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Voykit pocket guide · Laos
Phonsavan
ໂພນສະຫວັນ
Stay 2 nights: one full day for the Plain of Jars, one for the war sites. Skip if you only have a week in Laos — the road here eats 10+ hours each way.
Phonsavan is the gateway town for the Plain of Jars, a UNESCO site of megalithic stone jars scattered across a bomb-cratered plateau. The town itself is a long, low main street at 1,100 m with a cool climate, a handful of guesthouses and the best UXO education in Laos. Most travellers come for two nights, see the jars and the war history, then leave the way they came.
- Country
- Laos
- Local name
- ໂພນສະຫວັນ
- Best months
- Nov–Mar
- Avoid
- Apr–May (smoke and heat), Aug (rain on the jar sites)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- LAK
- Money
- Lao kip (LAK) in small notes for markets, tuk-tuks and food stalls.
- Daily spend
- Budget 250,000–400,000 kip excl. bed · Mid 400,000–700,000 kip excl. bed · High 700,000+ kip excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Unitel, Lao Telecom and ETL sell SIMs at airports and shops; passport registration required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Fire 190 · Ambulance 195
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, E, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US and round European pins.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: Round up or leave LAK 10,000–20,000.; Guides and drivers: LAK 50,000–100,000 a day.; Massage: LAK 20,000–30,000.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; bottled and refill water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and cafés; squat toilets with a water scoop at bus stops and markets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea | 10,000–20,000 kip |
| Noodle soup or fried rice | 25,000–45,000 kip |
| Beerlao, bottle in a restaurant | 15,000–25,000 kip |
| Tuk-tuk around town | about 100,000 kip |
| Motorbike rental, one day | from 200,000 kip |
| Plain of Jars site entry | check at the site |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- XKH · Xieng Khouang Airport
- Lao Airlines, Lao Skyway and Lanexang Airways fly from Vientiane; about 35–40 min. Schedules change — check before booking.
Typical fares
- Tuk-tuk in town
- about 100,000 kip
- Motorbike rental, one day
- from 200,000 kip
- Minivan to Luang Prabang
- about 270,000 kip, 10–11 h
Get around
The town is one long street; walk the centre, use a tuk-tuk for the rest (about 100,000 kip for a local run). For the jar sites and war sites you need a motorbike (from about 200,000 kip/day), a rented car with driver, or a guided tour. Nine travel agents in town arrange rentals and tours.
See and do
Known for
- Plain of Jars (UNESCO)
- UXO and Secret War history
- Hmong and Phuan textiles
- Cool highland climate
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Plain of Jars, Site 1 | Motorbike or tuk-tuk, about 15 min from town | About 30 min |
| Plain of Jars, Sites 2 and 3 | Motorbike or car with driver, 25–40 min each | Half a day |
| Tham Piu Cave | Route 5 towards Muang Kham, about 1 h | 2–3 h |
| Muang Kham hot springs | Route 7 east, about 67 kmRoute 7 east, about 42 mi | Half a day |
| Nong Tang Lake | Route 7 towards Phou Khoun, about 48 kmRoute 7 towards Phou Khoun, about 30 mi | Half a day |
Sleep
- Main street (Route 7) centre
- Guesthouses, restaurants and travel agents within walking distance; best for a short stay without a motorbike.
- Near the airport / north end
- Quieter, cheaper rooms; you will want a bike or tuk-tuk for the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | ສະບາຍດີsabaidee |
| Thank you | ຂອບໃຈkhop chai |
| How much is it? | ລາຄາເທົ່າໃດ?laka thao dai |
| Where is the toilet? | ຫ້ອງນ້ຳຢູ່ໃສ?hong nam yu sai |
| I do not understand | ບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈbo khao chai |
| Please stop here | ຢຸດຢູ່ນີ້yut yu ni |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Nop (palms together) and 'sabaidee'; avoid: Loud greetings and hugs
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off; avoid: Pointing feet at images; women touching monks
- Keeping calm: Stay relaxed; 'bor pen nyang'; avoid: Anger in public
- Baci ceremony: Keep the white strings on your wrist for three days; avoid: Cutting them off
- Head and feet: Keep feet down; avoid: Touching heads
Scams and watch-outs
- Do not walk off the marked paths at the jar sites: unexploded ordnance still contaminates the plateau.
- Roads to Phonsavan are slow and rough; the Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang runs can take 10 hours or more.
- Buying spoons or pendants made from war scrap may encourage villagers to search for bombs — ask where the metal came from.
- Cash is king; ATMs are few and can be empty. Bring enough kip.
Phonsavan is calm and safe for tourists; the real hazard is UXO in the countryside — stay on marked paths at the jar sites and never pick up metal objects.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Phonsavan yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Plain of Jars (UNESCO)
- UXO and Secret War history
- Hmong and Phuan textiles
- Cool highland climate
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Lao National Tourism Administration: www.tourismlaos.org/
- Xiengkhouang Provincial Museum: xkmuseumlaos.org/
- MAG UXO visitor centres in Laos: www.maginternational.org/laos-visitor-centres/
- Wikivoyage: Phonsavan, revision 5333601 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5333601
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Phonsavanໂພນສະຫວັນ
ໄປບ່ອນນີ້ເດີ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Phonsavan; Vientiane has the embassies. The US, UK and Australian missions are in Vientiane — check addresses before you travel.
Carry kip for the jar sites and markets; cards are accepted at some guesthouses only.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/phonsavan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.