traveller info for LAOS

[Bert]

I'm looking for info about Laos. I will start my trip in Thailand, Udon Thani (air asia from bkk), then cross the border to Vientiane, continue by bus to Vang Vieng, then to Luang Prabang. From there air asia again to Chiang Mai.

I have quite enough info about Thailand, but looking for info about Laos: hotel experiences, (gay) guides, contacts,bars, massage parlours or whatever could be useful for my trip and the possibility to meet nice lao-guys.
My trip is planned during the rainy season in august.

Thanks!

[goji]

Several years ago, the mixed massage shop at the following location had some cute boys. Actually, the one I had was so gorgeous I went back the next day.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Rue+Setthathilath,+Vientiane,+Laos/@17.9689947,102.5859198,17.99z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x3124688973a649d1:0xb6ae0 757ecf336b2!8m2!3d17.9689947!4d102.5881085?hl=en


Somewhere I found a reference to a Gay owned Babylon guesthouse in VangViene & regrettably stayed there for one night. This was a low end backpacker joint & I recommend you go somewhere else. That was quite a few years ago, but I wouldn't ever risk it.

Hotels for my 2 trips in Vientiane were selected by Trip Advisor & the one in Luang Prabang was selected by walking around upon arrival. Regrettably I had no cause to test their joiner policies.

[fedssocr]

Yeah, Laos is nothing like Thailand when it comes to that stuff.

LP is a nice little town though that I enjoy very much. Some guys on the phone apps you might be able to make contact with. No specifically gay bars or massage.

the Nomadic Boys have some Laos info http://nomadicboys.com/category/gay-travel-destinations/southeast-asia/laos/

[fountainhall]

It's about ten years since I was in Luang Prabang. At that time there was one gay bar and a mixed disco. I had booked an evening tour with the gay travel site Purple Dragon. It was not the most exciting evening but the guide was gay and very cute. I realise you are making your own arrangements but if you wish to contact Purple Dragon for advice, their site is - http://www.purpledrag.com/laos/index.htm

[bobsaigon2]

Also in Luang Prabang about 10 years ago. As fedssocr said above, "Laos is nothing like Thailand when it comes to that stuff". I arranged to meet a guy I found on Gay Romeo but he cancelled the day I arrived. Later found that his photo on GR belonged to someone else. Tried another GR guy, did meet him along with his much cuter cousin for dinner, went with them to the disco where everyone drinks as much as possible before the midnight closing. Had fun with the guy at my hotel that night and in the morning. At 7 am he announced, "I go now. You pay me". Nothing like pure romance! You'd probably have much better luck in Vientiane (?). Or bring a Lao boy with you from Udon or Nong Khai. Lots of them working there. In Luang Prabang, I enjoyed sitting at outdoor cafes on the Nam Khan River side, rather than on the Mekong side. Tons of tourists, but still a very attractive town.

[fountainhall]

I stayed in what was then a newly restored guesthouse set around a small courtyard on the road facing the Mekong - Sala Prabang. It had been opened by a Lao architect who had recently returned after 20 years in Australia. I see that it has now expanded considerably. Although there were obviously far fewer tourists, I actually enjoyed having coffee watching life on the Mekong, especially as the sun set across the river.

Returning after a day's sightseeing, the architect told me I should have returned a couple of hours earlier. Mick Jagger and one of his daughters had come to sit by the river. The Rolling Stones had been scheduled to give a Bangkok concert that had to be cancelled when all the gear could not arrive from their last concert in Bombay in time. So Jagger had chartered a Bangkok Airways plane to visit Luang Prabang.

The architect (I'm sorry I just cannot recall his name) had actually worked with Jagger at a concert in Sydney. He was then doing part-time work as a security guard and worked on many pop events. At one rehearsal, Jagger noticed that he looked Asian, went up to him and asked if there was any way the group could get some pot. Sure, said the architect. I'll get it sent down overnight. So he called a friend in the Lao Embassy who contacted someone in Vientiane. End result? A large stash of pot was included in the next day's diplomatic bag!

Seeing Jagger close to his guesthouse, the architect had gone over and reintroduced himself. Jagger chuckled as he remembered the pot episode and the three of them enjoyed a coffee together. Had I just arrived earlier, he said, I could have joined them! C'est la vie!

4484

4485

4486

4487

4488

[arsenal]

From Utopia Gay Asia

"We'll tell you a secret. Laos is a don't-miss destination that most travelers to Asia skip simply because they haven't a clue about the wealth of beauty and tradition waiting to be discovered here. Spectacular landscapes that would have thrilled Ansel Adams abound; traditional life that has long-vanished from other parts of Asia continues here with refreshing vitality; friendly, law-abiding citizens wear handsome faces that reflect the converging streams of cultures and ethnicities that flow along the mighty mother river Mekong; costumes, cuisine, gardens and homes are a color-splashed feast for the senses. Laos has a very young population, so we expect its refreshing vibrancy to blossom further as the new generation gains confidence and freedom.

Don't travel to Laos expecting to find a sophisticated gay scene. Instead, enjoy the gentle and familial tolerance towards local gays who have begun to stand out and contribute their talents to trendy cafés, pubs, boutique hotels, galleries, restaurants and craft shops popping up in the two main cities."

[Oliver]

P. and I were in Luang Prabang three months ago and he is demanding a return. We travelled by Air Asia and stayed in a pleasant, friendly hotel overlooking the Mekong. If you enjoy beautiful scenery (the river trips are a must) and temples, you will enjoy your stay. The night market is also worth a visit.
Not only was there no visible gay scene (admittedly we weren't actively seeking one) but anyone hoping to entertain a visitor in their hotel room should be aware that there were letters prominently displayed in the hotel stating that the police and local authorities did not allow Laotian/foreigner couples in rooms unless they were married. I have heard of a gay falang arranging to meet a local guy and his hotel denying him entrance.
What may happen on an informal level is another matter. One early evening I had a beer in one of the many bars overlooking the river on my own while P. was getting ready for dinner (a time-consuming process, as it happens) when a handsome young waiter became extremely friendly. Who knows what may have become of this had I been alone....though not in my hotel!
By the way, Fountainhall, thanks for those photos; they capture the essence of the city, putting my feeble efforts to shame.

[fountainhall]

When checking my photo files, I realised that my trip was actually 14 years ago! I suspect hotel/B&B regulations were slacker then as I recall no notices in my guest house about room visitors. I had noticed two very cute waiters when having dinner in a restaurant round the corner from my guest house (turn right out of the front door and then right again is all I recall). Imagine my surprise when one turned up on his motor cycle to be my evening guide! He made it pretty clear he'd like to come back to my room but that night I was just too tired. Sitting having a drink by the river on my last afternoon, a group of tall schoolboys (or so I assumed they had to be as they were in uniform with shorts) came and sat at the next two tables. Two were very obviously gay with one gesturing to me and pointing to his friend. I guessed that did not mean he wanted me to buy his friend a coffee - but I could have been wrong! But I had no time to find out as my flight awaited.

I loved walking around the old town with all those temples - so much smaller than their Thai counterparts. Seeing the town from the oddly named Phousi mountain was also interesting. And the trip upriver to the Pak Ou caves was both fascinating and fun.

4489

4490

4491

4492

4493

[Oliver]

I recognise all those places in the beautiful photographs. One of the joys of LP is that they look exactly the same today as they did fourteen years ago.
The river scene shows just how remote and underpopulated the country is. We travelled to the caves shown in the last photo-.about three hours in our boat- and saw very few signs of habitation.
One change that Fountainhall may welcome is that the old, colonial-style houses along the Mekong have been carefully and sensitively renovated. Some of them are now boarding houses. One other change is, alas! a sign of the times...the popular temples are crowded in the mornings, predominantly, as far as we could discern, with Chinese day trippers. We couldn't work out where they were staying.

[Bert]

Thanks a lot for all the replies to my post.
It will be a great help!

[christianpfc]

I stayed in a guesthouse (don't remember the name, but would be able to point it out on a map) in 2011 and 2014, no problem with joiners 2011 (no occasion to test in 2014).

My most lasting impression is the worst Tom Kha Gai (bone splinters in the food, my pet peeve) I ever had (and probably the most expensive as well) on a restaurant overlooking the Mekong. My guesthouse rather overprices as well, compared to rural Thailand.

Having been twice to Luang Prabang, it's an interesting city, but I don't see the attraction. I describe it as Pattaya for do-gooders.

I like the waterfall near LP very much, especially climbing up, passing through the water, and climbing down the other side.

I found the day bus trips in Lao rather unpleasant (slow and shaky) to horrible (LP to V); the overnight Vientiane to Xiang Khuag was ok.

I posted about tourist and travel stuff here: http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/search/label/Lao

[Oliver]

I can't see any comparison between Sin-City-on-Sea and an ancient city without bars- or their denizens. And I'm not sure why do-gooders should go there; P. and I were there for enjoyment. Admittedly, he prays in the temples but he does that in Pattaya and Bangkok as well., We then flew to Pattaya for enjoyment of a rather different kind..

One thing I do agree with; we didn't think that the restaurants were anywhere near the quality of those in Thailand.