Airport to town by taxi is around about 100 Yuan, plus minus 10 Yuan (but this includes the 10 Yuan expressway toll charge). mRPIN, 60 Yuan is too cheap to get from the airport to the city. It might only be 60 if you live on the outskirts of town, but downtown (Nanping Jie) is about 80-100 Yuan and the university area is 90-115 Yuan based on my experience (115 Yuan was for a 12.30am taxi ride from the airport to Renminxi Lu last week).

My Chinese is just so-so, but using a combination of what I can read and google translate for the rest, it seems like an altercation between a "black" person leading a few more "expatriates" and some Kunming "residents". No idea why it started, the article didn't elaborate. The article mentioned the Salvador's bar owner.

I was waiting for a friend outside Salvador's around 8.30pm last night - everything was quiet. This must have happened much later at night then. Today around lunch time, not having any idea about this until I read the article, I walked past Salvador's and saw it was closed. I thought to myself, strange that, they are closed again? I think they were already closed last Thursday but at that time there was a sign on the garage door, this time there wasn't.

@Moderator, all I can say is ... I'm speechless. No idea why the scuffle broke out, and can't really see a good reason why either - one guy cursing about this and that - just stupid really. In general I mind my own business and I've always been OK. I think that whoever started this fight, whether local or foreigner should just start minding their own business and do what I do...if I'm alone I put on my poker face, I don't interact with strangers, I just walk down the street and ignore everyone I see hence I've always been OK.

What's wrong with people these days?

Anyway, the good news is that everything is calm today, no problems or evidence of anything whatsoever.

Phongsali has an international crossing over to Dien Bien Phu that's been open for about 6 years now. Allowing cars into Vietnam for tourism purposes has nothing to do with military issues but rather a very anti-car government in Vietnam, which is now even trying to restrict it's own citizens from buying cars in Laos and driving them over to Vietnam by increasing the amount of paperwork needed at the border.

My passport doesn't require any Lao visa at all - for most other nationalities it can be purchased at the border. Chinese citizens need a visa in advance to exit China - Chinese laws overrule those of Laos so only if arriving from Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia or if flying in from another country other than China by air can Chinese citizens enter without a visa in their passports and take advantage of the VOA. Of course, it's possible that this policy may change but up until now every Chinese visitor to Laos needs a visa in advance when entering directly from China. When myself and my Chinese business partner were at Mohan back in April, he was advised not to enter China as he would then not have been allowed back into Laos without obtaining a new visa in Jinghong or Kunming.

One thing I should add, Peter99, is that you mentioned there are Vietnamese signs in Jiangcheng, in anticipation of the opening of this crossing, which would then allow travelers from Vietnam to travel from Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam to Jiangcheng via Phongsali. That will be straightforward if you travel by car and change vehicles at the Lao/Vietnam border or the the Lao/China border or if you travel by bus.

However, the problem I see right now for Chinese travelers wanting to drive their own cars to Vietnam is that the Vietnamese authorities have been very reluctant to allow Chinese cars to enter Vietnam from Laos (and even entering directly from China to Vietnam they are restricted to where they are allowed to travel). This needs to change soon so unrestricted travel and trade can take place between countries in the region like is the case in Europe. Fortunately, Laos is already very open and even Thailand allows Chinese vehicles to enter it's territory without restrictions.

I think you should get a clue. The OP asked about whether bringing dollars is a good idea - the answer is a clear NO. Also, there are zillions of ATMs in Vietnam, I thus don't see the need to bring any foreign cash at all. Not to mention that many businesses, especially hotels and mid-range and upper class restaurants accept credit cards.

The Vietnamese dong is quite stable having varied only marginally against the US dollar over the past 2 years and is not exactly freely floating against the US dollar. I have worked and traveled in Vietnam many times (probably been there more than 20 times) and have many Vietnamese friends - I think I know what I am talking about.

End of discussion.