Laos Guide
Getting Around
Getting around on Laos's transport system is an adventure in itself, what with its barely seaworthy boats, aged jalopies with hard seats and hot, crowded buses. Don't be fooled by maps and distance charts – seemingly short rides can take hours, as tired vehicles slow to a crawl in their uphill battle against muddy, mountainous roads. Take heart though, in knowing that many visitors have their best encounters with the people of Laos amid the adversity of a bad bus ride.
Boats, the traditional means of travel, still regularly ply the Mekong and its tributaries, but as the roads are gradually surfaced, buses are displacing riverboats as the main mode of transportation. Regardless of whether you go by road or river, you only need to travel for a week or two in Laos before realizing that timetables are irrelevant, and estimated times of arrival pointless. It is possible to fly although, obviously it is not the most economic mode of transport and tracking down the airline office in some towns can be a hassle, particularly with the language barrier. With the improving road conditions and the attraction of meandering down the river it is worth taking the time to travel by these modes rather than fly.