New Tourist Attraction in Laos

[Doc]

A new tourist attraction in Laos - might make for a good trip.

Laos to open guerrilla caves to tourists

March 6, 2007 - 7:24PM

Laos has opened up to tourism a complex of caves that once sheltered communist guerrilla leaders from the most intense bombing campaign ever unleashed by the United States.

Initially only five of the caves will be open to the public, the Laos National Tourism Administration (LNTA) said.

Laos was drawn into the Indochina War between 1964 and 1973, when the land-locked country fell victim to the US's so-called "secret war" to wipe out Viet Cong troops who used northern Laos as part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail to funnel men and armaments to South Vietnam.

More than two million tonnes of bombs were dropped on Laos over the nine years, more than the amount that fell on all of Europe during World War II.

War tourism has proved a boon in neighbouring Vietnam and Cambodia, where thousands of visitors flock to such sites as the Khmer Rouge "Killing Fields" near Phnom Penh and the Cu Chi tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City.

The Pathet Lao, as Lao communist troops were known, were forced to literally move underground into the dramatic, limestone caves to avoid detection and the bombardments.

"Up to 480 caves in Viengxay district in Houaphanh province were transformed into a de facto cave city," the LNTA said in a statement. "Many caves had specialist functions such as hospital, shop, school, printing house, government office, bakery and theatre. In the hospital cave, patients were treated by Cuban doctors."

The LNTA admitted, however, that one drawback to the new tourism attraction was the location of the caves.

Situated in a remote mountainous area 315km north-east of Vientiane, only helicopters can land at Viengxay's airstrip, which can be hired at Xam Neua, 29km away.

Road access is possible via the Vietnamese border, 55km to the east.

Accommodation in Viengxay is also spartan. There is only one hotel in the town with 16 rooms, and three guest houses with a total of 26 rooms.

The government hopes that attracting tourists to one of the country's most remote and poorest areas will raise local incomes. Houaphanh province is the poorest in a country where 40 per cent of the population survive on less than a dollar a day.

"For tourists who take the time to reach Viengxay and the nearby attractions throughout north-east Laos, we can promise a very enriching and educational experience," said Somphong Mongkhonvilay, chairman of the LNTA.

ฉ 2007 AAP

[banpaeng]

Want to travel to that area anyway. Don't know if I will visit the caves. Not in to that. However I have been on the Viet Nam side and quite interesting area.

[cookie]

Perhaps some forum members can tell me more about this.
I know almost nothing about Laos, only Vientianne for the visa.
But people told me that it was still dangerous because of the mines that are still there.
is this true???

[Doc]

Perhaps some forum members can tell me more about this.
I know almost nothing about Laos, only Vientianne for the visa.
But people told me that it was still dangerous because of the mines that are still there. is this true???

Yes, there are still tens of thousands of unreclaimed land mines in both Laos and Cambodia. However, if you do not stray from main areas and don't go on any treks through the jungle, you should not encounter any mines.

[Prenders88]

Perhaps some forum members can tell me more about this.
I know almost nothing about Laos, only Vientianne for the visa.
But people told me that it was still dangerous because of the mines that are still there.
is this true???

You more likely to meet armed bandits.

[thalenoi]

Now if Laos would grant us tourist 30 days VOA's freeing us from the visa hassle, I might cross the border at Nong Khai rather than visiting Sillypore which I will do later this month. Until then I will rather spend 30k to go that far and Laos gets zero.

[cookie]

How is that copy of the "Arc de Triomph" in the middle of Vientianne?
Still there?
Last time I was there it simply looked like a bloc of concrete.

[wokkawombat]

Thalenoi, I think you will find a posting or two somewhere on the forum that shows that Laos now issues a 30 day VOA.


John

[FrazeeDK]

True.. VOA's at the bridge are now for 30 days. Price is variable depending upon where you're from.. EU is $30.. U.S. is $35..

[cookie]

And why a visa exemption only for Japanese tourists?????




[quote]Visa exemption brings more Japanese to Laos

Vientiane Times Publication Date: 16-03-2007


The number of Japanese tourists visiting Laos has been increasing steadily following the government's decision in January to exempt Japanese citizens from the visa requirement, a senior tourism official said yesterday (Mar 15).

[Doc]

The Japanese traditionally spend more money when they travel.

As for the other countries of origin - I wonder if they are counting those that pop over the boarder just for a visa run? If they stopped charging for visas for those types of visits the economy would surely be negatively impacted.

[cookie]

Don't know,
perhaps I would be tempted to go more to Laos and explore the country if I wouldn't have to pay the visa every time.
I think that laos would be great for some short day trips.

[seobangkok]

Laos is one my fav countries in the whole of Asia - Maybe because I like the under developed countries more but anyway, if you haven't been - I highly recommend it.

Check out Lam Prabang (Right spelling?) It's stunningly beautiful, although a little hard to reach apart from a long Bus ride. The Loas people are as friendly as you can find, and the restaurants are good too!

I have pics/editorial I added to my personal web site people can view - Are we allowed to post links?

[uncle tom]

Lived in Laos for 5 years and just loved the people and the country. Several of my closest friends are Lao who I had worked with nearly 40 years ago. This fall I will be returning to the Nong Khai area and wll be making frequent trips to Vientianne.

Unfortunately there are travel advisories for Laos. I found this on Thaivisa recently.

Laos

[Doc]

To me - anything that is offered by the US State Department is over reactionary to begin with... The State Department has absolutely no concept or idea of what the real world is...