Vientiane
Vientiane is a small, relaxing town unlike most of the busy and loud towns that make up Southeast Asia. It s made up of many temples that you could spend days on end exploring before going down to the rivers side to watch the beautiful sunset with a beer in hand. When translated, Vientiane means the city of sandalwood. It is the capital city of Laos.
Foreigners and real estate
It is not clear whether foreigners are allowed to buy land In Vientiane or Laos in general. They are allowed to lease property as well as land though. The only stipulation is that a foreigner cannot lease land for a period of more than seventy five years. There are no property taxes in Laos. If you decide to live there, you will be taxed from income that has its source in Laos. Married couples are taxed separately. Tax is also levied on rental income.
Getting around Vientiane
Vientiane has one main airport. They usually charge an extra ten dollars for departure on international flights. Over the past few years though there have been steps in the direction of trying to incorporate that extra ten dollars into the overall ticket fee. There are also two other airlines that cater to domestic flights in and around Laos. These are Laos Airlines as well as Lao Air. If you are staying at a hotel, most of them offer pick up services from the airport. On the other hand, you could also choose to either use a taxi or a tuktuk. Taxis tend to be more expensive. Tuktuks on the other hand may try to rip you off so you need to ensure that you have settled on a reasonable price before you board the tuktuk. If you do not feel comfortable with either of these or if you have a tight budget, you could always choose o take the bus from the airport to your destination. You would have to walk a distance of about five hundred meters though from the airport to the bus station.
Sightseeing
The slow pace of life at Vientiane makes it perfect for sightseeing. There are a number of temples, museums and even parks that could keep you busy for hours on end without you feeling like you have expended too much energy. You could also decide to go kayaking or wild water rafting if you need that adrenaline fix. Also try to get a chance to have a chat with the monks that stop and meet tourists.
Local News
Off the air in Laos - Asia Times Online
Published 07:53, 21st February GMT
Laos urges use of local currency to avoid counterfeit dollars - Monsters and Critics.com
Published 06:23, 22nd February GMT
Laos boosts tourist stops along Highway No. 9 - Monsters and Critics.com
Published 03:22, 21st February GMT
Vientiane Tourism Division Promotes Visit Laos Year 2012 - Bernama
Published 07:39, 14th February GMT
Luxury Travel Group Ltd to Promote Exotic Laos Encounter - PR.com (press release)
Published 08:09, 21st February GMT
Laos Annual Elephant Fest Draws Over 150000 Visitors - Bernama
Published 04:34, 21st February GMT
Aline Wong to attend 4th ACWC meeting in Vientiane - Channel News Asia
Published 08:07, 15th February GMT
Vientiane Steel sees pick up in steel demand in Laos in Feb - SteelGuru
Published 04:06, 1st February GMT
- retrieved via Google News