The Best of Cambodia & Laos

10
Planning Your
Trip to Laos
Only a decade ago, Laos was a very difficult country to get around.
When there were roads, they were usually dreadful. The domestic airline, then called Lao
Aviation, had a reputation for plummeting as much as flying horizontally. Anywhere
outside of the most touristed areas, facilities were often reduced to a level of cold water,
no electricity, and food that could flatteringly be described as basic. In short, it was an
adventure.
That era seems like a different age when you travel in Laos today. In one short decade,
almost all the main roads have been paved and sealed. Planes are now less likely to fall
out of the sky and buses are now frequent (though it would be a lie to call them comfortable).
Fresh hotels and guesthouses spring up every month in every category. In the major
towns, one can sample high-quality French cuisine, while Lao food is distinctive and
delicious. Laos also remains a cheap country for travel. The slow pace of life has been
complemented by change rather than destroyed by it, and Laos’s tranquillity now comes
with a great deal less physical discomfort than was once the case. There are exceptions,
Vang Vieng being the glaring example.
Having said all this, it is still a good idea to factor in plenty of time when traveling in
Laos, since levels of efficiency are still not high.
High season for tourism in Laos is November
through March and the month of
August, when weather conditions are
favorable, plus the Lao New Year in the
middle of April. Accommodations run at
full capacity and transportation can be
overbooked at these times.
Laos’s tropical climate ushers in a wet
monsoon season, lasting from early May
to October, followed by a dry season from
November through April. In Vientiane,
average temperatures range from 71°F
1 WHEN TO GO
Average Temperatures & Rainfall (in.) in Vientiane
(22°C) in January to 84°F (29°C) in April.
The northern regions get chilly from
November to February and can approach
freezing temperatures at night in mountainous
areas. Beginning in mid-February,
temperatures gradually climb, and April
can see temperatures over 100°F (38°C).
In order to avoid the rain and heat,
November through February is the best
time to visit southern Laos. In the mountains
of the north, temperatures are still
comfortable from May through July.
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Temp. (°F) 73 77 82 85 84 84 83 83 82 81 78 72
Temp. (°C) 23 25 28 29 29 29 28 28 28 27 26 22
Rainfall (in.) 0.1 0.7 1.1 2.2 6.6 8 8.3 9.3 8.7 2.1 0.3 0.2
Note that these numbers are daily averages, so expect temperatures to climb significantly