As soon as I landed in Laos, I knew it was going to have a drastically different feel than Thailand. For starters the airport in the capital is about the same size as the Spokane airport. For those of you who have never been to the Spokane airport, it is small. The population of Vientiane is around 210,000. That is 210,000 people in the capital! According to my Fodor’s guide, which was published in 2009, Laos is larger than Great Britain and has a population of 6 million. That means there is a lot of undeveloped space! The best part and worst part about Laos is that it is undeveloped and unspoiled. Great for hiking and not so great for transit. There isn’t even a railway system. Most of their taxis and buses are the leftovers from either Japan or Thailand. To give you an idea of the quality of their roads, it takes 8 hours to drive the 193 miles between Vientiane and Luang Prabang. That being said, my first impressions of the country are that it is a must visit. The pace here is so much slower than Thailand and it doesn’t feel as touristic. I haven’t felt like the locals are trying to rip me off. Everyone I have interacted with has been very friendly and helpful. One tuk tuk driver even refused to drive us because he was waiting for some tourists inside an attraction and he didn’t want them to come out and find that he had gone. I have a good feeling about Laos!
My day and a half in Vientiane have been jammed packed and wonderful. If you decide to make a trip to Laos, only spend 1.5 to 2 days in Vientiane. It isn’t that enthralling of a tourist destination, but still has its own merit. My suggestion is check out Ho Phra Keo, Talat Sao (Morning Market- which is actually open all day), That Luang, and the Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park). Keep in mind it takes about an hour by bus to get to the Buddha Park, so you will need to budget your time wisely.
Ho Phra Keo is famous because it was at one time the official home of the Emerald Buddha (I visited this Buddha in Bangkok). The original temple was built in 1565. King Setthathirat took the Emerald Buddha from the Siamese in Chang Mai only for them to steal it back in 1778. Even though the Emerald Buddha wasn’t there, the temple was definitely worth a visit. There were several couples there doing their engagement photos in traditional Laos clothing, three large tour groups of French, Italian, and Spanish tourists, and some wood carvings recently carved by the temple’s students. The structure itself is interesting. All its staircases are supported by dragon handrails and the original 16th century lacquered door is still there with its Hindu carvings on display. Inside are many Buddhist relics. I spoke Italian with a couple of the Italian tourists and it ignited a spark inside me to return to the country that I love so much!
Just down the street is the Morning Market. The market is geared towards serving the local population, but is still worth a stop. I mainly bought tee shirts and postcards. Right behind the market is the bus terminal. From there you can take bus 14 to the Buddha Park. The park was built in 1958 by a monk, who in my opinion had too much time on his hands and access to some drugs. Supposedly he had a dream of a world religion in which all faiths could peacefully coexist. The park is a random conglomeration of Hindu and Buddhist statues. For the average person an hour would be enough time. We took two just because we were taking photos of everything. I won’t even bother describing this place. Check out the photos above.
That Luang is considered to be the city’s only must-see attraction. It was also built by King Setthathirat in the 1500’s. It has become the most important cultural symbol for the country and represents the unity of the people. It is a beautiful sight on a sunny day with the sun reflecting off its 30 pinnacles and main golden stupa. A trip here only needs 30 minutes or so not including a visit to the two temples that flank it. After an afternoon visit (it closes at 4), take a tuk tuk to the riverfront and watch the sunset over the Mekong. It is a great way to close your day. Hordes of locals ascend on the riverfront every evening to either exercise or to stroll through the night market.
A couple interesting facts that I cannot verify, but heard while in Vientiane… Supposedly Laos has the cheapest and most unreliable condoms in the world. It is illegal to have intercourse with a Laotian as a foreigner. The US gave the country a huge amount of cement to build an airport runway. Instead, Laos used the cement to build an archway that is taller than the one in Paris as a middle finger to France. Just in case you aren’t familiar with the history of the region Laos was part of France’s Indochina for about 100 years. France’s influence is evident in the city’s architecture and huge amount of bakeries selling baguettes.
My day and a half in Vientiane have been jammed packed and wonderful. If you decide to make a trip to Laos, only spend 1.5 to 2 days in Vientiane. It isn’t that enthralling of a tourist destination, but still has its own merit. My suggestion is check out Ho Phra Keo, Talat Sao (Morning Market- which is actually open all day), That Luang, and the Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park). Keep in mind it takes about an hour by bus to get to the Buddha Park, so you will need to budget your time wisely.
Ho Phra Keo is famous because it was at one time the official home of the Emerald Buddha (I visited this Buddha in Bangkok). The original temple was built in 1565. King Setthathirat took the Emerald Buddha from the Siamese in Chang Mai only for them to steal it back in 1778. Even though the Emerald Buddha wasn’t there, the temple was definitely worth a visit. There were several couples there doing their engagement photos in traditional Laos clothing, three large tour groups of French, Italian, and Spanish tourists, and some wood carvings recently carved by the temple’s students. The structure itself is interesting. All its staircases are supported by dragon handrails and the original 16th century lacquered door is still there with its Hindu carvings on display. Inside are many Buddhist relics. I spoke Italian with a couple of the Italian tourists and it ignited a spark inside me to return to the country that I love so much!
Just down the street is the Morning Market. The market is geared towards serving the local population, but is still worth a stop. I mainly bought tee shirts and postcards. Right behind the market is the bus terminal. From there you can take bus 14 to the Buddha Park. The park was built in 1958 by a monk, who in my opinion had too much time on his hands and access to some drugs. Supposedly he had a dream of a world religion in which all faiths could peacefully coexist. The park is a random conglomeration of Hindu and Buddhist statues. For the average person an hour would be enough time. We took two just because we were taking photos of everything. I won’t even bother describing this place. Check out the photos above.
That Luang is considered to be the city’s only must-see attraction. It was also built by King Setthathirat in the 1500’s. It has become the most important cultural symbol for the country and represents the unity of the people. It is a beautiful sight on a sunny day with the sun reflecting off its 30 pinnacles and main golden stupa. A trip here only needs 30 minutes or so not including a visit to the two temples that flank it. After an afternoon visit (it closes at 4), take a tuk tuk to the riverfront and watch the sunset over the Mekong. It is a great way to close your day. Hordes of locals ascend on the riverfront every evening to either exercise or to stroll through the night market.
A couple interesting facts that I cannot verify, but heard while in Vientiane… Supposedly Laos has the cheapest and most unreliable condoms in the world. It is illegal to have intercourse with a Laotian as a foreigner. The US gave the country a huge amount of cement to build an airport runway. Instead, Laos used the cement to build an archway that is taller than the one in Paris as a middle finger to France. Just in case you aren’t familiar with the history of the region Laos was part of France’s Indochina for about 100 years. France’s influence is evident in the city’s architecture and huge amount of bakeries selling baguettes.
