Christmas in Laos

I'll be in Laos for Christmas and New Year. Has anyone been there at that time of year and know how busy it is? Is it likely I'll need to book accommodation or internal flights in advance or should I be OK arranging them while I'm there?

It's likely I'll be Luang Prabang at Christmas, not sure where for New Year yet.

It's high season, so definitely book your flights. You might also want to book accomodation, esp. for Luang Prabang.

Plenty of guesthouses are available in Vientiane during New Year but not in Luang Prabang.

Get all your flights line up during the high season.

I was in Luang Prabang at Xmas and it filled up, I left before New Years and it was really getting influx of tourists as I headed south.

I would book internal flights, as I met many people stuck for more than a few days in various parts of the country as flights were sold out.

was in Luang Prabang 26th-30th Dec 2006, every day there were new arrivals from the boat landing & bus stations wandering around the Ban Wat That neighbourhood, blue bible in hand, knocking on doors hunting for rooms, finding out that many places had hiked their prices for the Christmas/New Year period - on top of the usual increase in prices since the LP was published. met some who got rooms in the more upscale places & then tried to sneak in 4-5 backpackers in per room...(some did that in Pak Beng too).

At the middle-lower end, many guest houses don't take internet bookings or have readily accessible phones. People move on, even during the holiday season, so vacancies always come up. Even late at night, peak season, when the place was pretty full, I found a place after knocking on four or five doors. Next morning, early, I had a look around and found a nicer place.

But I would try to book internal flights ahead. Google "joy travel" + Vientiane to find Joy Travel, a very good travel agent that can do the bookings for you in advance for a reasonable fee.