Vientiane Southern Bus Terminal

An overland bus  journey from Danang in Central Vietnam to Vientiane,the capital city of Laos PDR took about twenty-one hours after taking into account the lunch/dinner break and the border immigration control  formalities.

Buses from central and south Vietnam normally ends at the Vientiane Southern Bus Terminal(also known as Dong Dok) located about 8kilometre north of Vientiane City.

For connection to the city,the tuk-tuks will charge about 50,000kips.Private vans were also available.
Lately Vientiane has introduced a new intercity bus line fully airconditioned with a flat rate of 3,000kips.(no bus conductor,buses are light green in colour).
Vientiane's urban transport masterplan in future will the Bus rapid Transit(similar to metroplitan Jakarta City and around Indonesia) together with the planned Light Rail Transport.


There will be a bus destinations and timetable display board for the convenience of travelers to view.
VTE=Vientiane

01) OrikHamsay
(every 20 minutes to Paksun-35,000,40,000Express,50,000VIP )
Confusing name,ponder whether this title for Borikhamsay Province(capital Paksan) which is just beside Vientiane Province having a rugged terrain with the longest mountain range Phou Louang and picturesque karsts  limestone scenery.
No description on timetable presumbly local buses/minibuses easily avail.

02) VTE-Lak 20 (05:00,06:00,07:00,18:30 local bus only=85,000kips)
Strange town name,should be Lak Sao(Xao).The figure number 2 in Thai or Lao pronounce "song",piece the jigsaw will be "S0".
Well LaK Xao town,an overland international border crossing is about 34km towards the central Vietnamese border(Nam Phao) enroute to VINH city which is 100km away.
Available accommodation:-Souriya Hotel US$8.00 Tel:+856 54 34


03) VTE-Namthone ( 13:00, 14:30,=40,000/50,000kips)
About 150km from Vientiane.

04) VTE-Thakhak(Thakhek)(04:00,05:00,06:00,12:00,13:00 =60/70/80,000kips)
Main town of Khammouane province.
Main highlight is to visit the 7km long underground Konglor Cave.
International crossing to Thailand via Nakhon Phanom (Isaan)which is 734km north east from Bangkok.

05) VTE-Nakye(Nakay) (17:30=90,000kips)

06) VTE-Savannakhet
(05:30, 06:00, 06:30, 07:00,07:30,08:00,08:30,09:00,20:30sleeper= 75local/90express/110seat/120,000kips)
Most popular southern Laos city near the second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River that connects Mukdahan Province in Thailand about 642km from Bangkok.
Savan-Vegas Casino is located inside the city.
Place to stay:
Souannavong Guesthouse Tel:(020)5637 3818
Nong Soda guesthouse Tel:(041)212 522
Savanbanhao hotel Tel: (041)212 202
Leena Guesthouse Tel:(041)212 404

07) VTE-Pakse (07:15, 10:00, 12:30, 13:00,13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00,15:30, 16:00,18:00,19:00,20:00, 20:30, 21:00)
=110/140/170,000 kips
The Province of Champasak,the third most populous city of southern Laos.
Once a French Administrative outpost and the present home of many ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese.
Pakse is the gateway to the Bolaven Plateau derived from the name of the Laven ethnic group in the area.
The Tad Lo Waterfalls  about 120km northeast Pakse is a popular destination.Wat Luang, the biggest and most beautiful temple of Pakse, and home of Buddhist Monk School.
Accomodation:
Nang Noi Guesthouse
Sabaidy2 Guesthouse
Thaluang Guesthouse
Paksong Area
Lankham Hotel
Sang Aroun Hotel
Kingfisher ecolodge

The Thai town of Ubon Ratchathani (575km from Bangkok) is 120 kilometers away from Pakse.Buses leave Ubon 07:00/15:30,travel time three hours,fares about 250Baht.
Songtheaws plying at Lao border to Pakse might cost 6,000-10,000kips.
Chong Mek - Vangtao (Ubon Rathchathani Prov. to Champassak Prov.)
08) Vte-Salavanh(19:30, 20:30=130/160/190,000 kips)
Home to 3 National Protected area rich in biodiversity:Xe Xap,Xe Ban Nouane,Phou Xien Thong
At Tad Lo,you can rent a bicycle,enjoy nature walk and venture into the surroundingvillages on the Bolaven Plateau.
 Natural sites in Salavanh

10) VTE-Attapeau
(09:30, 17:00,20:30 =140/180/200,000kips)
Bordering Cambodia in the south,main economy agriculture and trade of wildlife.
Map

11) VTE-Donetalath
(11:30hrs only)=130,000
Location map

12) VTE-Done khong
(10:30hr =150,000kips)
Map
Pon Arena Hotel

13) VTE-Vernkham(Veun kham)
(11:00 hr =150,000kips)
There were two entry points from Cambodia to Laos.
 Stung Treng to Veun Kham by boat crossing has closed since 2010 to international travelers.
Only road crossing checkpoint at Dong Kralor to Veun Kham open to foreigners located just a few hundred meters from boat crossing. VISA on arrival apply here.

Strangely Vientiane southern bus terminal looked a bit worn out with the unpaved buses parking bays.
It's very dusty and travelers have to bear with the surroundings.

The southern bus terminal is 8km from the Patuxay Monument Gate,straight ahead along Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue.
There will be three main road junction from the Patuxay,the vehicles in this photo were moving towards the Rue 23 Singha Road leading to the That Luang Stupa.
On the other side will be the middle main road that passes by the Thai and Indonesian Embassy which is the route to the bus terminal.

Danang to Lao Bao border crossing

The best option to travel point-to-point in Vietnam is still the sleeper buses which is more cheaper than the train.
Sometimes we might ponder whether we could pin point our seat preference while making a booking in person at the respective bus terminal.

Normally  foreigners will be given the far end of the bus where there's no individual bunk beds except that five passengers would have to sleep side by side with each other.Mind you the ceiling is startling close to the forehead.

On approaching Phuc Loc town from Lang Co,the bus conductor made his round to collect the counterfoil bus ticket but just ignore marking my ticket.Seemed odd indeed.


Attached to the bus ticket were lunch and dinner vouchers which were included in the 520,000 Dong bus fare from Danang to Vientiane (locals called Vieng Chan)

10:15am:A unique scene of  Lang Co seafront  where travelers could have a glimpse of the fishing activities around this beautiful landscape lagoon.

After Lang Co,the bus passed through the main town of Phuc Loc which is also bustling with business activities.
Most of the dwelling houses here have posh design of villa style.

Phuc Loc town faces Bach Ma National park on the west and Dam Cau Hai Bay on the east.
During the Vietnam War,Phuc Loc town being centrally located between the north and south connected via the main Highway Route 1 is also vital to the allied forces logistic reinforcement and resupply capabilities for their forces to the north.*

10:20hrs:-Road milestone says Dong Ha is still 97kilometre to go and route QL1.

Dong Ha,another hour drive north of Hue city is the capital of Quang Tri Province,a town at the cross road of East-West Economic Corridor.

This is the northernmost town of early South Vietnam famous as a Demilitarized Zone.

 Dong Ha cross road is towards the Lao Bao  immigration border onto the town of Savannakhet  in Laos.


Travelers along major routes may see some small shrines near the main road.
Well Vietnamese like their Chinese counterparts have the traditional belief of praying the road side god to ensure that motorists will have a safe journey traveling along that stretches of road.

10:30am:-After two hours of journey leaving Danang's terminal.we had the first embarking passenger,a women with her child.
The bus seats were still not fifty percent occupied and it seemed that this VIP bus is not an express bus.

The main airport of Hue--Phu Bai Airport can be seen in the vicinity.

10:40AM:-The highway toll booth as we were approaching the city of HUE,the capital city of  Thua Thien-Hue Province.
Hue is the old imperial capital of Vietnam which was the bloody battle flashpoint in 1968 between the North Vietnamese army and South Vietnamese insurgents during the Tet Offensive.






11:30am:-- Flyover bridge across the Perfume River or Huong River on entering the city of Hue.
Tourist boats could be seen cruising along the  slow moving river.
Guesthouses/Hotels in Hue:
1) DMZ Hotel, 21 Doi Cung St (>500,000 VND)
2)Hue Smile Hotel,175 Bà Trieu St (>550,000Vnd)
3)Sports 1 Hotel, 15 Pham Ngu Lao St (>250,000)
4)Tigon Blance Hotel,6 Ba TrieuSt (>250,000)
5)Tigon Premium Hotel,9 Nguyen Cong Tru,(.400,000)
6)Duy Tan 2 Hotel, 12 Hung Vuong St.(>600,000VND)
7)Festival Hue Hotel,15,Ly Thuong Kiet Blvd.(>650,000VND)
8)Ideal Hotel, 1/11 Vo Thi Sau St.(>500,000VND)
9)Ngoc Huong Hotel, 8-10 Chu Văn An.(>550,000VND)
10)Riverview Hotel, 15 Doi Cung St,(>450,000VND)
11)Thanh Uyen Hotel, 14 Ba Trieu,(>550,000VND)
12)Truong Giang Hotel, 51 Le Loi St.(>1,195,000VND)

While in Hue more passengers alighted before heading to Dong Ha which took another hour and half drive with toilet break.
Weather in November was sunny hot about 29degrees celcius with hardly any rainfall. 

It was about 1:30pm when the bus reached Dong Ha town which is one of the main cross road to Laos.
Dong Ha town is 74km from Hue City, 80km from Lao Bao Border crossing, 94km from Dong Hoi (Quang Binh Province), 190km from Danang, 598km from Hanoi, and 1,112km  from Ho Chi Minh city.

Dong Ha is a two-street town with Highway 1 known as Le Duan Avenue which form the main artery for the northern route while Highway 9 takes off inland at a central T-junction.

At this juncture,more passengers were waiting to alight this bus and it's now filled  to full capacity including the aisle.
My seat seemed to have a duplicate fare ticket issued to another passenger which earlier on I've already suspected the bus conductor's intention for not taking my counterfoil slip.
It's going to be a tug of war with the other Vietnamese passenger on how to squeezed myself  at the five person open end bunk bed.
This is a real experience in a Vietnamese 'refugee' VIP bus with  even two young kids having to stand all the way to Vientiane.Just can't imagine the situation if this is like an overloaded ferry.
The co-bus driver  had his hammock fixed to the railings  and he seemed to be comfortable with it.
Lunch break was at about 2:00pm  a short distance after leaving Dong Ha.




5:30pm:-Completed  Vietnamese and Laotian immigration formalities without much hassle as most of the bus passengers were locals.
We had a short break at the Lao Bao border in Savannhakhet province.,Laos.

From this bus travel  experience,my suggestion to future travelers is to get a minibus at Danang Bus Terminal to Lao Bao which makes only one trip a day at 09:00am with arrival time about 3:00pm. Subsequently get a minivan at the border after Lao immigration  for onward journey to Savannakhet town.

Dao-Heuang Group Duty Free Shop

Dansavanh is in Laos and Lao Bao is in Vietnam. This border crossing opens for business from 7.00am to 6.00m.
This was the first land border between Laos and Vietnam to open for international travellers and this crossing is convenient for Hue in Vietnam and Savannakhet in Laos.

Dansavanh Lao Bao is a busy and convenience border crossing via good quality road.
Route 9 crossing through Laos from Mukhdahan in Thailand to Dansavanh/Lao Bao and on to Hue in Vietnam is regarded as the  "East-West Economic Corridor".

From Savannakhet there are buses leaving at 6.30am,9.30am and at noon taking five to five and  half hours to get to the border crossing of about 255 kilometers. The bus fare is between 26,000 to 30,000 kip (just under USD$4,00).

From Sepon there are regular buses running to and from Dansavanh/Lao Bao. The trip takes about one hour drive of 45 kilometers and the fare is about 15,000 kip (under USD$2.00). Songtheaws are also running to/from this border crossing to Sepon regulary.

 Alternatively, from Savannakhet there is a 10pm daily bus that leaves for Dong Ha (fare: 110,000 kip taking about eight hours, distance of 329 kilometers),
Hue (fare: 120,000 kip taking about twelve hours, distance of 409 kilometers)
and Danang (fare: 140,000 kip taking about fourteen hours, distance of 509 kilometers)

You can also get a bus from Dong Ha to Savannakhet, passing through the Dansavanh/Lao-Bao border crossing. It takes about eight hours and costs 190,000 VND.

If you can't get one of these, take a songtheaew to Sepon, then get one of the frequent bus services to Savannakhet from there. Sepon-Savannakhet takes between three to four hours.

The immigration offices of Laos and Vietnam are located not far from each others.

An overloaded Vietnamese VIP cross border refugee bus.
The consignment of goods includes agricultural produce and sundry merchandise underwent Lao customs immigration inspection.


Visa-On-Arrival in Laos can  be obtained at the following international  airport entry points:
Wattay in Vientiane ,Luang Prabang ,Pakse and Savannakhet.

By Land at the following:-

• China (Mohan) - Luang Namtha Province (Boten)
  
• Thailand (Chiang Khong) - Bokeo Province (Houay Xay)
  
• Thailand (Nong Khai) -Vientiane Capital (Friendship Bridge)
  
• Thailand - Xayabouly Province (Nam Heuang Friendship Bridge)
• Thailand (Nakhon Phanom) - Khammouane Province (Thakhaek)
  
• Thailand (Moukdahan) - Savannakhet Province (Friendship Bridge II)
  
• Thailand (Chong Mek) - Champasak Province (Vang Tao)
  
• Vietnam (Nam Kanh) - Xieng Khouang Province (Nong Haet)
  
• Vietnam (Kao Cheo) - Bolikhamxay (Nam Phao)
  
• Vietnam (Lao Bao) - Savannakhet Province (Dan Savanh)
  
• Sop Hun in Phongsaly (Laos-Vietnam)
  
• Na Meo in Houaphan (Laos-Viet Nam)
  
• Na Phao in Khammouane (Laos-Viet Nam)
  

Laos visa on arrival Prices:
 Citizens from USA, UK and European the fee is US35.00, Canada US42.00, Sweden US31.00, Australia and other countries is US30.00. All visa's fee are payable in US dollars, you can also pay in Thai bath but it will cost you more.
 Foreigners who overstay in Laos will be fined USD5 for each day of overstay before leaving the country.
Bus route Danang to Vientiane

Bus Danang to Vientiane

On a Friday morning at about 7:00am headed to Danang new bus terminal at the far end of Dien Bien Phu Road.

Took a xe om for 40,000VND,hopefully to catch the 8:30am direct bus to Vientiane in Laos.

 As seen here is the VIP sleeping bus that was already at the parking bay.Only a handful of passengers were around possibly due to weekday.




There weren't any ticketing counters as this signboard was displayed in front of a snack stall facing the Danang - Vien Chan bus lane.

Looked like bus departure of Nguyen Phuoc Bus Company from Danang three times a week on odd days while the reverse from Vien Chan is on even days.

The bus conductor will be sitting on a stool beside the coffee table and  travelers have to buy bus ticket from him .The fare was 520,000VND with lunch and dinner break included.

Gia Lai is located in central Tay Nguyen Highlands and shares a common border with Cambodia.
The provincial capital is Pleiku.

Buses available:

Sleeper bus Hanoi Ben Xe Giap Bat <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai costVND 420,000 time 28 hours

Bus(2x2) Hanoi Ben Xe Giap Bat <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai route via - Ninh Binh - Thanh Hoa - Vinh - Dong Hoi - Dong Ha - Hue - Da Nang - Tam Ky - Quang Ngai - Pleiku (Gia Lai) Local cost VND 280,000 time 28 hours.

Bus(2x2) Ben Xe Trung Tam Da Nang <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai cost VND 130,000 time10 hours.
Sleeper bus Ben Xe Trung Tam Da Nang <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai cost VND 160,000 time10 hours.



Van Ben Xe Khach Trung Tam Qui Nhon <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai Non stop cost VND 70,000 time 4 hours.

Minibus Ben Xe Khach Trung Tam Qui Nhon <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai cost VND 65,000 time 4 hours.

 Van Kom Tum <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai Local cost VND 15,000 time1 hour.

Van Ben Xe Gia Lai <=> Ben Xe Phia Nam Nha Trang cost VND 120,000 time 9 hours.

 Van Ben Xe Gia Lai <=> Ben Xe Khach Daklak Non stop cost VND 75,000 time 4 hours.

 Bus(2x2) Ben Xe Gia Lai <=> HCM Ben Xe Mien Dong VIP cost VND 150,000 time12 hours.

 Minibus Sekong <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai route from Sekong  via Attapeu - Pleiku (Gia Lai)


Futa Buslines  fares


 Minibus Da Nang <=> Ben Xe Gia Lai route via Vinh Dien - Tam Ky - Quang Ngai - Pleiku (Gia Lai) Local cost VND 110,000 time 10 hours.

Travelers wishing to head for Savannakhet in Laos can use this minibus non aircond available  09:00am one trip per day only to Lao Bao immigration point.

Local buses  and minibus to Lao Bao near Savannakhet is available  parked behind the red color bus.

A half empty sleeper bus  departing 15 minutes late after loading tons of goods and merchandise on the bus roof top.










The first sight after about 10 km journey was this rolling rugged mountains beside  Bau Tram Lake.
This  lake is north of the  Hoa Khanh Industrial Park in Lien Chieu District.
Hoa Khanh area houses many garment factories such as the South Korean Daewon company and also Dacotex Group providing employment to thousands of local girls and boys.

Danang is classified as an industrial zone with port facilities to handle container traffic and a number of supporting light industries.












Passing through the narrow road in Hoa Hiep Bac hilly zone enroute via the Hai Van Pass Tunnel.











Extracting river sand for construction purpose.














Clusters of small commune along the Hai Van Pass.

Hai Van Tunnel ( Hầm Hải Vân) is the longest tunnel in Southeast Asia , across the Hai Van Pass , connecting the province of Thua Thien-Hue Province to the city of Da Nang in central Vietnam .

Opened way back in year 2005 and has a length  of 6.5km.

Hai Van Tunnel is located on the National Highway 1 starting from km 984  near the town of Lang Co, which runs on a peak at km 904  which is 475m higher than sea level and ends at Km 914 north  of Da Nang about 20.45 km  from the city.






Scenic Hai Van Pass. near the Lang Co Bay.









 Accomodations available in Lang Co town.

1) Khách sạn Mai Nga  

2) Khach san Phu Quy

3) Lang Co Beach Resort

A cottage style Catholic church in the Hai van commune.