A drone (like the DJI Mavic Pro we have) can be a fun gadget for getting some unusual and amazing shots. Just make sure to fly responsibly and inform yourself of the drone laws in place. Below we show you a few incredible places to fly your drone in Laos.
Flying your drone in Luang Prabang
Flying a drone in Luang Prabang is a bit tricky as the airport is right next to town and as a general rule you should avoid flying near airports without getting explicit permission.
Luckily there is a beautiful countryside as well, so hop on a motorbike, drive to the middle of nowhere and you’ll soon be capturing some amazing shots without bothering anyone.
On our way to the beautiful Kuang Si Waterfall we made quite a few stops to explore the view from above without anyone around. The Mekong river is even more impressive when seen from the sky!
We especially liked the view of the rice fields near the turnoff to the waterfall.
Flying your drone in Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng is another classic stop in Laos. The beautiful surroundings of this town make for some great drone opportunities. Unfortunately we had a lot of rain when visiting, but we did manage to get up in the air twice.
Our first flight was at the popular Kaeng Nyui Waterfall to get a different perspective of the waterfall. Didn’t turn out that great but you win some, you lose some, I guess. Do take care flying between all the trees here if you want to give it a try yourself.
Later that day we found ourselves in the fields near the Phangern Viewpoint, desperately trying to get to a geocache. We had to give up on that one in the end but didn’t leave without going for a quick drone flight. The rain started spoiling things though, so we’re not that happy with the result here either.
The rain continued pouring for our last days in Laos, so we weren’t able to explore our final stop, Vientiane, from above.
Where NOT to fly your drone in Laos
A drone can be a really fun gadget, but an incredibly annoying one as well in the hands of an inconsiderate pilot. We experienced this first hand in Luang Prabang while watching the sunset at Mount Phousi.
Yes, that selfie you made might have looked amazing on Instagram, but no, it’s not OK to launch and land your drone in the middle of crowd and fly over us for 20 minutes. Behaviour like that is what gets drones a bad name and is just plain dangerous.
Drone Laws in Laos
A lot of countries are still figuring these drone laws out, so we won’t mention them here to prevent giving you outdated information. However, you can check out Drone-made's ultimate guide to Laos' drone laws and regulations for up-to-date information.
Unfortunately we only had about 8 days in the country so there are plenty of other places to explore and definitely a lot more amazing spots to fly your drone in Laos. Found any? Let us know in the comments!
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Great article. Thank you. I’m flying to laos these days and was wondering sbout the drone laws as you mentioned… it’s always a little tricky to find actual informations abiut drone laws in other countries. If you have an actual page where to read the latest news maybe you could ad it to your article?
Hi, Mike. We haven’t been able to find a reliable website for drone laws either, but recommend comparing different sources. We have noticed that “no drone” signs are getting more and more distributed.
I’m sorry we can’t be of more help. Enjoy your trip to Laos!
Hi, Nice article! I am planning a trip to Loas this year and been looking around for drone rules and regulation but finding it hard to find much info. I’ve got mavic pro and I was wondering if you guys had any trouble entering the country with the drone or did you guys have to apple for permit beforehand? Or if you know any links with info on this could you link it?
Thanks
Thanks, Rohit Rai! I’m afraid we also had trouble finding any information on drone laws in Laos. We just separated the battery from the drone itself and put them both in our hand luggage (we didn’t have any checked in luggage). We didn’t apply for a permit and didn’t have any trouble entering the country.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip, Laos is beautiful!