Coffee

If the word "coffee" is mentioned, hardly anyone thinks of Laos. Yet this country grows its own coffee, although you can't compare it with countries like Brazil or Colombia. Most plantations are on the Bolaven Plateau, which offers due to the altitude the most favourable conditions. The coffee is quite good, in Vientiane one can find a decent number of coffee shops or cafes which serve it either the italian way or filtered... I liked both ways of preparation...

Unfortunately Laos has a lot in common with most coffee-producing countries. The best quality is exported or almost exclusively being served in the expensive hotels and restaurants, while the rest of the population has to be content with instant coffee. So asking for a coffee in food stalls or cheaper restaurants, even more when you're not in Vientiane, you're likely to face an experience that is not really overwhelming... to be polite...

A person like me who can stand many hours without eating, but suffers real hardship if he don't get a coffee in the morning, has a hard time in a good part of the country...