VIENTIANE, LAOS
If a Buddhist architect and a French architect sat down to develop a city in partnership, Vientiane would be their brainchild! The capital of Laos, known for the national symbol that is Pha That Luang, is right across the border from Thailand. In fact, you can see Thailand from the Night Market on the Mekong River. There’s no better city to start your Laotian travels than here in Vientiane!
Attractions:
COPE Museum: This museum gives an in-depth tour of the U.S. bombing of Laos during the Secret War. Not so fun fact: Laos is the most bombed country per capita in the world. Per Legacies of War: “From 1964-1973, the U.S. dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Laos during 580,000 bombing missions - equal to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years.” Just let that soak in. I highly recommend this museum, very informative and eye-opening!
Patuxai (Victory Gate): Inspired by the Arc d’Triomphe in Paris, you can walk up to the top (for 3,000 LAK) to get a stellar view of the entire city. Well worth it!
Pha That Luang (Great Stupa): This is a beautiful, golden structure definitely worth checking out! The entrance fee is 10,000 LAK (slightly more than $1 USD). There’s also a gentleman right outside of this monument who sells bananas and coconuts out of the back of his truck. To give you a frame of reference as to how the prices in Laos are: I bought 20 bananas for $0.70 USD. That’s less than 4 cents per banana!
Night Market: There are night markets in most cities of Southeast Asia but this one stands above them all! Situated on the Mekong River, right across the water from Thailand, this market is full of inexpensive souvenirs, sculptures, and food. Don’t confuse inexpensive with cheap though - the art and food are all incredible! Be sure to barter!
Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park): This sculpture park is located 25km southeast of Vientiane. You should visit!
Other spots to see include the Laos National Museum, That Dam, and Wat Si Saket.
Accommodation:
Dream Home Hostel and Swimming Pool #2: This was right across the street from Dream Home Hostel #1. #2 has a pool table and decent area to chill. 40,000 LAK a night (less than $5 USD) and included breakfast, too.
Transportation:
Vang Vieng is 3 hours by bus from Vientiane and costs 50,000 LAK.
Luang Prabang is 7 hours (indirect via Vang Vieng) by bus from Vientiane and costs 130,000 LAK.
Phonsavan (the base city for visiting the Plain of Jars) is 11 hours by bus from Vientiane. Prices for this trip vary.
Bangkok, Thailand is 14 hours by bus from Vientiane and costs 400,000 LAK. The flight is a little over 1 hour and costs between 600,000-900,000 LAK.
Hanoi, Vietnam is 24 hours by bus from Vientiane and costs 650,000 LAK. The flight is a little over 1 hour and costs between 850,000-1,000,000 LAK.
The above photo of me with my lovely bundle of bananas was taken by Freddy Freegan. Thanks, brother!