Beer Lao.
The Lack of Culture
What I mean by lack of culture is the outside, in-your-face culture. If you’re a traveler it’s hard to find. Lao food, for example, is not readily available. The majority of cafes have one thing on the menu: sub-standard imitation Vietnamese noodle soup pumped up with MSG. I didn’t see any real Lao food until I went to the Vientiane night market (which I was very impressed with).
The Thais and Vietnamese have things that make them distinct, and the Laotians really don’t. A reason for that may be their small population of 7 million, compared to 64 m in Thailand and 90 m in Vietnam, and because of the 61 years of recent French colonial rule.
Being an optimist, I’m thinking perhaps there is more Lao culture inside the home. My travels have taught me that there are outside cultures and inside cultures. Unfortunately I was unable visit inside the home of a Laotian family, so I can’t comment.
The People
Every traveler had told me, Lao people will be the friendliest, most laid back people you will meet. And I agree with that statement for the most part. I did meet many friendly people and Laotians are so laid back almost to a fault.
I would even go so far as to say the majority of the population are friendly and decent. However, I would add that the majority of people in the tourism industry (or those who deal with foreigners) are unfriendly and dishonest. Countless times my bill after eating included items I had not consumed and in most towns I walked three km or more from the bus station into town with my pack instead of paying an inflated price to a tuk-tuk driver.
Furthermore, Laotians are at times the laziest people I’ve ever met. So it’s hard sometimes to get things done that a traveler might need.
In addition to this, I was treated much differently while traveling with my Asian friend compared to when I was alone. I was left wondering whether racism played a role in this.
Two Economies
Most frustrating for me while traveling is not being able to operate on the local economy. Prices in Laos were inflated for foreigners, and we are not given the chance for any other option. Well, I thought, maybe that is the price we pay being “rich” visitors in one of the “poorest” countries on earth. Well, bordering Cambodia is also near the bottom of that “poor country” list and travelers are able to operate on the local economy there.
I think one of the main differences with Laos is the fact that most locals can’t even afford to travel around their own country or eat outside of their home. This is just one example of what keeps prices for two of traveler’s necessities higher.
The rest of the time I was quoted higher prices because I’m a foreigner and many travelers just pay higher prices without thinking too much about it and locals know they are “rich” because of several reasons I don’t need to mention.
I still like to be treated equally and I like to be given a fair price in the local economy. I like to bargain in a friendly way with vendors at the market or with guesthouse owners. Getting an honest price makes me feel like everybody else; makes me feels accepted by the people of the country in which I’m traveling.
The Rise of Tourism
Part of the development of two economies may be due to such a rapid rise in tourism. In the past 20 years, international tourists have gone from 80,000 to 1.8 million. That is a huge increase: difficult for a sleepy landlocked country to digest. One in every 11 jobs is in the tourism sector.
Tourism is affecting Laos and its people in a tremendous way. The Lao people are either changing due to their constant contact with westerners or else they have simply adjusted by treating foreigners in a different manner.
The Value
Most travelers coming either to or from Thailand will notice a huge drop in quality from everything Thai to that of Laos. In Laos, you’ll pay more for pretty much everything and it will be of much lesser quality. One reason for that is because almost nothing is made in Laos, and therefore imported goods are more expensive. For other things, like accommodation and local food, I don’t have an explanation.
The one exception is Beer Lao, the ubiquitous national beverage. It is cheaper than any Thai beer and is actually better quality too. However, every ingredient except the rice is imported.
The Final Word
I traveled in Laos for almost a month to nearly every part of the country. I very rarely speak negatively of a destination, and had I visited Laos 10 years ago, I probably wouldn’t have had the opinion I do today.
I wouldn’t even say that I would not re-visit Laos. I might (certain places, like Champusak, Muang Ngoi, and Si Phan Don were among my favorite in all of southeast Asia). And I certainly wouldn’t recommend that you skip Laos on your tour of southeast Asia.
All I’m saying is that Laos wasn’t the county that people described to me. It is a changed place, affected by tourism, and a difficult place to travel within the local economy.
Go to Laos; check it out for yourself. There are still great places for independent travelers to visit, lots of friendly people, and plenty of adventures to be had.
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I felt the same way! Laos was my least favorite country in all of SE Asia, even though everyone else seemed to love it.
I haven’t actually been to Laos but I have been to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I feel very sorry for Laos; as a landlocked country it has very little to offer tourists and can’t compete with its neighbouring countries. It is also significantly poorer.
During the American/Vietnam War, Laos was used as a dumping ground for the US bombs that were not dropped on Vietnam and this was not a common fact so it did not recieve the media interest (and aid that comes from that) that Vietnam received. Apparently Laos remains the most heavily bombed country in military history and it has not had the aid to help it recover. It does not have the beautiful beaches of Thailand, the ancient temples of Cambodia or the historical interest of Vietnam. All it seems to offer is a dirty river that tourists float up and down in tubes in whilst getting very drunk. And let’s face it, backpackers do not bring in a lot of money. I am not surprised to hear that the Laotians try to make an extra buck out of those that do venture there. That’s not to say that I think this is a justified approach to tourists that visit the country, just that on some level I can see where they are coming from.
Unfortunately wherever backpackers and tourists go, morals and values of the local community are affected.
I would still like to go to Laos as I have heard that the mountains are beautiful but I think I’ll give the tubing a miss!!
Interesting. I don’t actually agree with a lot of what you’re saying, but I do recognize some similar experiences that you had (rip-off tuk-tuks, etc). I actually really loved Laos: the people and the food especially.
This. So this.
Before I went to Laos I’d heard nothing but good things so I was pretty disappointed that I didn’t enjoy my 30 day stay. I’ve been struggling to pinpoint what I didn’t like about it (aside from the obvious three of prices, food and transport) – you’ve covered it so well.
Next time someone is trying to grill me on why I didn’t like Laos, I may just send them here!
Hi all,
Really sorry that you had a poor time.
We had a great time and it’s on the places to definately go back to.
I don’t want to advertise where exactly we went as it’s really for life to invite you to these places based on your travelling open heart.
All I can say is smile and say sabadie, take a tour down the mekong, elephant ride through the jungles, trek the mountains, saty in villages and experience the real Laos.
Laos is beautiful spirtual and a place where the people are just the best.
Good luck.
Peace
@ I love Laos Thanks for leaving a comment. I’m glad you had a great time in Laos. I agree, It’s nice for travelers make their own experiences and follow their own hearts.
I have to say I agree with I love Laos – Laos for me was my second favourite place in our 6 months in Asia just behind India… I found it soo much easier to get to know people and see the culture in Laos than I could ever have done in Thailand… Which I must admit I feel very much the same way about Thailand as you do about Laos -
The northern parts of Laos had to be among some of the most beautiful untouched areas I’ve encountered and for us it was a relief to be in an environment where we could do our own thing again – whereas Thailand felt a little bit like a tropical europe to me
All I’d say to anyone reading the above is that different places at different times capture peoples hearts in a very different way and I’d really not be put off by the views above – try it out and if you don’t like it really has a lot of places you can jump over too, being so much in the middle
Hi Sunblind, Thanks for sharing your point of view. It’s good to hear different people’s perspectives. I’m actually in Laos right now for the second time and I’m hoping to see it in a different way. I already visited Luang Namtha, a place I had not been the first time around. I enjoyed Luang Namtha, found the countryside around it beautiful and the locals extremely friendly. Right now I’m in Luang Prabang, a place I enjoyed the first time around, but this time it’s high season and prices are double and tourists are everywhere.
I doubt Lao people can bargain in the US, Europe or Australia. Yet I see foreigners haggling all over Laos, even over half a dollar. So what if they charge a foreigner a bit more. That extra dollar goes a long way in Laos. As for food, I’ve never been charged more than the locals. In fact, places that cater mostly to tourists have a menu with pricelist. Tuk tuk drivers do tend to charge more but I never paid over two dollars more than locals. Uh…Apple charges the same in Laos as it does over in the US…or elsewhere, no matter the per capita income. You don’t see Lao people complain about that, though. They want it, they pay for it.
Disagree with everything – been back to Laos 3 times and can’t wait to go back again. Friendly, respectful and honest people, some of the most amazing food ever (on the other hand, we never eat at typical backpacker’s places where menus are standardized to keep the average beer-drinking farang happy), beautiful guesthouses in old colonial architecture, unbelievable cultural diversity from an ethnographic perspective, beautiful traditional crafts…
But then, we avoided backpackers’ enclaves so maybe it’s a matter of knowing where to look?
Hi Illi,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your perspective. I returned to Laos since writing this post and had some better experiences this time.