Laos or Cambodia?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 12 20
UNESCO listings among them 3 8
Cost level Budget Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups January February
Currency Kip (LAK) Riel (KHR), US dollar widely used
Plugs and voltage A, B, C - 230 V A, C, G - 230 V
Everyday languages Lao Khmer
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region South-Eastern Asia South-Eastern Asia
Capital Vientiane Phnom Penh
Laos
Bo pen nyang - no worries - is the answer to most things; slow is the point.
What we have written up
- Khone Phapheng Falls waterfall
- Lao Cuisine dish
- Luang Prabang old town
- Nam Ha and Luang Namtha forest
- Nong Khiaw viewpoint
- The 4000 Islands island
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash is essential - ATMs exist in towns only
- Tipping is not expected
- The Laos-China railway transformed travel - Vientiane to Luang Prabang in two hours
Cambodia
Gentle smiles carry deep history; the sampeah greeting sets the register.
What we have written up
- Angkor Thom and the Bayon archaeological site
- Angkor Wat archaeological site
- Banteay Srei monument
- Battambang old town
- Beng Mealea ruins
- Cambodian Cuisine dish
Worth knowing before you go
- US dollars work everywhere; torn notes are refused - keep bills crisp
- Tipping is not traditional but a dollar means much
- Tuk-tuk hailing apps exist in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.