If you have never travelled to a developing country, Laos would certainly give you a unique experience and probably more than just one. With its old colonial charm and vast rural areas, if you like the outdoors or just want to relax Laos has plenty to offer. When visiting Laos you will have to purchase Laos currency which is known as Kip and here are some advantages and disadvantages of using Kip.

Laos widely accepts US dollars but on arrival in the country you will probably exchange your Dollars to the local currency known as Kip, try not to change all of your cash to Kip as you will be in for a surprise and probably more money than you can carry. A definite disadvantage is the sheer volume of money; you will notice this as a tourist changing $100 US at a time but when buying a motorbike or other large items, locals often need a carrier bag or even a suitcase full of it. This brings in another problem counting your cash takes a while. I guess this could be seen as an advantage as when you change your money in Laos you have become an instant millionaire. You have reached celebrity status in some countries but not in Laos as most people are millionaires here. When exchanging money the best way to do this is change a little at a time, this will give you enough local currency to pay for small items such as food, drinks, entrance fees and tipping at hotels. It isn’t advisable to change large sums as you will have to carry it around with you all day and it will probably not all fit in your wallet.

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