Ik had al het volgende gevonden:
*Lao/Vietnam borders
Sop Hun / Tay Trang
This border has finally opened to international travellers. To get into Vietnam, a bus leaves daily from Muang Khua on the Lao side for Dien Bien Phu on the Vietnamese side. The bus leaves at 07:00, and costs 50,000 kip (plus 2,000 kip to cross the river). We suggest getting to the bus departure point (on the Vietnamese side of the Nam Ou) by 06:30 as seats are limited and allocated on a first come first serve basis. If the bus is full you will be left behind! Tickets cannot be pre-purchased. At the border, Lao immigration staff demand a 4,000 kip ‘processing fee’. You cannot get a Vietnamese visa on arrival, so arrange this beforehand. In the opposite direction buses leave daily from Dien Bien Phu to Muang Khua at 05:30. Lao visa on arrival is available at the border.
Na Maew / Nam Xoi
For those coming from Vietnam, this crossing offers convenient access into the boondocks of Laos’ Hua Phan province. It is a short ride from the border to Sam Neua. Through buses run from Sam Neua to Thanh Hoa in Vietnam taking 10-12 hours. If you don’t want through transport, there are songthaeaws to the border from Sam Neua for 21,000 kip but there isn’t much on the Vietnamese side to pick you up.
NamCan / Nam Khan
Convenient to the Lao town of Phonsavan and the large Vietnamese city of Vinh, this border a popular one for overland travellers. Coming from Vinh there are buses to Phonsavan departing at 6:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, costing 142,000 VND (100,000 kip). The trip is 403 km and should take about 12 hours. Through buses to Luang Prabang leave at 06:00 as well, on Wednesdays and Sundays only. The 690 km journey costs 325,000 VND (216,000 kip). Vietnamese passengers pay less (but then again, they pay taxes and you don’t!). Lao visas on arrival are available.
Nam Phao / Cau Treo
Convenient to the Lao town of Lak Xao and the large Vietnamese city of Vinh, this border is the crossing of choice for many overland travellers. Coming from Laos, the border is 34 km east of Lak Xao. You can catch a bus to the border and then walk across to the other side, 500m away, and after entering Vietnam, find a connection to Vinh, about 100km away on the Vietnamese eastern coast, and from there to your city of choice in Vietnam. You’ll need to have your Vietnamese visa in advance, of course.
Dansavanh / Lao Bao
This was the first land border between Laos and Vietnam to open for international travellers. It was for a long time the most popular, but many now opt for the more northern crossing near Lak Xao instead. This crossing is convenient for Hue in Vietnam and Savannakhet in Laos. Lao visas are available and through buses from Savannakhet to Hue run daily.
Bo Y / Ngoc Hoi
Convenient to Attapeu and Laos and Kontum in Vietnam, the border at Bo Y is wide open to foreigners, and now provides an interesting, if somewhat challenging, way to enter Vietnam. Of course, as ever, you’ll need to have obtained a valid Vietnamese visa before hitting the border. In Attapeu, mini-buses for Bo Y leave in the morning. The first departure is at 07:00, running through to about 10:00. The price to Bo Y is 80,000 kip. It’s 119km from Attapeu to Bo Y. Once everyone is processed the vans continue on to the town of Ngoc Hoi, 18km on the other side of the border. The entire process from Attapeu takes about three hours. Transport options are available from in Ngoc Hoi to just about anywhere you want to go. The nearest spot on the tourist trail is Kon Tum, 68km east of Ngoc Hoi*
We gaan de meest Noordelijk nemen. Wij zien ook uit naar een privé chauffeur als dit betaalbaar is… In Birma hebben we al op die manier gereisd voor een belachelijk klein bedrag en het was heel leuk. Ik moet nog uitzoeken hoe het is in Vietnam/Laos maar heb wel al bedragen gelezen van 70/80 dollar per dag…(dat is dus teveel)
Terug in Vietnam (bij Ving) zouden we dan gewoon met het openbaar vervoer verder gaan en een terugvlucht nemen naar Hanoi.