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Questioning whether or not to go to Cambodia or Laos? Once I backpacked round Southeast Asia, I’d finished no analysis on both of those nations, but they turned out to be two of my favourite locations within the area.
In the case of evaluating Cambodia vs Laos, each supply completely different in their very own distinctive methods. On this detailed information I’ll look at how the 2 nations examine by way of seashores, nightlife, meals, sights, pure magnificence, folks and transportation. Hopefully this may aid you make up your thoughts!
Cambodia vs Laos: Normal Comparability
The obvious distinction between Cambodia and Laos is that Cambodia has seashores and islands, whereas Laos is landlocked. Nonetheless, Laos has a shocking, mountainous panorama, with spectacular limestone cliffs and the gorgeous Mekong River flowing all the best way down via the size of the nation.
Cambodia vs Laos: Seashores
The simple winner right here is Cambodia, since Laos doesn’t have any seashores.
Laos is bordered by Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, China and Myanmar, and is totally landlocked. It does, nevertheless, have the Mekong River, in addition to some actually stunning waterfalls, reminiscent of Kuang Si Waterfall and Tat Sae Waterfalls. So in the event you fancy swimming, there are positively some alternatives to try this – you simply gained’t be capable of swim within the ocean.
Cambodia is dwelling to among the most stunning seashores I’ve ever seen. I used to be truly actually stunned, and would charge them among the many greatest on this planet.
Many backpackers and vacationers go to the seashore city of Sihanoukville, which is situated halfway up the coast within the southwestern a part of Cambodia. From right here you possibly can take a ship to the paradise islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, that are dwelling to powdery white sands and turquoise waters which might be good for snorkeling.
Cambodia vs Laos: Panorama
Cambodia’s panorama is quite flat, so apart from the seashores and islands (that are attractive!), there’s not a lot to jot down dwelling about. A part of the Mekong does run via the central japanese a part of Cambodia, and the Tonle Sap lake sits between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
Laos, however, is dwelling to forest-covered mountains and spectacular karst landscapes with caverns and limestone pinnacles. Many of the western border of Laos is demarcated by the Mekong River, and lots of the main cities and cities sit alongside it. The river has a really stress-free, tranquil vibe, and it’s nice for taking boat cruises.
Laos positively has the extra attention-grabbing panorama out of the 2.
Cambodia vs Laos: Meals
Whereas Vietnamese and Thai meals are fairly well-known throughout Europe and North America, Cambodian and Lao delicacies are inclined to fly underneath the radar.
Cambodia’s meals incorporates parts of Indian, Chinese language and French delicacies, and consists of loads of salads, soups, curries and stir frys. Fish and seafood characteristic closely in Cambodian dishes, as a result of county’s abundance of water sources. Rice is a standard staple right here too, and is normally served as an accompaniment to each meal.
Fashionable Cambodian dishes embrace:
- Amok – a coconut fish curry steamed in banana leaves.
- Kuy teav – noodle soup made with rice vermicelli and beef or pork bones.
- Nom banh chok – fermented noodles saturated with a lemongrass gravy and topped with greens.
- Lok lak – stir fried beef served with salad.
- Lap khmer – salad made with thinly sliced beef marinated in lime juice.
Laos delicacies can be pretty just like Cambodian delicacies, though it’s barely spicier and has its personal distinctive dishes. Sticky rice is integral to Lao delicacies and has develop into an vital a part of the nation’s tradition. Laos is thought for having the best sticky rice consumption per-capita on this planet and Lao folks typically check with themselves as luk khao niaow, which interprets as ‘youngsters or descendants of sticky rice’.
Well-known Lao dishes embrace:
- Larb – a must-try salad of minced meat flavored with mint, recent lime juice, scallions and cilantro. That is the nationwide dish of Laos.
- Tam Mak Hoong – inexperienced papaya salad with garlic, tomatoes, chilli, palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce.
- Lao sausage – a preferred appetizer generally served with sticky rice and greens.
- Khao jee – baguette sandwich just like banh mi.
The meals may be very related in each Laos and Cambodia, so it’s arduous to choose a transparent winner right here.
Cambodia vs Laos: Landmarks
You may’t actually beat Cambodia for landmarks. The nation is dwelling to Angkor Wat – a sprawling temple complicated that holds the title of being the most important spiritual construction on this planet. It was initially constructed as a Hindu temple devoted to the gods Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, however was later reworked right into a Buddhist temple on the finish of the twelfth century.
Angkor Wat is gorgeous at each dawn and sundown, and is properly value visiting if you end up in Siem Reap. Cambodia can be dwelling to quite a few different temples and palaces, together with Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom and the Royal Palace.
On a extra somber be aware, the nation additionally has a number of darkish tourism websites, such because the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the place guests can be taught concerning the brutal Khmer regime.
Laos additionally has a lot of temples and pagodas, though none examine to the sheer measurement of Angkor Wat. Essentially the most notable landmark in Vientiane is Pha That Luang Vientiane – a historic gold stupa that stands over 44 meters excessive. Vientiane can be dwelling to the Patuxay Monument, a well-known arch and battle memorial that appears a bit just like the southeast Asian model of the Arc de Triomphe.
A big focus of temples might be discovered within the metropolis of Luang Prabang, which was the royal capital of Laos till 1975. Town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Web site, and is thought for its French colonial structure and laid-back vibe.
Cambodia vs Laos: Nightlife
In the case of nightlife, Cambodia has far more happening than Laos does. The large cities like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are fairly quick paced and have a lot of bars and eating places to maintain you entertained.
Sihanoukville is thought for being a little bit of a celebration city, and is dwelling to quite a few hostels together with The Massive Straightforward and Monkey Republic. You’ll discover a first rate array of bars and eating places right here, and plenty of of them have Completely happy Hours. If you wish to spend a time out on the water, there are a variety of get together boats and booze cruises geared in direction of vacationers who need to let unfastened.
Nightlife in Laos is far more low-key. Sure you’ll nonetheless discover bars in cities like Vientiane and Luang Prabang, however the scene is far more mellow. Luang Prabang truly has a curfew of 11.30pm, when bars and companies should shut down. At this level, the one place left to get together is the Luang Prabang bowling alley, which I’ve written about right here.
In the case of nightlife, Cambodia positively wins this one.
Cambodia vs Laos: Getting There
Most worldwide flights to Cambodia fly into Phnom Penh, whereas flights to Laos fly into Vientiane. Flights to Vientiane are usually costlier than Phnom Penh, and there are fewer flights per day.
Should you’re flying to both of those nations from the U.S. or Europe, you’ll normally have a stopover in Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.
Working a fast seek for flights from London in Could, a flight to Vientiane prices roughly $1200 (£1000) round-trip, with as much as two stopovers. A flight from London to Phnom Penh on the identical dates prices roughly $1000 (£830) round-trip, with one stopover.
Flying to Vientiane is costlier, with extra stopovers and an extended flight length. So Cambodia is the simplest nation to get to.
Cambodia vs Laos: Visas
Laos Visas
Laos presents an eVisa for residents of many nations, together with the UK and the U.S. Costs fluctuate from nation to nation, however for United States residents, the price is $50. All it’s important to do is fill out the appliance on-line, add any needed documentation, and pay the price. Approval takes as much as 3 working days, and then you definately simply must print out your approval letter and take it with you. Don’t get ripped off by costly visa corporations – you possibly can merely apply via the official visa web site right here.
Visas on arrival are additionally out there at sure ports of entry, together with Luang Prabang Airport, Pakse Airport and Wattay Airport in Vientiane. You can even get visas on arrival on the border crossings from Thailand, Vietnam and China. Solely US {dollars} are accepted as fee and a passport-sized picture is required. The visa lets you keep in Laos for as much as 30 days.
As you possibly can see, each nations have eVisas and are very straightforward to go to. The Cambodia eVisa is simply barely cheaper for People, however each have the identical software course of and turnaround time.
Cambodia Visas
Cambodia additionally presents an eVisa, which you’ll pay for utilizing the official authorities visa web site. The method is fairly related – simply fill out the web kind, pay the fee utilizing your bank card, then obtain the eVisa certificates. The processing time can be 3 enterprise days, however it’s barely cheaper, costing $30 + $6 processing cost. Just like the Laos visa, the Cambodia visa is legitimate for a keep of as much as 30 days.
Vacationers from most nations can even get a visa on arrival at airports and border crossings. Should you arrive by air, they’ll normally provide the kind to finish on the airplane. The price is $30, and have to be paid in USD.
Cambodia vs Laos: Transportation
Transportation in Cambodia
I discovered getting round Cambodia to be very easy. Cambodia has a well-trodden vacationer route and there are vacationer buses that go between the principle locations like Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. The buses are low cost and cozy, though the journey time is clearly longer than in the event you journey by airplane. Fashionable corporations embrace Big Ibis and Mekong Specific.
Should you’re touring between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the quickest technique to journey is by air, with a journey time of only one hour. Angkor Air, Bassaka Air, and Cambodia Bayon Airways all supply direct flights between these two cities. Anticipate to pay round $130-$140) one-way. You may test costs utilizing Google Flights.
Should you’re touring in a bunch of three folks or extra, then it would make extra sense to rent a non-public driver via a web site like GetYourGuide or Viator. The drivers normally converse good English and can even cease off at varied sights alongside the best way.
There are additionally boats that go between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap and Battambang. It’s not probably the most snug technique to journey, and the boat is gradual shifting, however it’s an effective way to see native life on Tonle Sap Lake.
When you’re within the huge cities, one of the simplest ways to get round is by tuk-tuk.
Transportation in Laos
There are two home carriers in Laos – Lao Airways (nationwide provider) and Lao Skyway (finances). If you wish to fly between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, the flight takes round 40 minutes and prices wherever from $21 to $152. That is clearly the quickest and best technique to get between the 2 cities.
In the case of utilizing floor transportation inside Laos, journey might be gradual. Be ready to spend a full day getting from A to B, or you possibly can take the VIP evening bus and get monetary savings on one evening’s lodging. Some routes even have shared minivans that can take you from A to B.
For a novel expertise, you may as well take a ship alongside the Mekong River, which runs all through Laos. Nonetheless remember, boat journey on the Mekong may be very gradual, and the boats aren’t normally air-conditioned.
Inside cities, one of the simplest ways to get round is by renting a bicycle or hopping in a tuk tuk. The UNESCO World Heritage metropolis of Luang Prabang may be very walkable, and you’ll see many of the temples and sights on-foot.
If you wish to go to Luang Prabang’s waterfalls, there are many excursions you possibly can e-book via GetYourGuide. Reserving a tour means all of your transportation is taken care of, and also you’ll be capable of discover areas which might be unreachable by public transportation.
In the case of transportation in Laos vs Cambodia, I’d say Cambodia wins on this one. The nation is mostly extra in style with vacationers, so there’s a bit extra of a vacationer infrastructure.
Remaining Verdict
So which has the sting? Laos or Cambodia?
Should you love seashores, nightlife and fast-paced cities, then go together with Cambodia. The islands are completely gorgeous and the nation has a lot of sights to maintain you occupied. I discovered Cambodia very straightforward to journey round and the folks had been very pleasant, so I’d positively return in a heartbeat.
Should you’re searching for tranquility, and plush, mountain surroundings, then e-book a visit to Laos. Luang Prabang is changing into more and more in style with luxurious vacationers, and is dwelling to quite a few eco-lodges and 5-star lodges, that are primarily concentrated in Luang Prabang.