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Facts for the Traveler

Area: 236,000 sq km
Population: 5.5 million
People: 50% Lao Loum (lowland Lao), 30% Lao Theung (lower-mountain dwellers of mostly proto-Malay or Mon-Khmer descent), 10-20% Lao Sung (Hmong or Mien high-altitude hill tribes) and 10-20% tribal Thais
Language: English, Lao, French
Religion: 60% Buddhist, 40% animist and spirit cults
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +7
Dialling Code: 856
Electricity: 230V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Visas: Fifteen-day visas are now available on arrival at Vientiane's Wattay International Airport and at the International Friendship Bridge at the Nong Khai border crossing between Laos and Thailand, though you'll need to meet a series of conditions to get one. Fifteen-day and 30-day visas are generally issued through embassies, consulates and authorised travel agencies.

When to Go

The best time to visit is between November and February - during these months it rains least and isn't too hot. If you're heading up into the mountains, May and July can also be pleasant. Roads can be washed out during rainy season (July to October), but there's plenty of river travel. Peak tourist months are December to February and during August, although there are relatively few visitors at any time.

Events

Festivals in Laos are generally linked to agricultural seasons or historical Buddhist holidays. The Lunar New Year begins in mid-April and the entire country comes to a halt and celebrates. Houses are cleaned, offerings are made in wats and everyone gets dowsed by water. Bun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) takes place in May. It's an irreverent pre-Buddhist celebration with plenty of processions, music and dancing, accompanied by the firing of bamboo rockets to prompt the heavens to send rain. The week-long That Luang Festival in Vientiane in November has the whole repertoire of fireworks, candlelit processions and music.

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