The Best of Cambodia & Laos

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PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO LAOS
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SPECIALIZED TRAVEL RESOURCES
Buses even used to carry armed men on the
roof as a not very convincing deterrent. It
was never proved who was doing the
GAY & LESBIAN
TRAVELERS
Generally speaking, being gay is a nonissue
in Laos. It’s a deeply conservative
country and any kind of overt displays of
sexual affection will cause deep embarrassment.
Although homosexuality is technically
illegal, there is no sense of bigotry or
homophobia among the Lao. Some travelers
make the mistake of thinking that
some of the more dubious social mores
that are acceptable in a few of Thailand’s
racier resorts are also acceptable in Laos.
This is not the case. Whether gay or
straight, it is simply an issue of common
sense in how you behave in order not to
cause offence.
The International Gay and Lesbian
Travel Association (IGLTA; & 954/630-
1637; www.iglta.org) is the travel trade
association for gay- and lesbian-friendly
tour operators. They have an online
directory of relevant businesses. Out
Adventures (& 416/583-2680; www.
out-adventures.com), based in Ontario,
Canada, offers tours of the whole region.
Another operator offering gay-friendly
tours is Thailand-based Purple (& +66-
(0)2/238-3227; www.purpledrag.com).
SENIOR TRAVEL
Respect for elders is a pivotal part of Lao
culture and family values. Even so, elderly
travelers to Laos will not find the sort of
discounts and deals that are found in the
West. When booking your flights and
accommodations, it’s worth mentioning
if you are a senior since there may be
ambushing, but what is sure is that they
have stopped and this particular kind of
attack doesn’t happen anymore.
7 SPECIALIZED TRAVEL RESOURCES
discount schemes available. As in Cambodia,
the most important issues for elderly
travelers are the potential rigor of the heat
in Laos and the paucity of adequate
healthcare, both of which should be taken
into account.
For general information on senior
travel, AARP (& 888/687-2277; www.
aarp.org) is an organization with over 40
million members that is dedicated to helping
the over-50s improve their lives. Membership
brings some discounts on
international travel and they produce a
magazine and a monthly newsletter.
Elder Treks (& 800/741-7956; www.
eldertreks.com) offers tours for those over
50 to Laos and the wider region.
The organization Exploritas (& 800/
454-5678; www.exploritas.org) arranges
worldwide study programs, including
their very popular “Journey into the Heart
of Asia” and “Treasures along the Mekong:
An Intergenerational Adventure” tours,
which include both Cambodia and Laos.
Overseas Adventure Travel (& 800/
493-6824; www.oattravel.com), based in
Boston, offers an “Ancient Kingdoms:
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia”
tour as well as optional Cambodia add-ons
to their other Thailand, China, and Vietnam
tours.
FAMILY TRAVELERS
Laos is not a particularly suitable destination
to take young children. Bus travel
through the mountains can be quite
demanding and kids often get motion
sickness. Many of the attractions in Luang