Information from the website Zuidoost-Azie.nl

A tourist tells:

Of all the places we’ve been too, Laos probably wins the prize for most hospitable country. Even though Laos is so poor and isolated, the people were maybe the nicest we’ve ever met. Despite the language barrier, we managed to make some great new contacts.

Laos

Laos is a very quiet vacation destination. It’s between China, Vietnam, Cambodja, Thailand and Myanmar and has over 6,5 million inhabitants. The country is almost six times bigger than The Netherlands and is the least occupied country in South-East Asia. The average life expectance is only 56 years and a lot of young children die. The average age of the people of Laos is a meagre 19 years. Most people live in the countryside, only 20% lives in the city.

Please don’t rush!

If you’re in Laos, you’ll notice right away how relaxed it is. There’s barely any motorised traffic, no stressed people calling on their cell phone and nobody having a rage attack if the bus is too late. Laos has a very laid-back lifestyle. They love their creed ‘Lao PDR’, which means ‘Lao, Please Don’t Rush.’ The official meaning of Lao PDR is ‘Lao People’s Democratic Republic.’

Time difference Laos-The Netherlands

- During summertime the time difference is 5 hours.

- During wintertime the time difference is 6 hours.

Climate in Laos

Laos has a tropical climate. In the months of November to February it’s about 25 degrees during the day and it almost never rains. In the months from March to May it can be very hot, up to 40 degrees. After May the rain season sets in, which lasts till October.

House of spirits

The people of Laos have a sacred belief in spirits. Especially in the more rural area’s you see little houses everywhere with an altar where the spirits ‘live’ and are worshipped. The spirit, or the ‘phi’, visits you during your sleep and gives you good advice, or even bad advice. This depends on how good you’ve been to the phi. The spirits can be good, bad or even playful. To make them satisfied, the people of Laos don’t just build pretty little houses, but also offer them food and drinks.

Buddhism

There isn’t an official religion in Laos, but the most important religion (the Theravada Buddhism) has a big influence on society. About two thirds of the people in Laos adhere to this religion and everywhere you go, you see temples, monks and other religious pictures. A lot of men are obligated to spend a period of their life in the monastery. The age at which this happens can be different for everyone. You can’t be a real monk until you’re 20. There are also many nuns in Laos.

Greeting

If you meet someone from Laos, shaking hands isn’t the way to greet them, especially women. According to the tradition you greet each other by putting the palms of your hands together and nodding your head slightly at the other person. Then you say ‘sabaidee’. Although, if you’re talking to a spiritual person like a priest or pastor, it’s appropriate to nod your head lower than his. This can be a bit hard for tall people.