Laos Loaded Tuk-tuk
After getting cozy and comfortable at Lao Heritage Hotel, I set excitedly off to the streets of Vientiane to start visiting the sights. Unlike Pakse, Vientiane is many times larger, sprawling and streets are a lot busy. Tuk-tuks rules the streets here and my first foray with them was a hard (and expensive) at first but I learned to adapt as always and learned to travel the way the locals do and somehow minimize how the drivers here charge on a tourist basis.
Tuk-tuk view
Blame it on excitement really, that I forgot to read some warnings from Lonely Planet Laos about different kinds of Tuk-tuks here in Vientiane. Tuk-tuks are like a smaller hybrid tricycle and jeepney. These three wheeled vehicles are ran by a motorcycle and can take 3-6 passengers at the facing rows at the back. It’s one mean machine that’s also used as cargo vehicles by the locals as well.
Waiting at Northern Bus Station
There are actually 2 types of Tuk-tuks here in Vientiane as I found out. The first one are the Tourist Tuk-tuks which are usually stationed and are in waiting at the side streets of Vientiane. When you ask them how much to go to a certain destination, they would usually have this laminated price list with an accredited association and fixed prices. Their prices are ridiculously expensive as I found out. At least a double on how much a local would pay. My tip is to avoid them if possible, if not try to haggle or walk away. If these tuk-tuks are desperate they’ll give you a “discount” which you can still haggle with until it’s a little above the local price and disregard their price list altogether.
VIP Bus on the Road
The second one are the Wandering and Market Tuk-tuks. These are best hailed away from those stand by tourist tuk-tuks as sometimes they’ll get angry at them. They charge a little above the local price and you can haggle as well. I also usually walk towards the Market Area where there are Tuk-tuks on standby as well charging on local prices. Another tip is to always bring a piece of paper or your cellphone to show your preferred price. Some drivers know only very little English so it’s best to show them the amount on paper or your cellphone.
Vientiane Morning Drive
Much of Vientiane is actually walkable even the sights and wats. The only places that the tuk-tuks are needed from my opinion are visiting Pha That Luang, the Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan), Japan-Lao Friendship Bridge, the Wattay Airport and the northern ans southern bus stations. Bikes are also highly recommended, cheap and convenient. Bikes can be rented for 10000 to 30000 Kip depending on the rental shop and type of bike you would be renting. Most of them would also require that you leave your passports there so a photocopy of your passport would be recommended.
aliw namin tong mga tuktuks talaga. somehow reminds you of home but they’re different nonetheless. hmmm, it’s good to know walkable ang vientiane (kung sakaling makapunta ako dito). ei thanks for sharing amigo
from lao heritage hotel, we walked towards the market. sure, everything is walking distance in vientiane… pero, promise! malayo pa rin yun. when we were finished shopping at the market, we asked a vendor how much it’ll cost to take a tuktuk and bring us back to our hotel. buti na lang, we asked around. the tuktuk driver tried to double the price when he found out we were tourists. pero syempre, since kuripot kami, we haggled and haggled until we get the local price. hehehehe!
bakit ganon? your bus station here looks nice, even the one from your previous entry, yung sa pakse. lahat kami, even my son, are now all traumatized by all bus travels… SIGH…
great tip ferdz. i find it helpful the question is when do i go there? hehehe… thanks for sharing.
Did you go solo on this trip too? I think local transportation guys could smell tourists from a mile away. It’s their chance to make good money. It’s our job to stretch our travel dollars. It pays to haggle all the time I think.
Hey Og, for me walking distance most of the sites, except for the ones I mentioned.
Hahaha. Hmmm… medyo me distance nga Barok. Ewan ko nasnay ako maglakad to Patuxai kasi.
I dunno about the VIP Buses. Siguro na swerte ako dahil magagandang bus nakuha ko
Haha. Malay mo Dom, you’ll visit the place one of these days.
This is still part of my Laos trip Photo Cache
. True. It seems these guys may have some radars up their sleeves for oncoming tourists.
very interesting… these tuk tuks seem to be larger than our tricycles and can carry the whole house hehe
Nice coverage 
This tuktuk is really strong for that load. Please also look at my tuktuk photo in Siem Reap which is maybe stronger than your Laos tuktuk! hehe.
http://abagillon.blogspot.com/2008/03/cambodian-tuktuk.html
nakaka-amazed talaga mga tuktuk dyan. most countries from Indochina, mukhang yan ang ina-adopt na public vehicle. onga kung kayang lakarin, bakit pa magtutuktuk saka mas maraming opportunity to take photos kung naglalakad.
By the way, just wanted to know if they already have taxis there. Last time I went, I couldn’t find one with the TAXI sign. Luckily the hotel was gracious enough to take us from the airport to the hotel with the service vehicle.