Travel in Malaysia

Malaysia does not have the grand, ancient ruins of neighbouring Thailand, but its rich cultural heritage is apparent, both in its traditional kampung (village) areas and in its commitment to religious plurality. The dominant cultural force has undoubtedly been Islam, but the country's diverse population of indigenous Malays, Chinese and Indians has spawned a fabulous juxtaposition of mosques, temples and churches, a panoply of festivals and a wonderful mixture of cuisines. In addition, Malaysia boasts fine beaches, as well as the world's oldest tropical rainforest and some spectacular cave systems.

Your first impressions of Malaysia's hi-tech, fast-growing west-coast capital, Kuala Lumpur (KL), are likely to be of a vibrant and colourful, if crowded, place. Traditionally, people have stayed just long enough to think about their next destination, but there are good reasons to stay a little longer: accommodation is plentiful and cheap, the food is excellent and its streets safe and friendly. Less than three hours' journey south lies the birthplace of Malay civilization, Melaka, a must on anybody's itinerary, while north up the coast is the first British settlement, the island of Penang, and its very appealing capital, Georgetown. For a taste of Old England and lots of walks, head for the hill station of the Cameron Highlands.

North of Penang, the premier tourist destination is Pulau Langkawi, a popular duty-free island. Routes down the Peninsula's east coast are more relaxing, with stops at the sleepy mainland kampung such as Cherating and the stunning islands of Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Tioman. The state capitals of Kota Bharu, near the northeastern Thai border, and Kuala Terengganu, further south, are showcases for the best of Malay crafts and performing arts, while the unsullied tropical rainforests of Taman Negara national park offer trails, animal hides, a high canopy walkway and waterfalls.

Across the sea from the Peninsula are the Bornean states of Sarawak and Sabah. For most travellers, their first taste of Sarawak is Kuching, the old colonial capital, and then the Iban longhouses of the Batang Ai and Batang Lupar river systems, or the Bidayuh communities closer to the Kalimantan border. The best time to visit is in late May to early June when the Iban and the Bidayuh celebrate their harvest festivals with ribald parties to which everyone is invited. Sibu, much further to the north, is another starting point for more visits to other Iban longhouses and the idyllic Pelagus Rapids region. In the north of the state, Gunung Mulu national park is the principal destination, its extraordinary razor-sharp limestone needles providing demanding climbing – its deep, cathedral-shaped caves are awe-inspiring.

The main reason for a trip to Sabah is to conquer the 4101-metre granite peak of Mount Kinabalu, though the lively modern capital Kota Kinabalu and its offshore islands have their moments, too. Beyond this, Sabah is worth a visit for its wildlife, including turtles, orang-utans, proboscis monkeys and hornbills, while oceanic Pulau Sipadan has a host of sharks, fish and turtles, as well as one of the world's top coral reef dives.

Temperatures in Malaysia constantly hover around 30°C (22°C in highland areas), and humidity is high all year round. The major distinction in the seasons is marked by the arrival of the monsoon, which brings heavy and prolonged downpours to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, the northeastern part of Sabah, and the western end of Sarawak from November to February; boats to most of the islands do not run during the height of the monsoon. The Peninsula's west coast experiences fewer major thunderstorms during the months of April and May. The ideal time to visit is between April and October, avoiding the worst of the rains.

 

Communications

Overseas mail takes four to seven days to reach its destination. Packages are expensive to send, with surface/sea mail taking two months to Europe, longer to the USA, and even air mail taking a few weeks. There's usually a shop near the post office which will wrap your parcel for RM5 or so. If you leave your letter or package unsealed, the postage will be cheaper. Each Malaysian town has a General Post Office, with a poste restante/general delivery section, where mail is held for two months. GPOs also forward mail (for one month), free of charge, if you fill in the right form. See "Basics" for advice on poste restante.

There are public telephone boxes in most towns in Malaysia; local calls cost 10 sen for an unlimited amount of time. For long-distance calls, it makes sense to use a card phone, either the ubiquitous Uniphone (yellow), the green Cityphone, or the widespread government Kadfon (blue). Cards of RM5, RM10, RM20 and RM50 are sold at Shell and Petronas stations, newsagents and most 7-Elevens. Note that the Uniphone only takes RM20 or RM50 cards. Check for an international logo on the phone booth before dialling overseas. To call abroad from Malaysia, dial 00 + IDD country code (see "Basics") + area code minus first 0 + subscriber number.

You can also use your BT or AT&T chargecard in Malaysia. Collect (reverse charge) calls can be made from hotels or from a Telekom office (open office hours), though these are found only in larger towns. In KL, Penang and Kota Kinabalu there are also Home Country Direct phones – press the appropriate button and you'll be connected with your home operator, who can either arrange a collect call or debit you. Many businesses in Malaysia have mobile phone numbers; they are prefixed tel 011 or 010 and are expensive to call.

Internet cafés are plentiful and often found in smaller places, as well as major towns. Many small and remote hostels and guesthouses also provide internet access, as do top-of-the-range hotels. Prices are very competitive, ranging between RM3 and RM10 per hour. Connections are usually pretty good.

Crime and safety

If you lose something in Malaysia, you're more likely to have someone running after you with it than running away. Nevertheless, muggings have been known, and theft from dormitories by other tourists is a common complaint. It's a good idea to keep one credit or debit card with you, and another in your room. In the more remote parts of Sarawak or Sabah there is little crime, and you needn't worry unduly about carrying more cash than usual. If you do need to report a crime in Malaysia, head for the nearest police station, where there'll be someone who speaks English – you'll need a copy of the police report for insurance purposes. In many major tourist spots, there are specific tourist police stations. It is very unwise to have anything to do with drugs of any description in Malaysia. The penalties for trafficking drugs in or out of either country are extreme – foreigners have been executed in the past.

Medical care and emergencies

The levels of hygiene and medical care in Malaysia are higher than in much of the rest of Southeast Asia; staff almost everywhere speak good English and use up-to-date techniques. There's always a pharmacy in main towns, which is well stocked with brand-name drugs. They also sell oral contraceptives and condoms over the counter. Pharmacists can help with simple complaints, though if you're in any doubt, get a proper diagnosis. Opening hours are usually Mon–Sat 9.30am–7pm; pharmacies in shopping malls stay open later. Private clinics are found even in the smallest towns; a visit costs around RM30, excluding medication. The emergency department of each town's General Hospital will see foreigners for the token fee of RM1, though costs rise rapidly if continued treatment or overnight stays are necessary. See the "Listings" sections at major towns for addresses of pharmacies and hospitals.

Money and costs

Malaysia's unit of currency is the Malaysian ringgit, divided into 100 sen. You'll also see the ringgit written as "RM", or simply as "$" (M$), and often hear it called a "dollar". Notes come in $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1000 denominations; coins are minted in 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen and $1 denominations. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was around RM5.30 to £1, with the ringgit fixed against the US dollar at RM3.80. There is no black market.

If entering Malaysia from Thailand, you will find your daily budget remains pretty much unchanged, but approaching from Indonesia, costs will take a step up. In Peninsular Malaysia, if you stay in basic accommodation, use local transport and eat at roadside stalls, you can manage on £10/US$15 a day. With air-conditioned rooms, decent restaurants and the occasional beer, your daily budget becomes a more realistic £20/US$30.

You'll find living costs roughly similar in East Malaysia, though room rates are around thirty percent more expensive. Moreover, transport in Sarawak and Sabah can be expensive, since you may decide to charter your own boat, and adequately exploring some of the major national parks can require paying upfront for guides or tours.

Sterling and US dollar traveller's cheques can be cashed at Malaysian banks, licensed moneychangers and some hotels. Ban Hin Lee Bank (BHL) doesn't charge any commission for changing American Express traveller's cheques, but can only be found in major cities.

Licensed moneychangers' kiosks in bigger towns tend to open until around 6pm, and sometimes at weekends; some hotels will exchange money at all hours. It's not difficult to change money in Sabah or Sarawak, though if travelling by river in the interior, you should carry a fair bit of cash, in smallish denominations.

Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels and large shops, but beware of illegal surcharges. Banks will advance cash against major credit cards, and with American Express, Visa and MasterCard as well as Cirrus, Plus and Maestrobank (debit) cards, you can withdraw money from automatic teller machines (ATMs) in big cities and many towns.

Wiring money to Malaysia is straightforward. In KL, the best banks to use are Bank of America Wisma Goldhill, Jalan Raja Chulan, Golden Triangle (tel 03/202 1133) and the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, 2 Lebuh Ampang, Little India (tel 03/230 0744).

Food and drink

Malaysian cuisine is inspired by the three main communities, Malay, Chinese and Indian. The standard of cooking is extremely high and food everywhere is remarkably good value. Basic noodle- or rice-based meals at a street stall will cost just a few dollars, and a full meal with drinks in a reputable restaurant will seldom cost more than RM40 a head.

 

The cuisines

Malay cuisine is based on rice, often enriched with santan (coconut milk), which is served with a dazzling variety of curries, vegetable stir-fries and sambals, a condiment of chillies and shrimp paste.

The most famous dish is satay – virtually Malaysia's national dish – which comprises skewers of barbecued meat dipped in spicy peanut sauce. The classic way to sample Malay curries is to eat nasi campur , a buffet (usually served at lunchtime) of steamed rice supplemented by any of up to two dozen accompanying dishes, including lembu (beef), kangkong (greens), fried chicken, fish steaks and curry sauce, and various vegetables. Another popular dish is nasi goreng (mixed fried rice with meat, seafood and vegetables). For breakfast, the most popular Malay dish is nasi lemak, rice cooked in coconut milk and served with sambal ikan bilis (tiny fried anchovies in hot chilli paste).

In Sabah, there's the Murut speciality of jaruk – raw wild boar fermented in a bamboo tube, but the most famous Sabah dish is hinava, or raw fish pickled in lime juice. In Sarawak, you're most likely to eat with the Iban, sampling wild boar with jungle ferns and sticky rice. A particular favourite in Kuching are bamboo clams, small pencil-shaped slivery delicacies which only grow in the wild in mangrove-dense riverine locations. These are called "monkey's penises" by the locals.

Typical Nonya dishes incorporate elements from Chinese, Indonesian and Thai cooking. Chicken, fish and seafood form the backbone of the cuisine, and unlike Malay food, pork is used. Noodles (mee) flavoured with chillies, and rich curries made from rice flour and coconut cream, are common. A popular breakfast dish is laksa, noodles in spicy coconut soup served with seafood and beansprouts, lemon grass, pineapple, pepper, lime leaves and chilli. Other popular Nonya dishes include ayam buah keluak, chicken cooked with Indonesian "black" nuts; and otak-otak, fish mashed with coconut milk and chilli and steamed in a banana leaf.

Chinese food dominates in Malaysia – fish and seafood is nearly always outstanding, with prawns, crab, squid and a variety of fish on offer almost everywhere. Noodles, too, are ubiquitous, and come in wonderful variations – thin, flat, round, served in soup (wet) or fried (dry). Malaysians eat mee any time of the day or night, and a particular favourite is a dish called hokkien mee: fat, white noodles with tempe in a rich soy sauce whipped up in three minutes flat by a wok chef at the side of the road. The dominant style is Cantonese and the classic lunch is dim sum, a variety of steamed and fried dumplings served in bamboo baskets. Standard dishes include chicken in chilli or with cashew nuts; buttered prawns, or prawns served with a sweet and sour sauce; spare ribs; and mixed vegetables with tofu (beancurd) and beansprouts. For something a little more unusual, try a steamboat, a Chinese-style fondue filled with boiling stock in which you cook meat, fish, shellfish, eggs and vegetables; or a claypot – meat, fish or shellfish cooked over a fire in an earthenware pot.

North Indian food tends to rely more on meat, especially mutton and chicken, and breads – naan, chapatis, parathas and rotis – rather than rice. The most famous style of North Indian cooking is tandoori – named after the clay oven in which the food is cooked. A favourite breakfast is roti canai (pancake and daal) or roti kaya (pancake spread with egg and jam). Southern Indian food tends to be spicier and more reliant on vegetables. Its staple is the dosai (pancake), often served at breakfast time as a masala dosai, stuffed with onions, vegetables and chutney. Indian Muslims serve the similar murtabak, a grilled roti pancake with egg and minced meat. Many South Indian cafés serve daun pisang at lunchtime, usually a vegetarian meal where rice is served on banana leaves with vegetable curries. It's normal to eat a banana-leaf meal with your right hand, though restaurants will always have cutlery.

 

Drinking

Tap water is safe to drink in Malaysia, though it's wise to stick to bottled water (RM2 a litre) in rural areas, and in Sarawak and Sabah. Using ice for drinks is generally fine, too, making the huge variety of seasonal fresh fruit drinks, available in hawker centres and street corners, even more pleasant. You'll often find that sweet condensed milk is added to tea and coffee unless you ask for it without. In city centres look out for the sweetened soy milk and sugar-cane juice touted on street corners.

Only in certain places on the east coast of the Malaysian Peninsula is drinking alcohol outlawed. Elsewhere, despite the Muslim influence, alcohol is available in bars, restaurants, Chinese kedai kopi, supermarkets and sometimes at hawker's stalls. Anchor and Tiger beer (lager) are locally produced and are probably the best choices, although Carlsberg and Heineken are being marketed heavily. Locally produced whisky and rum are cheap enough, too, though pretty rough. The brandy , which is what some local Chinese drink, tends to be better. Wine is becoming more common and competitively priced too. There is a thriving bar scene in KL, Kuching and Penang; less so in other towns. Fierce competition keeps happy hours a regular feature (usually 5–7pm), bringing the beer down to around RM5 a glass. Some bars open all day (11am–11pm), but most tend to double as clubs, opening in the evenings until 2 or 3am. All-night clubs are a relatively new development, and again liberal licensing seems to apply.

 

Where to eat

To eat inexpensively go to hawker stalls, traditionally simple wooden stalls on the roadside, with a few stools to sit at. They serve standard Malay noodle and rice dishes, satay, Indian fast food such as roti canai, plus more obscure regional delicacies. Most are scrupulously clean, with the food cooked in front of you. Avoid dishes that look as if they've been standing around, or have been reheated, and you should be fine. Hawker stalls don't have menus and you don't have to sit close to the stall you're patronizing: find a free table, and the vendor will track you down when your food is ready. You may find that the meal should be paid for when it reaches your table, but the usual form is to pay at the end. Most outdoor stalls open at around 11am, usually offering the day's nasi campur selection; prices are determined by the number of dishes you choose on top of your rice, usually about RM2–3 per portion. Hawker stalls generally close well before midnight.

Few streets exist without a kedai kopi, a coffee house or café, usually run by Chinese or Indians. Most open at 7am or 8am; closing times vary from 6pm to midnight. Basic Chinese coffee houses serve noodle and rice dishes all day, as well as cakes. The culinary standard might not be very high, but a filling one-plate meal costs a couple of dollars. If available, full meals of meat, seafood and vegetables cost about RM5.

On the whole, proper restaurants are places to savour particular delicacies found nowhere else, like shark's-fin dishes, bird's-nest soup, and high-quality seafood. In many restaurants, the food is not necessarily superior to that served at a good café or hawker stall – you're just paying for air-con and tablecloths. Tipping is not expected and bills arrive complete with service charge and government tax. In the main, restaurants are open from 11.30am to 2.30pm and from 6 to 10.30pm.

Overland and sea routes into Malaysia

Malaysia has land borders with Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesian Kalimantan. Aside from the options we've detailed, there are regular boats from Bandar in Brunei to Lawas and Limbang in Sarawak and to Pulau Labuan in Sabah. Weekly boats from Zamboanga in the Philippines run to Sandakan in Sabah. We've given an outline of overland and sea routes: full details are given in the accounts of relevant departure points.

From Indonesia

A variety of ferries and speedboats depart from Indonesia to Malaysia. Boats run from Tanjung Balai, in Sumatra, to Port Klang, just outside Kuala Lumpur; from Medan, in north Sumatra, to Penang ; from Dumai, south of Medan, to Melaka; from Pulau Batam, in the Riau archipelago, to Johor Bahru; from Nunukan and Tarakan in northeastern Kalimantan to Tawau in Sabah; and from Tanjung Balai to Kukup, 200km south of Melaka.

There is a land border at Entikong, 100km southwest of Kuching; buses run from Pontianak in southern Kalimantan through here to Kuching. You can also cross from Nanga Badau into Sarawak.

From the Philippines

There are several weekly sailings from Zamboanga, in the southern Philippines, to Sandakan, in Sabah.

From Thailand

Travelling from Thailand to Malaysia is straightforward and a very commonly used route. Most Western tourists can spend thirty days in Malaysia and fourteen days in Singapore without having bought a visa beforehand, and the transport connections between the three countries are excellent. This makes it an ideal route for tourists and expats needing to renew their Thai visas; there are Thai consulates in Kuala Lumpur, Georgetown (Penang) and Kota Bahru.

Most people choose to travel by long-distance train or bus to Malaysian cities such as KL or Butterworth, either from Bangkok, Krabi, Surat Thani or Hat Yai; see individual city accounts and "Travel Details". However, you can also travel by more local transport, as there are a number of border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia – from Satun to Kuala Perlis and Langkawi; Padang Besar to Kuala Perlis and Alor Setar; Betong to Sungei Petani; Sungai Kolok to Kota Bharu; Ban Taba to Kota Bharu, Sadao and Wang Prachan.

Plenty of buses also cross the Thai–Malaysian border every day. The southern Thai town of Hat Yai is the major transport hub for international bus connections to Butterworth (5hr), Penang (6hr), Kuala Lumpur (12hr) and Singapore (18hr).

 

Information and maps

Tourism Malaysia operates a tourist office in most major towns, but is not that useful for areas off the beaten track. Locally run visitor centres, found in most major towns, are more geared up to independent travellers' needs. You can also book permits and accommodation for the national parks at these centres.

The best general maps of Malaysia are Macmillan's 1:2,000,000 Malaysia Traveller's Map and the more detailed Nelles 1:650,000 West Malaysia (not including Sabah and Sarawak). The best detailed relief map of Sarawak is the Land and Survey Department's 1:500,000 issue, available in the bookshop at the Kuching Holiday Inn; also good is the Periplus 1:1,000,000 Sarawak map – it was updated in 2000, so be sure not to buy the old one. The best coverage of Sabah is on maps produced by Nelles. City maps can usually be picked up in the visitor centres.

 

Entry requirements and visa extension

Most nationalities do not need a visa for stays of fewer than two months in Malaysia, but passports must be valid for three months beyond your date of departure, and for six months if you're going to Sabah or Sarawak. To extend your visa, go to an immigration department office (eg in KL, Penang or Johor Bahru), or simply cross into Singapore and back. A one-month extension should be no problem, and a three-month extension may be possible.

Tourists travelling from the Peninsula to Sarawak and Sabah must be cleared again by immigration. Visitors to Sabah can remain as long as their original two-month stamp is valid. Visitors to Sarawak – whether from Sabah or the Peninsula – receive a new, one-month stamp which is rarely extendible. If you start your trip in Sarawak and then fly to the mainland, be sure to get your passport stamped by immigration with the usual two-month pass. If an officer isn't available to do this then go to the Immigration Office in Kuching at the first opportunity to get it stamped there.

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Travel in Laos: Free online guide

Less than a decade ago, Laos (pop. 5.25 million) was largely unknown to Western travellers. Other than a brief period during the 1960s, when the former French colony became a player in the Vietnam War, it has been largely ignored by the West – a situation that only intensified after the 1975 revolution and the years of xenophobic communist rule that ensued. However, since the Lao People's Democratic Republic reluctantly reopened its doors in the 1990s, a steady flow of visitors has trickled into this poverty-stricken, old-fashioned country, and a few traveller-oriented services have begun to emerge. For many, a journey through Laos consists of a whistlestop tour through the two main towns of Vientiane and Louang Phabang, with perhaps a brief detour to the mysterious Plain of Jars or ancient Wat Phou. However, those willing to explore further and brave difficult roads and basic, candlelit accommodation will be rewarded with sights of a rugged natural landscape and ethnically diverse people not much changed from those that greeted French explorers more than a century ago.

Laos's life-line is the Mekong River, which runs the length of the landlocked country and in places serves as a boundary with Thailand. Set on a broad curve of the Mekong, Vientiane is perhaps Southeast Asia's most modest capital city, and provides a smooth introduction to Laos, offering a string of cosmopolitan cafés to compensate for a relative lack of sights. From here, most tourists dash north, usually by plane, to Louang Phabang, though it's worth taking more time and doing the journey by bus, stopping off en route at the town of Vang Viang, set in a spectacular landscape of rice paddies and karsts. Once the heart and soul of the ancient kingdom of Lane Xang, tiny, cultured Louang Phabang is Laos's most enticing destination, with a spellbinding panoply of gilded temples and weathered shop-houses.

The wild highlands of the far north aren't the easiest to get around, but the prospect of trekking to nearby hilltribe villages has put easy-going Muang Sing on the map. From here, you can travel to the Burmese border at Xiang Kok, and then down the Mekong River to Houayxai, an entry point popular with travellers arriving from Thailand in search of a slow boat for the picturesque journey south to Louang Phabang. Lost in the misty mountains of the far northeast, the provincial capital of Xam Nua gives access to Viang Xai, where the Pathet Lao directed their resistance from deep within a vast cave complex. Following Route 6 south brings you to the bustling town of Phonsavan, set beside the Plain of Jars, a moonscape of bomb craters dotted with very ancient funerary urns. In the south, the vast majority of travellers zip down Route 13, stopping off in the three major southern towns: Thakhek, genial and cultural Savannakhet – also a handy border crossing with Thailand, and offering buses to Vietnam, too – and the important transport hub of Pakxe. Further south, near the former royal seat of Champasak, lie the ruins of Wat Phou, one of the most important Khmer temples outside Cambodia. South again, the countless river islands of Si Phan Don lie scattered across the Mekong, boasting scores of traditional fishing communities and the chance to spot the rare Irawaddy dolphin.

November to February are the most pleasant months to travel in lowland Laos, when daytime temperatures are agreeably warm and evenings slightly chilly; at higher elevations temperatures can drop to freezing point. In March, temperatures begin to climb, reaching a peak in April, when the lowlands are baking hot and humid. Generally, the rains begin in May and last until September, rendering many of Laos's unsealed roads impassable.

Communications

Mail takes one to two weeks in or out of Laos. Express Mail Service operates to most Western countries and certain destinations within Laos; the service cuts down on delivery time and automatically registers your letter. When sending parcels, leave the package open for inspection. However, it's not advisable to ship anything of value home from Laos; if you're going to Thailand, wait and send it from there. Incoming parcels are also subject to inspection.

Poste restante services are available in Vientiane and Louang Phabang; always address mail using the country's official name, Lao PDR, rather than "Laos".

The best place to make overseas telephone calls is the local Telecom Office (8am–9pm); elsewhere, international calls can sometimes be placed at the post office. To call abroad from Laos, dial 00 and then the relevant country code. Calls to the UK and North America cost approximately $3 per minute, $1.50 to New Zealand and less than $1 to Australia. There's no facility for collect or reverse-charge calls, but you can often get a "call back" for a small fee: ask the operator for the minimum call abroad and then get the person you're calling to ring you back. International fax services are available at upmarket hotels in Vientiane and Louang Phabang and at most provincial post offices.

Public card-phones are wired for both domestic and international calls. Phone booths are usually stationed outside post offices in provincial capitals, and occasionally elsewhere in larger towns. Phonecards (bat tholasap; $2.50–6) are sold at shops and post and telephone offices in several denominations of time "units"; these are units of time rather than money. Because of high charges for overseas calls and the low amount of time units available, it's difficult to make an overseas call that lasts for more than a few minutes before you're cut off. Local calls can be made at hotels and guesthouses for a small fee. Regional codes are given throughout the section: the "0" must be dialled before all long-distance calls.

The emergence of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Laos has drastically reduced the price and increased the availability of access to the web. Currently you'll find email and internet services at cybercafés and computer shops in Vientiane, Louang Phabang, Vang Viang, Oudomxai, Houayxai, Thakhek, Savannakhet and Pakxe, although it won't be long before these services spring up in other parts of the country. Charges range from 100K to 1000K per minute, depending on how far you are from the capital, where the lone ISP – Laonet – is based.

Crime and safety

Laos is a safe country for travellers. The recent economic woes have pushed crime rates up slightly, but petty crime remains on a small scale. As you would anywhere, keep your wits about you. If you do have anything stolen, you'll need to get the police to write up a report for your insurance: bring along a translator if you can.

Banditry

South of Route 7 lies the Xaisomboun Special Zone, an administrative district carved out of parts of Xiang Khouang and Bolikhamxai provinces and administered by the army. It is considered unsafe and is currently closed to tourists. Route 6 from Muang Khoun to Pakxan in the eastern part of the Special Zone should be avoided. Caution should also be exercised in the far south along the Cambodian border.

Drugs

It is illegal to smoke ganja in Laos although it continues to be widely available. Tourists who buy and smoke ganja risk substantial "fines" if caught by police, who do not need a warrant to search you or your room. Despite laws against possession, distribution and trafficking of opium, Laos has seen a steady rise in recent years of "drug tourism". Since 2001 there has been a wide-scale government crack-down on such drug tourism and opium dens in tourist centres such as Vang Vieng and Muang Sing have been shut down.

Emergency numbers

In Vientiane dial the following numbers (there are no emergency numbers for the rest of the country):

Fire 190

Ambulance 195

Police 191

Medical care and emergencies

You'll find pharmacies in all the major towns and cities. Pharmacists in Vientiane and Louang Phabang are quite knowledgeable and have a decent supply of medicines.

Healthcare in Laos is so poor as to be virtually non-existent. The nearest medical care of any competence is in neighbouring Thailand, and if you find yourself afflicted by anything more serious than travellers' diarrhoea, it's best to head for the closest Thai border crossing and check into a hospital. A clinic attached to the Australian embassy in Vientiane is mainly for embassy personnel, but can be relied upon in extreme emergencies.

Money and costs

Lao currency is the kip and is available in 5000K, 2000K, 1000K and 500K. There are no coins in circulation. In addition, the Thai baht and American dollar operate parallel to the kip. Although a 1990 law technically forbids the use of foreign currencies to pay for local goods and services, many hotels, restaurants and tour operators actually quote their prices in dollars, and accept payment in either baht or dollars. The government-owned airline, Lao Aviation, only accepts payment in American dollars cash.

The Asian financial crisis in 1997 badly affected the kip. Between June 1997 and early 1999, the kip, which is not freely convertible, fell more than eighty percent against the dollar and inflation was running at over a hundred percent a year. Although inflation has settled to 35 percent per annum, many Lao are suffering real hardship, as prices continue to rise while salaries remain the same.

The difference between the official and black-market rate is now so small that the once thriving black market (talat meut) in foreign currencies hardly exists. The government urges tourists to use banks and official exchange kiosks but just about every business in Laos is happy to change your currency at a favourable rate. At the time of writing, the official exchange rate was 9500 kip to the US dollar, 215 kip to the Thai baht and 12,975 kip to the pound.

Traveller's cheques are a safe way to carry your money, but it's a good idea to have a decent supply of American dollars or Thai baht in cash if you intend to spend time in the remoter parts of the country. Before travelling to smaller towns, change enough money to use until the next major town. Major credit cards are accepted at many hotels, upmarket restaurants and shops in Vientiane and Louang Phabang. Cash advances on Visa cards, and less frequently MasterCard, are possible in most major towns. At present, it still isn't possible to withdraw cash from ATMs in Laos. Bear in mind that you cannot change kip back into dollars or baht when leaving the country – and that duty-free shops only accept dollars and baht.

Food and drink

Fiery and fragrant, with a touch of sour, Lao food owes its distinctive taste to fermented fish sauces, lemon grass, coriander leaves, chillies and lime juice and is closely related to Thai cuisine. Eaten with the hands along with the staple sticky rice, much of Lao cuisine is roasted over an open fire and served with fresh herbs and vegetables. Pork, chicken, duck and water buffalo all end up in the kitchen, but freshwater fish is the main source of protein. An ingredient in many recipes is nâm pa, or fish sauce, which is used like salt. Most Lao cooking calls for fish sauce so you may want to order "baw sai nâm pa" ("without fish sauce").

Vientiane and Louang Phabang boast the country's best food, with excellent Lao food and international cuisine, but in remote towns you'll often only find noodles. Although Laos is a Buddhist country, very few Lao are vegetarian. It's fairly easy however to get a vegetable dish or a vegetable fried rice.

Hygiene is always an important consideration when eating out in Southeast Asia. All over Laos, the kitchen is often just a shack without proper lighting or even running water, and cooking is done over an open fire. Furthermore, in many northern towns there is no electricity to run refrigeration. As a rule, sticking to tourist-class restaurants is the safest bet but it is by no means a guarantee of not getting an upset stomach.

In smaller towns and villages, there may not be any sit-down restaurants as so few people can afford to eat out. Street stalls and food shacks that do a brisk business are the safest bets but cooked food that has been left standing should be treated with suspicion. Dishes containing raw meat or raw fish are considered a delicacy in Laos, but people who eat them risk parasites.

Where to eat

The cheapest places for food are markets, food stalls and noodle shops. Found in most towns throughout Laos, morning markets (talat sâo) remain open all day despite their name and provide a focal point for noodle shops (hân khãi fõe), coffee vendors, fruit stands and sellers of crusty loaves of French bread. In Louang Phabang and Vientiane, vendors hawking pre-made dishes gather in evening markets known as talat láeng towards late afternoon. Takeaways such as grilled chicken (pîng kai), spicy papaya salad (tam màk hung) and minced pork salad (làp mu) are commonly available.

Some noodle shops and food stalls feature a makeshift kitchen surrounded by a handful of tables and stools, inhabiting a permanent patch of pavement or even an open-air shop-house. Most stalls will specialize in only one general food type, or even only one dish, for example a stall with a mortar and pestle, unripe papayas and plastic bags full of pork rinds will only offer spicy papaya salads. Similarly, a noodle shop will generally only prepare noodles with or without broth – they won't have meat or fish dishes that are usually eaten with rice. A step up from street stalls and noodle shops are hân kin deum, literally "eat-drink shops", where you'll find a somewhat greater variety of dishes, as well as beer and whisky. Outside of Vientiane, street stalls and noodle shops rarely stay open beyond 8pm.

Most proper restaurants (hân ahãn) are run by ethnic Vietnamese and Chinese. Since Lao seldom eat outside the home there are few Lao-food restaurants. Many local eateries don't have menus – in Lao or English – so it's a good idea to memorize a few stock dishes such as fried rice (khao phat). Restaurants catering more to foreigners usually have an English menu and offer fried noodles and fried rice as well as a variety of Lao, Chinese and Thai dishes. Vientiane has a range of more expensive Lao restaurants, as well as good international food. A meal in one of these places won't cost more than $15.

Overland routes into Laos

Laos has borders with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, and Burma.
FROM BURMA
Western tourists are not permitted to cross between Burma and Laos at Muangmom or Xiang Kok, the two main border points between the two countries.
FROM CAMBODIA
Although the border crossing between Cambodia and Laos is not "officially" open, a steady stream of Western travellers have been getting through in both directions without incident.
FROM CHINA
From the town of Jinghong in China's southwestern Yunnan province, daily buses travel to and from Muang Sing, Oudomxai, and Louang Namtha. The last town on the Chinese side is the village of Mo Han and the first Lao village you come to is Boten. The river route from China to Laos is currently only open to cargo boats but there is talk of allowing foreign tourists to use this route in the near future.
FROM THAILAND
There are currently five points along the Thai border where Westerners are permitted to cross into Laos: Chiang Khong to Houayxai; Nong Khai to Vientiane; Nakhon Phanom to Thakhek; Mukdahan to Savannakhet; and Chong Mek to Pakxe.
FROM VIETNAM
There are now two border crossings open to foreigners between Vietnam and Laos: the most popular is Highway #8 from Cau Treo to Lak Xao, since the Highway #9 crossing from Lao Bao to Daen Sawan and Savannakhet is unpaved.

Information and maps

The National Tourism Authority of Laos (NATL) operates offices in a few major towns, but the staff are generally untrained and speak little English. Sodetour and Diethelm, two privately owned companies with offices in most major towns, can provide more reliable data. Word-of-mouth information from other travellers is often the best source, as conditions in Laos change with astonishing rapidity.

Good maps for Laos are difficult to find. The best road map of Laos is the Laos 2002 Guide Map published by Golden Triangle Rider and available at bookstores in Thailand or at Wildside Outdoor Adventure offices in Laos. The latest edition of Nelles 1:1,500,000 map of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia is adequate for orientation but not very good for pin-pointing towns or villages. Likewise, the Bartholomew 1: 2,000,000 Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos map is attractive but not always reliable.

Entry requirements and visa extension

Visas are required for all foreign visitors to Laos except Thais. A fifteen-day visa on arrival is available for $30 (US dollars cash only, plus one photo), but is only available to travellers flying into Vientiane's Wattay airport, Louang Phabang airport or at the Friendship Bridge between Vientiane and Nong Khai, Thailand.

If you plan to enter Laos via somewhere other than these border points, or if you want a longer visa, you will have to apply for a visa in advance at a Lao embassy or through a travel agency. Many visitors do this while staying in Bangkok or Hanoi. In Bangkok, you can apply for a thirty-day visitor visa directly from the Laotian embassy, for B1000–1600 depending on your nationality; fifteen-day visas are not significantly cheaper. You will need two passport photos, and if you apply before noon it will be ready the same afternoon. An alternative option is to apply through a travel agent in Bangkok; they charge B750 for a fifteen-day tourist visa, and B1200–1600 for a thirty-day visitor visa; allow three working days for processing. There is a Lao consulate in Khon Kaen in northeastern Thailand which can also issue visas, though fees and processing times are variable.

Travellers entering Laos from Chiang Khong in Thailand's Chiang Rai province, can arrange fifteen-day visas through Chiang Khong guesthouses and travel agencies: the processing takes two working days and costs about $27. Thirty-day visas can also be arranged here for $38 but take two to three days to process.

Travellers from Vietnam can get visas for Laos at the Lao embassy in Hanoi or at the consulates in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. It's important to note that the conditions and fees for Lao visas issued in Vietnam vary from place to place and change constantly. The Lao Embassy in Hanoi does one-month visitor visas ($50–70; 3 working days) and five-day transit visas ($25–40; 3 working days), the latter of which may only be valid for one province. The one-day express service costs an extra $20. In Ho Chi Minh City, you can get a thirty-day visitor visa ($50; same day service) but in Da Nang, you can only get a fifteen-day tourist visa ($50; 2 working days) or a five-day transit visa ($30, 2 working days) which will allow you to take Route 9 over to Mukdahan, Thailand.

Non-extendible transit visas, good for only five days ($25–30; allow three working days), are offered at the Lao embassy in Hanoi and the consulate in Kunming, China, for travellers flying to Bangkok who wish to make a stopover in Vientiane.

Visa extensions can be applied for at the immigration office in Vientiane on Hatsady Road. The extension charge is $2 per day; the maximum length of your visa extension is fifteen days but this is up to the official on duty. Officially, only the immigration office in Vientiane can issue visa extensions, but it's always worth trying in other towns. Both airport and border immigration offices generally charge $5 per day for overstays.