The Best of Cambodia & Laos

202
PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO LAOS
10
HEALTH
now have ATMs in Vientiane, Luang Prabang,
Pakse, Savannahkhet, and Tha
Khek. ATMs are springing up at a rapid
rate, and many accept both Visa and MasterCard.
They are not particularly useful if
drawing money from a foreign account,
since they only issue Lao kip with a daily
limit in the region of 700,000 kip and the
transaction charges are very high. Bank
exchange booths are far better. They are
rapid and can issue U.S. dollars as well as
Lao kip. In Luang Prabang, many travel
agents also change money and traveler’s
checks as well as advancing cash on a
credit card.
The official currency is the Lao kip.
Notes come in denominations of 500,
STAYING HEALTHY
Like many poor tropical countries Laos is
host to a variety of ailments. It’s a good
idea to check the most recent information
at the Centers for Disease Control (click
“Travelers’ Health” at www.cdc.gov).
No water in Laos is considered potable,
so stick with bottled water. Also, Lao cuisine
uses many fresh ingredients and garnishes,
and condiments made from dried
fish that might have been stored under
unsanitary conditions. Exercise caution
when eating from roadside and market
stalls and smaller local restaurants. You
should make sure that the vaccinations
you had as a child—polio, measles,
mumps, rubella, and so on—are up to
date. This is especially true if you plan to
be working with children.
In Laos, medical facilities are scarce and
rudimentary. Emergency medical facilities
exist in Vientiane, but outside the capital
you’ll require medical evacuation. Contact
information is provided in “Fast Facts:
Laos,” in chapter 16.
5 HEALTH
1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, and
50,000 (the endless zeros can give you a
real headache after a while). There are no
coins. Both the Thai baht and the U.S.
dollar are also accepted and are used for
larger transactions. If you are carrying
larger amounts of cash, then it is best to
carry dollars or baht. Also bear in mind
that the kip is non-exchangeable outside
Laos.
Credit cards are accepted by larger
hotels, more expensive restaurants, and
boutiques. In general, though, their use is
restricted and Laos is very much a cash
economy.
Traveling to Laos puts you at risk for
many of the same ailments you will find
in Cambodia. For a list of these ailments
and their symptoms, see p. 39. There was
an outbreak of cholera in southern Laos
in 2008. As in Cambodia, malaria is a
threat in the jungle areas of Laos, though
is not a risk in major cities. If you’re in a
remote area, sleep under a mosquito net
and use a repellent with DEET, especially
at dawn and dusk. Note that in Laos the
disease has developed a fairly strong resistance
to most anti-malarials (particularly
the provinces of Bokeo, Luang Nam Tha,
Salavan, and Champasak, as well as the
areas along the Thai and Burmese borders).
Schistosomiasis may occur if
swimming in the Mekong River. It is a
disease caused by a waterborne parasite,
generally carried by certain kinds of snails.
If left untreated it can cause severe organ
damage. Most people show no early symptoms,
though they may include rash or
itchy skin, fever, chills, cough, and muscle
aches