Sign in with FacebookSouth Eastern Shores of Nam Ngum Lake, Vientiane, Laos
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Wat Sisaket, Vientiane, Laos
temple door detail
The breakfast room at the phasouk residence.
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Hi,
My husband and I will be flying from Siem Reap to Vientiane in January and then flying to Hanoi. We will be staying in Vientiane for 3 days. Can someone advise me please what is worth seeing/ visiting in Vientiane? Can I book any 1-day trips from Vientiane?
Thanks
Monika
There is not too much to see in Vientiane. A good day trip though is out to Buddha Park, about an hour away near the Friendship Bridge. Just go to the bus station and someone will point you to the right bus.
Vientiane is a relatively quiet capital city. Definitely not one for going out for late nights.
I'd recommend renting a bicycle and riding around the streets for at least half a day. Otherwise, the Lao National Museum is the first thing on my list that I recommend as a must.
Patuxay monument is located just north of downtown, and can be seen in a very short time. Just a bit north of that still is the old and iconic Pha That Luang. It gets mixed reviews, but does afford you with some decent photo opportunities. There are countless temples, so if that's what you enjoy, there are no shortages.
About 25km east of the city is the Buddha Park (Xiengkuane Buddha). It was built in the 1960's, so does not have any historical importance, but again offers many photo opportunities of some great pieces of artwork and culture.
About 20km southeast of the city is the National Ethnic Cultural Park. This is a model park, which allows you to see samples and examples of each corner of Laos all in one place.
Lastly, take a walk up and down the waterfront. Day offers you examples of daily life and lets you see the architecture. Night time offers you a chance to walk the night market.
dswede had sum it up very well.
one to 2 days could be enough for sightseeing if you include main sigh (mentioned above). also, don't forget so see wat si sakhet with thousands buddda images and wat si muang for its oldest shrine in city, very important place for vientiane people. these both are in city centre and you can walk from one to another temple.
you could as well visit Mines advisory group (MAG) near spirit house (by mekong) to see legacy of 'secret war'.
if you want to spend day out in nature you could go to Phu Khao Khuay protected area with one of the tour agencies for one day trip. it's very nice area with black rocks and waterfalls, good to swim and for picnic. one (eco-tourism) agency that can do that is called Green discovery. here's more of them:
http://www.greendiscoverylaos.com/ecotours/vte.html
People keep saying that Vientaine is 'not the place to go out late', well i had an awesome night out there till about 2.30am in one of the coolest nightclubs/hotels going!!
DON CHAN PALACE is the place to be after 11.30pm trust me!
I stayed 3 days and managed to not see one so called tourist sight but that doesnt really bother me, i believe theres many ways to get the feel of a city/town that doesnt involve taking pictures of temples with other tourists.
Happy holidays to you :)
These fond memories were from a small village where we stopped for a stretch and smoke - two little ones sitting out the front watching the big event for the morning - and the other group of mirror admirers!
The group of children spent ages looking at themselves in the shiny bumper bar! The things we take for granted!
Wattay International Airport is about 4km northwest of the city centre. It is not a big airport. To get to the city centre, you can hire a cab and it will cost you approximately Usd6/- (10min ride). You can also walk out of the Airport terminal to the main road (10minutes) of Th Luang Prabang to catch a jumbo or tuk-tuk Cost : usd2/- (15minutes ride).
Immigration clearance is about half an hour.
Laos currency is called "Kips". They are big notes with big denominations - anyone can easily be a "millionaire" in Laos. You can change kips from the money changers or from the hotels. Kips are usually used in small restaurants and when you purchase small items. US dollars are widely acceptable. Kips are only tradeable in Laos, so make sure you get rid of all your kips when you depart from Laos unless you want to keep some as souvenirs. You can sell your kips back to the bank or to the hotels.
Many of the monks live in monasteries at the temple sites. This was also the case for Sisaket, of which the gardens seem to be a popular spot to hang out the laundry. The orange robes make a neat contrast with the green.
It's one thing to visit temples and hear all of the ancient stories, but seeing mundane house chores being done brings everything back to the present. I found that I could look at the monuments in a different way.
An alternative to tuk-tuks is to get on the back of a motorbike - but be aware that you'll have to do it without a helmet. Good adrenaline sport - as long as you don't fall off.
Cost is around the same as for a tuk tuk, maybe a bit lower.
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Q: transport from nong khai border point to vientiane "hi does anyone know the transport options to get to vientiane from the thai/laos border point neat nong khai. ..."
A: "Seat61.com (Laos section) says the local train now goes over the bridge from Thailand into Vientaine."
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