The far south - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 379

THE BO Y BORDER CROSSING
There's a border crossing with Vietnam at the end of Route 18B, 113km east of Attapeu.
Five minibuses leave Attapeu each morning (hourly from 6am) crossing the border at BoY
after a winding, three-hour drive. You can buy tickets in advance from the Dúc Lôc hotel .
By the time you read this, direct shuttle buses to the border may well be running from At-
tapeu's main bus station, but for now, you'll have to buy a ticket that takes you all the way
to Vietnam (80,000K to Kon Tum, though tickets to Ngoc Hoi and Gia Lai are also avail-
able). Tickets to other Vietnamese destinations via Bo Y, including Da Nang and Hué, can
be bought in Pakse. To cross into Vietnam, you must have arranged your visa before arrival
at the border.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: ATTAPEU
By bus Arriving by bus, you'll find yourself on the northwestern outskirts of the city, 4km
from the centre. The bus station is served by frequent buses from Pakse, with shared tuk-tuks
on hand for the run into town (10,000K/person).
Destinations Pakse (at least 5 daily; 4-7hr); Vientiane (4 daily; 16hr), via Paksong (2 daily;
5hr); Xekong (2 daily; 2hr).
Services There's a branch of the Lao Viet Bank, along with an ATM, right outside the Hoang
Anh Attapeu Hotel . You can change money at a couple of places within 20m or so of the Dúc
Lôc hotel .
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
There's a surprisingly good range of new guesthouses and hotels in Attapeu, most of them
aimed at Vietnamese visitors. This makes it easy to find somewhere cheap and comfortable
to rest your head for the night. Eating well is harder, with few proper sit-down restaurants to
enjoy a good meal at. You can try the downstairs restaurant at Dúc Lôc , or head to one of the
bars near the riverfront - though these are more about beer and karaoke than decent dinners.
Dúc Lôc On the south side of Route 18, in the city centre 020 9982 2334. Very well run
Vietnamese place close to the market, and convenient if you're heading to the Bo-Y border
crossing (buses leave from right outside the door). The wood-panelled rooms feel very fresh,
with TV and a/c to boot. Downstair s there' s a restaurant serving good Vietnamese food (a
bowl of pho will cost you 10,000K). 80,000K
Hoang Anh Attapeu Hotel Just north of Wat Luang 036 210035. This vast, minimalist
hotel has the nicest rooms in town. Along with a squidgy white bed and tiled bathroom with
rain sh ower, the cheapest doubles have tiny balconies, some overlooking the resort's tennis
courts. 300,000K