Laos forum

safe place to leave luggage in pakse/champasak?

betsbillabo-
ng

newbie
Posts: 4

dear travelers,

for complicated reasons (i'm doing research), i am traveling with a laptop and some heavy coffee table books. i'm in pakse now and headed to xepong, attapeu, and hopefully some very small villages in between. i'd rather not travel with the laptop and books, obviously!

is there anywhere safe to keep left luggage in pakse or champasak? i would be willing to spend one night at an expensive hotel if it meant a safe place for my goods for a week. i was thinking maybe the inthara champasak hotel? but if there is a truly safe place that's cheap, that would be even better - but safety is more important than money, since i'm an artist and will absolutely need my laptop in hong kong in two weeks! makes me a bit nervous to put it away for so long. any advice much appreciated.

thanks,
betsbillabong

#1 Posted: 11/1/2011 - 09:17
betsbillabo-
ng

newbie
Posts: 4

hi all,

it looks like a few people have looked at this but no answers.

fyi, i've read that the lankham will take bags. but i just found out that the pakse hotel will also take bags, for 5000 kip per day, which seems reasonable. it looks like a pretty nice hotel that i can trust.

any thoughts?

bb

#2 Posted: 11/1/2011 - 19:10
svendj

tuk tuk driver
Posts: 180

was looking at the pictures of Lang Kham and it seems I stayed here for a few days. I never remember names of hotels, only by picture .

Pretty good hotel though so I think your belongings should be safe here. 5000 kip is really nothing, that's like 60p US or something, cheap!
Though I'd always that if you travel with a laptop, keep it with you at any time or at least in your room and locked!

#3 Posted: 11/1/2011 - 19:42
betsbillabo-
ng

newbie
Posts: 4

hey svendj,

yes, i've been locking my laptop into my bag, and securing that to the room somehow in all of my hotels. then also padlocking the room in addition to the room key. it seems dodgy to just leave it in a hotel for a week - but then again, i don't want to worry about it or seem suspicious while doing homestays in small villages. i wish i didn't have to have it with me!

this is the hotel i'm thinking of leaving it at:

http://www.hotelpakse.com/

bb

#4 Posted: 11/1/2011 - 20:07
tf_geckozy

tout
Posts: 70

Thinking to keep your belongings more safely is good.

But, OP, you are misunderstanding where you are in now and you seem to me you are never an expert Lao traveliler.

Lao people are different from Vietnamese, and if you are in Viet Nam and if you leave money and other precious goods in your room, those kind of goods will easily disapper while you are out. But you are now in "Laos".

Don't you like Laos and Lao people?

#5 Posted: 13/1/2011 - 05:06
busylizzy

under-employed
Posts: 1470
Located in:
Private message

"Don't you like Laos and Lao people?"

I don't think that is what the OP is suggesting at all. It wouldn't matter which country you are in, there is always a concern about leaving your valuables behind. Logically, it's not good common sense. But practically, it's very useful and convenient sometimes.

I have left my main pack at the guesthouse or hotel several times while travelling away for a few days with my daypack. (In some cases I took my netbook, but not always). I did this a few times in Thailand (while travelling to islands, for up to a week at a time), in Bali (while travelling to outer islands), and in Vietnam (while in Halong Bay).

I never had any problems, the pack was always left exactly as I left it. I padlocked it of course, not that that would stop anyone that really wanted to get in. I also let them know (and see, to some extent) that I was taking my valuables with me (regardless of what I left behind).

BTW - I never paid for this. The guesthouses were kind enough to just hold it for me.

I think you will be fine, especially with the books. The laptop is a calculated risk. What are the implications of losing it? How bad is it for you if it goes missing? Only you can decide this....

#6 Posted: 13/1/2011 - 07:31

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As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.
betsbillabo-
ng

newbie
Posts: 4

Hi there,

I'm sorry, I did not mean to offend. It's true, I would be very careful with my belongings in any country, but in fact I would worry much more about other travelers (sad to say) than the Lao people. Just had a discussion about this at breakfast.

In my case, it's hard because I will be going over some very rough country and carrying my bag a lot, so I don't want to bring the laptop and damage it. I would not travel with it at all except that I am a digital media artist and have a big show in Hong Kong next week, and need to make the piece with the computer next week! So it is important that it is okay.

I am thinking I will check JUST the laptop bag. It will not be like things going missing in a bag, because it will be the only thing and if it goes missing it will look bad for them. And again, I'm more worried about my bag being in a big travelers saferoom where lots of travelers have access than I am about leaving it a Lao hotel safe where only the employees have access.

It is true, I am not an expert Lao traveler. I have only been in the country ten days and have already fallen in love with it.

#7 Posted: 13/1/2011 - 11:12