. Lao people
take a gentle approach to human relationships.
A person showing violence or ill
temper is regarded with surprise and disapproval.
A calm approach will take you
further. Patient persistence and a smile
always win out, especially when haggling.
It is important to haggle, of course, but
just one or two go-rounds are usually
enough, and no means no.
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LAOS IN DEPTH 9
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