- Laos -

Tips & Tricks

How long to spend in Laos may seem like a ridiculous question to address, but if you have plenty of time and aren’t sure how much to dedicate, this blog will definitely help you out. 

How long can you stay in Laos? 

Well, as long as you like! From 7 days to a month, there are various ways you can travel across Laos and uncover its secrets. Advising an ideal trip length for Laos is a bit of a complex challenge, as it depends on several factors such as the places you wish to visit, the activities you plan to join, or if you want to combine Laos with its neighbor countries. 

Stay tuned! We are going to sort all these things out including the step-by-step guide to create the best itinerary in Laos.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian countries has taken the cautious approach to inbound travel and has had some of the strictest border restrictions and closures. At the moment, the nations of the region are in the beginning stages of reopening their borders for tourism, with every country introducing its own regulations.

The “unlocking” statuses vary widely. Travelers entering Asian countries may be required to do everything from going into quarantine, submitting negative COVID-19 test results, presenting proof of health insurance, and proof of vaccination (known a vaccine passports).

There is an understandable uncertainty with how you should travel to the Asian region if you are planning to. This is why we present you the list of 19 Asian countries, along with details on the current travel situation. As each country applies precisely defined regulations, you should always check the official websites listed in the article below for the latest government announcements.

Laos has announced the official reopening date on May 9th, 2022 with no more restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers. For the unvaccinated travelers, all they need is a NEGATIVE ATK test no more than 48 hours before boarding the flight to Laos.

More detail as below.

Laos celebrates many traditional festivals and colourful holidays right throughout the year.  Whilst most festivals in Laos are based on the Buddhist religion and follow the seasonal rice farming cycle, there are also many fascinating animist and minority festivals as well.

Lao festivals, or Boun, typically involve much eating and drinking alongside blaring Lao music.  Celebrations can vary from small villages getting together to celebrate a successful rice harvest to a whole town pretty much shutting down for several days such as during Lao Pi Mai.

Some cultural festivals, like Boun Souang Heua (Boat Racing Festival) and Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival), are shared with other neighbouring countries including Cambodia and Thailand.  Others however are particular to Laos, such as the That Luang Festival in Vientiane or the Wat Phou Festival in Champasak.

Since most festivals in Laos are based on the Buddhist lunar calendar, the dates will vary from year to year.  When organising your trip to Laos, use the following list of Laos festivals in order to plan your Laos itinerary around some of them.  Each of the festivals has been grouped by month in order to make your planning easier.  Here are the best holidays and festivals of Laos.

Laos is a truly gorgeous country. From the party haven of Vang Vieng to the little-explored jungles of Luang Nam Tha and the remote mountains in the north, Backpacking Laos offers something different for everyone and Laos remains one of my favorite countries in Asia.

This is a land of crawling broadband and pot-holed roads. Every time there is a thunderclap, the electricity goes out, so you better forget about that fruit shake you just ordered!

This country requires time; everything seems to slow down here, and people are not in a hurry to get anywhere. Dawdle down cobblestone streets as you pass crowds of orange-robed monks seeking alms outside brightly gilded Buddhist temples.

There is little pressure from hawkers or touts, and locals and backpackers alike wear a dreamy expression as they watch the countryside slip gently past from the seat of a bus or the deck of one of the Mekong’s legendary barges. Laos is one of South East Asia’s last tourism frontiers, take your time; this is a country worth exploring.