New thread for Laos.

Continuing my itinerary from China... In between will do a stopover in Hanoi ticking of the central fortification before continuing to Luang Prabang.

Thursday, 1. November 2018 Hanoi Luang Prabang Flight 12:50-14:00
There are not that many connections to Luang Prabang. So I chose the flight from Guangzhou to Hanoi and will visit the Hanoi WHS. Thang Long.

Friday, 2. November 2018 Luang Prabang Luang Prabang
Spent in the city.

Saturday, 3. November 2018 Luang Prabang Phovasan Bus
Going to Plain of Jars (8h tenuous bus ride). Hopefully scenic.

Sunday, 4. November 2018 Phovasan Plain of Jars
Really looking forward to this one.

Monday, 5. November 2018 Phonvasan Pakse Flug 13:20-18:45
This may seem insane, but Laos Air offers a flight from Phovansan to Siem Reap via Pakse at the cheapest prices.

Tuesday, 6. November 2018 Pakse Siem Reap Flug 14:40:00-16:10 Vat Phou, Angkor
I will try to geta driver in Pakse to visit Vat Phou and then drop me off at the airport. And then directly to Siem Reap we go.

Questions:
* Are drivers hard to come by or prohibitively expensive in Laos (Pakse)?
* Assuming an early departure in Pakse will I be able to visit the site and get back to the airport before around 12:30h?
* Do I need to reserve the bus to Phonsavan in advance? Can this be done online?

Suggestions and ideas appreciated.

Very scenic! I did it too in 2011. 13hr bus ride from Vientiane to Phonsavan, and then 8hr minibus to continue to Luang Prabang. Expect delays.
See https://elsslots.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/vlakte-der-kruiken/


Vat Phou takes about 1.5hr to see. Travel time there from Pakse by car should be less than an hour. But beware that most things are slow in Laos. It's not nearly as efficient as Vietnam or China.

If anyone else is heading to Vat Phou, there's some cheaper options available at the moment. Either you can do it with the tourist bus on the main road + tuk-tuk across to the site for 120 kip per person, minimum 2 people for the tour to run. Or pay a little extra (280 kip for 2 people) and get a private tuk-tuk. We booked through Miss Noy, on the main road. Her husband Yves, who is Belgium, gave us lots of details and tips, including our bus across the border the following day.

Laos tourist jewel at risk of losing UNESCO status

Fears for Luang Prabang?