Introduction
The Lao Bao Border Checkpoint, which is located in Quang Tri Province, is one of the crucial international border gates of Viet Nam. Besides, it is the bridge between Viet Nam and Laos. Foreign citizens can get a Visa Run to Lao Bao from Danang.
There are other border gates around Viet Nam, but they are rustic and at a far distance. If you don’t have prior visas granted by the governments of both Viet Nam and Laos, you aren’t allowed to get through. In contrast, the Lao Bao Border Checkpoint is closer and more convenient in the whole document process. The staff here regularly deals with foreign visitors.
Thus, for people who wish to extend their visit time in this beautiful country, Lao Bao Border Gate is the ideal place to get a visa run from Da Nang. It permits you to stay in Viet Nam longer, enter Laos from Viet Nam, and turn back.
If you are in Da Nang, you will have a nice route to the Lao Bao Border Crossing. Despite being a narrow city in the central area of Vietnam, Da Nang has developed at a breakneck pace during the last decade. With every visit foreigners pay, there is new growth for them to enjoy.
So why don’t we look through the journey to Lao Bao Border, the process of gaining a visa run here, and the best way to enjoy this journey?
Pre-departure Documents To Lao Bao Border
Before actually getting a visa run to Lao Bao from Da Nang, you need to prepare some documents.
First of all, you need an approval letter that gives you the right to apply for a visa. It is advisable to take this at reliable agencies such as Vietnam-visa. The cost of an approval letter should be between $30 and $50.
After getting an approval letter, you will need to complete two visa application forms: Vietnamese and Laotian. You can download, print, and fill out the Vietnamese visa application form in advance here:
Otherwise, you can get both Vietnamese and Laotian visa application forms, and complete them later when you arrive at the border.
Besides the above documents, you need some other papers. Let’s check and ensure you get everything done:
☐ Approval letter
☐ Completed Vietnamese visa application form
☐ Two passport photos (4 x 6 cm (standard Vietnam photography size) or 2 x 2 inches)
☐ Costs for a Lao visa ($35 or VND1,000,000)
☐ Costs for a Vietnam visa (vary, including service fee and government fee).
How To Get To Lao Bao From Da Nang
There are several means of transportation to get to the Lao Bao from Da Nang. For example, you can take a local public bus, hire a private car, or drive your own motorcycle. Therefore, tourists have a wide range of choices to suit their own interests and budget.
Private Car
Many people take advantage of Da Nang’s abundance of travel agencies, businesses, and private transportation to rent a private vehicle for the trip to and from the border. This is a more expensive option, especially when you don’t go in a group of many people.
The ideal situation is to gather some other people who also wish to go to the same destination. After you divide the price per person, it is actually not that bad. This has the advantages of being an option year-round and being more in your control regarding stops, speed, and so on.
If you are looking for a reliable private car rental, we highly recommend our car rental offered by Culture Pham Travel and Transport. Our private car transfer from Da Nang to Lao Bao border is door-to-door with a basic English-speaking driver. The distance from Da Nang to Lao Bao is about 243 km, so it will take more than 4 hours by car.
Besides, Hoi An to Lao Bao border distance is about 278 km. If you want to get a visa run from Hoi An to Lao Bao, you can book our Hoi An to Lao Bao border private car. We will ensure our wholehearted companionship on the journey.
Local Public Bus
Taking a Da Nang to Lao Bao bus costs the least but takes the most time, which could be up to 6 hours. Sometimes they are convenient, fast, and pleasant as if you will never experience anything like that in your whole life.
You’ll need to get to the Da Nang bus station if you want to experience this enjoyable path. You should be able to locate a bus traveling to Lao Bao from Da Nang by navigating the many rows of ticket counters of the bus companies here. If you don’t ask for direct tickets to Lao Bao, you’ll have to stop at every village along the 540-kilometer route.
Another option is to reserve a seat on an express bus that travels straight to Dong Ha. Then, you can board a local shuttle that ascends to the Lao Bao Border Checkpoint.
Motorbike
Besides those ways, you could ride your motorbike by yourself to make a visa run from Danang to Lao Bao. However, there are a few things you should be aware of before you try this. Despite the stunning views of Hai Van Pass and the local nature you may encounter during the ride, riding by yourself could be a long, difficult day.
The round-trip distance is about 540 kilometers, and it takes at least 8 hours to drive that far. It involves a lot of highway driving, time consumption, possible bad weather, and costs for the motorbike’s maintenance and fuel.
Having said that, if you go into it prepared and with the appropriate attitude, it is possible. Make sure your bike is in working order and travel with other partners. You should leave early (6:00 AM) and move through the day at a steady pace.
The Process Of Getting A Visa Run
So, after preparing all the documents, calculating the costs, and choosing good transportation, how to make a visa run at the border?
The procedure of getting a visa run to Lao Bao may seem harsh and tiring. But if you follow the right steps, it is actually rather simple and easy by Vietnamese standards. Some police officers have a basic command of English, which makes everything much simpler for foreigners.
So the procedure is as follows after you cross the border:
- To reach the buildings on the Lao side, proceed past the Vietnamese border buildings and across the border. After passing, obtain your Vietnam Exit Stamp from the window with the person wearing a dark green uniform.
- Enter the building’s first chamber on the left. Get the Laos visa application form and fill out the form first.
- Hand in your completed application, photo, and passport to the Lao immigration official. When they’re done, make your payment.
- As you leave the room and turn left, get your Lao Entrance Stamp at the “Entrance Formalities” window.
- Return across the border to the Vietnamese-side buildings. From the window with the person wearing a dark green uniform, obtain your Lao Exit Stamp.
- Hand in your completed application, photo, and passport to the Vietnamese immigration official. When they’re done, make your payment.
- Get your Lao Exit Stamp from the same window as your Vietnam Entrance Stamp, but from a different staff.
- You are ready to depart after you have your new visa and entrance stamp!
Lao Bao Border Travel Guide
When arriving at Lao Bao from Da Nang, it is a big missed opportunity if you don’t stop for a while and enjoy your visit here. There are some intriguing activities for visitors, such as sightseeing, shopping, and trying tasty food. Let’s go into more detailed descriptions of these activities!
Tourist Attractions At Lao Bao Border Crossing
On your visit to Lao Bao Border Gate, when you go along Road 9, you will have a chance to come across some fascinating attractions. For example, Ta Lung Mountain, Dakrong Suspension Bridge, Klu Mountain, Klu Hot Spring, Van Kieu Village, and so on.
Besides, visitors can pass by the legendary Dakrong intersection, go on the historical Truong Son road. They can visit many other nationally meaningful attractions. For example, you can visit Khe Sanh Combat Base, where the fierce 170-day combat between Viet Nam and the United States took place.
Especially, at the Lao Bao International Border Gate, there is a fresh, white-sand, and gentle beach, namely Cua Tung Beach, for visitors to enjoy.
Shopping At Lao Bao Border
People come to the Lao Bao Border to do tax-free shopping with very affordable items at Lao Bao Market. Here reside over 300 stalls, varying from daily items such as cookers, rice, or soaps,… to high-end items such as gold or silver, and they are all tax-free!
Recently, the most popular items among tourists have been cosmetic products and gems! It is a pity to miss this chance once you arrive in Lao Bao!
Delicious Food At Lao Bao Border
When it comes to the local specialty, tourists’ favorites are always grilled buffalo meat in Trơng leaves, Lao Bao grilled mountain goat, and forest chicken mixed with lime leaves. Don’t forget to order these dishes when you have a seat in some restaurants in Lao Bao Border!
Normally, in the area of the international trade center, restaurants, and hotels in Sepon, Hoa Binh, located on the Vietnam-Laos border, there are many delicious and affordable dishes with enthusiastic and attentive service.
Reminder For Tourists Visiting Lao Bao Border
If you only stop at the Laos border, there is no need to change the Lao currency. But if you intend to travel to Laos, you can change it to Thai Baht and USD, the money exchange service here is quite developed. Yet you need to pay attention to the exchange rate.
In case you need to withdraw your money from an ATM, you can go to Khe Sanh town and do this at ATMs of Sacombank and Agribank, or you can use Agribank ATMs at Lao Bao.
When you need a phone SIM at the Lao Bao Border, you can use any Vietnamese phone network provider. However, if you go to Laos, you need to buy a Laos phone SIM that costs about VND40.000 and you will have VND80.000 available in your SIM account.
Conclusion
Above are the experiences that we have gathered for traveling in Lao Bao, we hope the information will be helpful for your journey to get a visa run from Danang to Lao Bao. Good luck! Culture Pham Travel wishes you an enjoyable trip. It’s our pleasure to welcome you reading at our website’s travel blog! Thank you!
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