It is useful to know |
Laos - safe enough country. Numerous wars and economic crises have caused an enormous impoverishment of local residents. Amazingly, but it has not led to growth of larceny and violent crimes, as in many neighbouring countries. Violent crimes it is fixed a little, the basic problem is small larceny. Therefore for safety of personal property it is necessary to accept usual security measures.
Travel on the country is practically safe, certain measures for safety should be undertaken only at movement along the Cambodian border. To the south of highway Rut-7 Special zone Сайсомбун - the special administrative area operated army lays. It is considered dangerous and now is closed for visiting by tourists. Also it is necessary to avoid adjoining to the earths Rut-6 to the east of the Special zone.
The second Indochina (Vietnamese) war has left to east areas of Laos terrible "inheritance" in the form of thousand not broken off bombs and shells, and also the extensive minefields which till now have been not cleared away, and in some cases - and not marked (in a year occurs to 200 blastings). Therefore in areas to the east Саваннакхет, Сианг Кхоуанг, Салаван, Кхаммуан, Секонг, Чампасак, Сайсомбун, Хуа Пхан, Аттапу and Lang Phanang it is necessary to carry out movement only accompanied by local conductors. Also there are some not marked fields to the east Луанг Намтха, Пхонгсали, Боликхамсай and prefectures Vientiane. The rule number one - never to go in dangerous areas on непротоптанным to paths or directly through fields. It is impossible to descend on roadsides of tracks and roads, even highway. Never it is necessary to kick or lift any atypical subjects for the given area (the packed block of cigarettes, children's toys, books, the buckets, any equipment etc.).
Drugs are in Laos out of the law. However at every turn it is possible to meet the local resident smoking "grass", and narcocontaining plants are grown up in the country everywhere. Despite numerous acts and the power actions of local law enforcement bodies directed against distribution and trade by opium, Laos last years uses doubtful glory of "the narcotourism country". However the local police rigidly watches purchase and the use of drugs by tourists on which in case of capture essential penalties are imposed, up to imprisonment.
Vientiane last years "was considerably civilised" - brothels are forbidden now, shops of dealers "grass" and numerous opium brothels have disappeared from streets and the markets, and beer has everywhere replaced opium. The range of points of rest and entertainments has considerably extended, and now here there is all - from a karaoke and discos, to cinemas and Internet clubs. The markets and small ethnic little shops in which it is possible to buy craft products, fabrics, jewelry and furniture, have replaced with themselves benches with doubtful reputation. Large shops usually work from Monday till Friday from 08.00 till, private shops - from Monday till Saturday from 09.00 till. Thus the capital is much more expensive"than other parts of the country - the prices here practically twice above, than in a province (though are all the same low).
It is possible to get to many reserves only with the official guide. In any case to make all papers, to employ the guide and to find the best variant of visiting of nature protection zones, it is possible in Department on tourism for tour agencies usually offer too most, only with the decent commission. Треккинг for single travellers in many places it is limited by safety requirements (including all the same not broken off shells and mines), therefore for travel on mountains and reserves is better to find in advance fellow travellers for in many places pass is resolved only to the organised groups and not more often any certain period (one - two times a week).
The state hotels and high quality restaurants usually add to account 5-10 of % on fee, therefore to leave tip there is no necessity. In private institutions with tip it is necessary to be defined on a place - some of them at all do not represent any accounts (and the menu!), others define the size of tip independently. At a trip to a taxi or on any other vehicle of type "tuk-tuk", service cost should be discussed in advance, before planting in a cabin. In the markets and in private shops it is possible to bargain. Thus in a province it is possible to observe strange enough type of trade - the seller furiously bargains, but does not reduce the price on bales. In such case to pass to the next shop where the price for certain will appear already more low (the hearing at local sellers amazing) easier.
At entrance to the country preventive maintenance against a malaria is recommended. Risk of a malaria, mainly in the form of P. falciparum, exists on all country, the exception is made only by capital. The risk of infection in the most southern areas and in mountain areas, thus in the majority of areas infecting agents very much racks to traditional preparations of type хлорохина or sulfadoksin-pirimetamina (application мефлокина is recommended) is very high. The inoculation is not required for the transients who are not leaving territory of the airport.
Serious risks for health also concern: a tropical fever (the mosquitoes, diseases transferring activators, quite often meet even in cities), Japanese энцефалит, a hepatitis In and Е, furiousness (many local animals, including dogs, cats, bats and monkeys, are carriers of activators of this disease), a cholera, a typhus, билхарзия, a diphtheria, an amoebic dysentery and a tuberculosis. The certificate on an inoculation against a yellow fever is required from arriving of areas of distribution of this disease.
In no event it is impossible to use water from local sources or небутилированную the purchased. Any product got in the market, it is necessary to subject to careful processing. The food in the majority of cafe and small restaurants is harmless to health, but many small private cafes, to put it mildly, not so carefully observe hygienic norms. Especially it concerns drinks, vegetables and, strangely enough - ware and tablewares. Meat, fish, milk and dairy products should be exposed to careful heat treatment.
