Laos. Luang Prabang.

Last night, arrival in Laos!

Cambodia and Laos were the two unknown destinations we had set for this trip. The guide accompanying us covers both countries, but apart from this little information, we actually know nothing about the country. We actually only know one person who has traveled to Laos and was thrilled! By motorcycle, not really a benchmark we could have oriented ourselves by. But wasn’t that the plan? To consciously embrace the unknown: without a fixed itinerary, without a return ticket! Just like we let ourselves drift over 30 years ago!

The two main points of entry in Laos are Vientiane and Luang Prabang, both in the north of the country, the current and the former capital. The first route that emerged in Cambodia would have been to enter by land with a bus from the south. From other travelers, we have received a few tips in the past months - but absolutely nothing about the south. And the information on entry modalities was ambiguous even on the Internet. Germans do not need a visa for entry, but how and especially where do we get the 'Visa on Arrival'?

When we couldn’t extend our visa in Cambodia at the beginning of November, the decision was made to travel to Vietnam on short notice and calmly see how to proceed. Yesterday, Sunday, we flew from Hanoi to Luang Prabang. Arrival late in the evening in the darkness. International airport? Dead! Walking across the tarmac. When was the last time I experienced that? Visa on Arrival? No issues! In front of the terminal... No taxis! Taking a shared taxi into the city - everything well organized! The hotel is basic, feeling not like what we booked. Where have we ended up?

We check in, take a first tour. We had some expectations. Not this! The airport is dead. The rest is alive!