Lonely Planet Laos

by Lonely Planet

  In addition to the glamour hardwoods, the country's flora includes a toothsome array of fruit trees, bamboo (more species than any country outside Thailand and China) and an abundance of flowering species such as the orchid. However, in some parts of the country orchids are being stripped out of forests (often in protected areas) for sale to Thai tourists; look for the markets near the waterfalls of the Bolaven Plateau to see them. In the high plateaus of the Annamite Chain, extensive grasslands or savannahs are common.

  Around 85% of Laos is mountainous terrain and less than 4% is considered arable.

  National Protected Areas (NPAs)

  Laos boasts one of the youngest and most comprehensive protected-area systems in the world. In 1993 the government set up 18 National Biodiversity Conservation Areas, comprising a total of 24,600 sq km, or just over 10% of the country's land mass. Most significantly, it did this following sound scientific consultation rather than creating areas on an ad hoc basis (as most other countries have done). Two more were added in 1995, for a total of 20 protected areas covering 14% of Laos. A further 4% of Laos is reserved as Provincial Protected Areas, making Laos one of the most protected countries on earth.

  The areas were renamed national protected areas (NPAs) a few years ago. And while the naming semantics might seem trivial, they do reflect some important differences. The main one is that an NPA has local communities living within its boundaries, unlike a national park, where only rangers and those working in the park are allowed to live and where traditional activities such as hunting and logging are banned. Indeed, forests in NPAs are divided into production forests for timber, protection forests for watershed and conservation forests for pure conservation.

  The largest protected areas are in southern Laos, which, contrary to popular myth, bears a higher percentage of natural forest cover than the north. Nakai-Nam Theun, the largest of the NPAs, covers 3710 sq km and is home to the recently discovered spindlehorn, as well as several other species unknown to the scientific world until not that long ago.

  While several NPAs remain difficult to access without mounting a full-scale expedition, several others have become much easier to reach in recent years. The best way in is usually by foot.

  The wildlife in these areas, from rare birds to wild elephants, is relatively abundant. The best time to view wildlife in most of the country is just after the monsoon in November. However, even at these times you'll be lucky to see very much. There are several reasons for this, the most important of which is that ongoing hunting means numbers of wild animals are reduced and those living are instinctively scared of humans. It's also difficult to see animals in forest cover at the best of times, and many animals are nocturnal. Teaming up with a recommended outfit will increase your chances of seeing wildlife.

  For more information on all of Laos' National Protected Areas (NPAs), see the comprehensive website www.ecotourismlaos.com.

  Environmental Issues

  Flying over Laos it's easy to think that much of the country is blanketed with untouched wilderness. But first impressions can be deceiving. What that lumpy carpet of green conceals is an environment facing several interrelated threats.

  For the most part they're issues of the bottom line. Hunting endangers all sorts of creatures of the forest but it persists because the hunters can't afford to buy meat from the market. Forests are logged at unsustainable rates because the timber found in Laos is hugely valuable and loggers see more profit in cutting than not. And hydropower projects affect river systems and their dependent ecologies, including the forests, because Laos needs the money hydroelectricity can bring, and it's relatively cheap and easy for energy companies to develop in Laos.

  Laws do exist to protect wildlife and plenty of Laos is protected as National Protected Areas (NPAs). But most Laotians are completely unaware of global conservation issues and there is little will and less money to pay for conservation projects, such as organised park rangers, or to prosecute offenders. Lack of communication between national and local governments and poor definitions of authority in conservation areas just add to the issues.

  One of the biggest obstacles facing environmental protection in Laos is corruption (Laos being ranked 139 out of 168 nations in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2015). Fortunately, with the support of several dedicated individuals and NGOs, ecotourism is growing to the point where some local communities are beginning to understand – and buying into – the idea that an intact environment can be worth more money than an exhausted one.

  One long-standing environmental problem has been the unexploded ordnance (UXO) contaminating parts of eastern Laos where the Ho Chi Minh Trail ran during the Second Indochina War. Bombs are being found and defused at a painstakingly slow rate; however, on his 2016 visit former US President Obama pledged US$90m over a three-year period to speed up the process.

  The major challenges facing Laos' environment are, therefore, the internal pressures of economic growth as well as external pressures from the country's more populated and affluent neighbours, particularly China, Vietnam and Thailand, who all benefit from Laos' abundant resources, be it hardwood, copper or hydroelectric power.

  While opium has been cultivated and used in Laos for centuries, the country didn't become a major producer until the passing of the 1971 Anti-Narcotics Law. Having almost been eradicated, opium is allegedly being grown again in remote parts of northern Laos.

  Damming the Mekong for Hydroelectric Power

  For millenniums the Mekong River has been the lifeblood of Laos and the wider Mekong region. It's the region's primary artery, and about 60 million people depend on the rich fisheries and other resources provided by the river and its tributaries. The Mekong is the world's 12th-longest river and 10th largest in terms of volume. But unlike other major rivers, a series of rapids have prevented it from developing into a major transport and cargo thoroughfare, or as a base for large industrial cities.

  When the Nam Theun 2 dam in Khammuan Province was approved by the World Bank in 2005, it was the equivalent of opening hydropower's Pandora's box. Since then hydropower has become an important contributor to Laos’ economic growth. Six big dams are already in operation, seven are currently under construction, at least 12 more are planned, and development deals ready to go on another 35.

  According to a BBC report, the $3.5 billion Xayaburi dam (funded by Thailand) will block critical fish migration routes for between 23 and 100 species, among them the Mekong giant catfish. Meanwhile in southern Laos, work has begun near Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) on the Malaysian-financed $300 million Don Sahong dam, despite massive protest from Cambodian fishermen and the WWF, who argue it will devastate the small population of Irrawaddy dolphin that resides in a deep-water pool close by.

  The negative impacts associated with these dams have so far included forced displacement of local communities and the uprooting of their traditional riverine culture, flooding upstream areas, reduced sediment flows, and increased erosion downstream with resulting issues for fish stocks and those who work the rivers. Less immediately visible, but with a potentially much greater influence in the long term, are the changes these dams will have on the Mekong's flood pulse, especially the Tonlé Sap Lake in Cambodia, which is critical to the fish spawning cycle, and thus the food source of millions of people.

  However, hydropower is a relatively clean source of energy and to a certain extent dams in Laos are inevitable. Hydropower dams have also become a major contributor to Laos' economic growth and so it's no great surprise that plans have pushed ahead for more to be built across the country.

  More information can be found online, including through the Mekong River Commission (www.mrcmekong.org), which oversees the dam developments; Save the Mekong Coalition (www.savethemekong.org); and the WWF (www.panda.org).

  Conservation Websites

  ElefantAsia (www.elefantasia.org)

  Traffic East Asia (www.traffic.org)

  Wildlife Conservation Society (ww
w.wcs.org)

  World Conservation Union (www.iucn.org/lao)

  World Wildlife Fund (www.panda.org)

  Elephant Conservation Center (www.elephantconservationcenter.com)

  Deforestation

  In 2016 the new president of Laos banned the export of timber and logs, throwing long-established illegal smuggling operations into panic. Since the ban, truckloads of hardwood have been seized from forest hideouts and sawmills across the country. In 2015 Radio Free Asia exposed a Lao politburo member's son as a smuggling kingpin of hardwood trees across the border into China via Mohan, and it's widely alleged that illegal logging has been clandestinely run by elements of the Lao Army, such as in Khammuan Province and remote areas of the country's far south.

  The national electricity-generating company also profits from the timber sales each time it links a Lao town or village with the national power grid, as it clear-cuts along Lao highways. Large-scale plantations and mining, as well as swidden (slash-and-burn) methods of cultivation, are also leading to habitat loss. This can have a knock-on effect in rural communities: in some rural areas 70% of non-rice foods come from the forest.

  The current president has pledged to recover forest levels to 70% by 2020 or resign. It remains to be seen how successful the government will be in carrying out this pledge.

  Marco Polo was probably the first European to cross the Mekong, in the 13th century, and was followed by a group of Portuguese emissaries in the 16th century. Dutch merchant Gerrit van Wuysthoff arrived by boat in the 17th century.

  Hunting & Overfishing

  The majority of Lao citizens derive most of their protein from food culled from nature, not from farms or ranches. How threatening traditional hunting habits are to species survival in Laos is debatable given the nation's extremely sparse population. But, combined with habitat loss, hunting for food is placing increasing pressure on wildlife numbers.

  The cross-border trade in wildlife is also potentially serious. Much of the poaching that takes place in Laos' NPAs is allegedly carried out by Vietnamese hunters who have crossed into central Laos illegally to round up species such as pangolins, civets, barking deer, goral and raccoon dogs to sell back home. These animals are highly valued for both food and medicinal purposes in Vietnam, Thailand and China, and as the demand in those countries grows in line with increasing wealth, so too do the prices buyers are prepared to pay.

  Foreign NGOs run grass-roots education campaigns across Laos in an effort to raise awareness of endangered species and the effects of hunting on local ecosystems. But, as usual, money is the key to breaking the cycle. And while hunters remain dirt poor, the problem seems here to stay.

  In more densely populated areas such as Savannakhet and Champasak Provinces, the overfishing of lakes and rivers poses a danger to certain fish species. Projects to educate fishermen about exactly where their catch comes from, and how to protect that source, have been successful in changing some unsustainable practices. One area given particular attention is fishing using explosives. This practice, whereby fishermen throw explosives into the water and wait for the dead fish to float to the surface, is incredibly destructive. Most fishermen don't realise that for every dead fish they collect from the surface, another two or three lie dead on the riverbed. The practice is illegal in Laos, and anecdotal evidence suggests education and the law have reduced the problem.

  ECOTOURISM IN LAOS

  With forests covering about half of the country, 20 National Protected Areas (NPAs), 49 ethnic groups, over 650 bird species and hundreds of mammals, Laos has some of Southeast Asia's healthiest ecosystems.

  Following the success of the Nam Ha Ecotourism Project in Luang Namtha Province, which began in 1999, the ecotourism industry has grown using a sustainable, internationally developed blueprint which seeks to protect and preserve the interests of ethnic people, wildlife and forests.

  Many tour companies in Laos have endured since the inception of ecotourism because they have honoured their pledges to local tribes and conservation. Before splashing out on a trek ask the following questions:

  AAre you in a small group that will not disturb village life?

  AWill you be led by a local guide?

  AWill your trip directly benefit local people whose forests/village you are passing through?

  ADoes the company channel some of its profits into conservation or local education charities, or is it directly affiliated with organisations such as the WWF and the WCS?

  See www.ecotourismlaos.com for further information on environmentally sustainable tourism in Laos.

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  For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out http://lonelyplanet.com/hotels/. You’ll find independent reviews, as well as recommendations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can book online.

  Accommodation

  It's worth booking in advance in popular destinations like Luang Prabang and Vientiane during peak-season months of November to February and around Lao New Year in April.

  Guesthouses There are a good range of guesthouses around the country from the budget to the boutique.

  Hotels Laos has a good range of hotels these days, including everything from cheap business pads to luxury heritage hotels.

  Hostels There aren't a whole lot of hostels in upcountry Laos, but there are a few options in popular places like Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.

  Homestays A homestay is a great option for immersing yourself in the Lao way of life and there are an increasing number of homestay options all over the country, particularly in or near National Protected Areas (NPAs).

  Room Rates

  Paying in the requested currency is usually cheaper than letting the hotel or guesthouse convert the price into another currency. If the price is quoted in kip, pay in kip; if priced in dollars, pay in dollars.

  It's worth remembering that rates are pretty reasonable by international standards before trying to bargain the price down, particularly at the budget end where competition is fierce and margins are small. Generally speaking, the Lao people are happy to bargain a little, but they are not keen on protracted negotiations or arguments over price.

  Room rates may continue to rise, as inflation and cost of living are real issues for the everyday Lao population.

  SLEEPING PRICE RANGES

  The following price ranges refer to a high-season double room with attached bathroom, unless otherwise stated.

  $ less than US$25 (200,000K)

  $$ US$25–75 (200,000–600,000K)

  $$$ more than US$75 (600,000K)

  Guesthouses

  The distinction between 'guesthouse', 'hotel' and 'resort' often exists in name only, but legally speaking a guesthouse in Laos has fewer than 16 rooms. In places such as Don Det in southern Laos or Muang Ngoi Neua in northern Laos there are guesthouses consisting of simple bamboo-thatch huts with shared facilities, costing just US$3 a night.

  Facilities are improving across the country, but the most inexpensive places might still have cold-water showers or simple Lao-style bathing. Hot water is hardly a necessity in lowland Laos, but it is very welcome in the mountains.r />
  The price of simple rooms in most towns averages between US$5 and US$10 per night with shared bathrooms. For an attached bathroom and hot shower expect to pay about US$10 to US$20; anything above this will usually also have air-conditioning and a TV, with some English channels. Some guesthouses, especially in Luang Prabang, have stepped up the style and offer upscale rooms from US$20 to US$50.

  Homestays

  Staying in a village home is becoming increasingly popular. Homestays are invariably in rural areas, cost little (about US$5 for a bed and US$10 for full board) and provide a chance for travellers to experience local life, Lao style.

  Villages are small, dusty/muddy depending on the season, and full of kids. You'll be billeted with a family, usually with a maximum of two travellers per family. Toilets will be the squat variety, with scoop flush, in a dark hut at the corner of the block. You'll bathe before dinner, either in a nearby stream or river, or by using a scoop to pour water over yourself from a well, 44-gallon drum or concrete reservoir in your family's yard. Bathing is usually a public event, so don't forget a sarong. Don't expect a mirror.