Replete with centuries of history, easy-going locals, and more Beerlao than anywhere in the world, it’s easy to see why tourists flock to Vientiane. An uneventful flight from Bangkok (or a flight-and-bus arrangement to save some coin) gets you to Laos’ capital city in short order, and while the bureaucracy is present, it disappears almost as soon as you clear Immigration.
Before we go any further, however, drop the ‘s’ from your pronunciation. It’s ‘Lao’ to anyone that’s been there more than five minutes, and a sure sign you’re either A: unwilling to listen, or B: quite new to the country. Vientiane may be the name in English, but try not to be too shocked when a local pronounces it Wiang Chan.
Laos rivals Vietnam for one of the cheapest destinations in the world. Good guesthouses for $10 a night — or less — along with perhaps the cheapest (edible) French food in the world await. There’s no need to scour the town for bargains, of course — not when things are almost universally, and surprisingly, less than expected.
While a visa run was all that was required, we decided to take a week and see what we might find. My wife visited around five years ago (long before we met), and was mildly interested in seeing what had changed; as usual, I was out to find what was weird or offbeat about the area.
While this may seem a rather flighty overview compared to the more detailed ‘Destination’ posts, I’ll note the lack of any obscure places. For better or worse, Vientiane and our travels throughout the town were mostly on the beaten path instead of off it.
Table of Contents
Patuxay Park and the Victory Gate monument
This is more of a laugh than anything else, though it does have an interesting historical story. Built in 1962, the single English sign claims it resembles the famous Arc de Triomphe in France. In reality, it’s halfway between an eyesore and an excuse for the rest of the park. It was supposedly never finished because of the country’s “turbulent history”, but what isn’t mentioned on-site is that the concrete used to make it came from the US for building a airport runway. Supposedly, there’s a view point at the seventh floor, but we couldn’t find our way up there — maybe you can find the stairs that lead up that way.
A closer look at the tower’s only visual highlight, its ceiling
Patuxay Park and the Victory Monument is visible 24 hours a day and is free to enter.
The Lao National Museum
UPDATE FEBRUARY 2020: this museum has been closed, possibly in preparation for a move of some kind. Consider this a note about what it was.
This is one case where the building pre-dates the current occupant. First built in 1925 as the colonial police commissioner’s office, the French architecture has aged fairly gracefully, at least to this tourist. Over the decades, the building served as headquarters for the government, the King’s house, and the Prime Minister’s office. In December 1980, the building became an exhibition hall of the revolution, and was later renamed a museum. It was 2000 when the building became the Lao National Museum, complete with 8,000 artifacts and five major sections. No photographs are allowed inside, and don’t expect an impartial view of the country’s relatively short modern history. It’s as good a summary of the country’s history as you’ll get, however.
Perhaps the highlight is outside (above) — an exquisite piece of carved wood from Lak Sao Village. At 4 meters tall and 2.8 meters wide, the hard wood trunk features dozens, if not hundreds, of glimpses into traditional Lao life and culture — new year processions, drinking liquor, Buddhist temples, elephants, and plenty more.
The Lao National Museum is open from 9am-12 noon and 1pm-4pm — be aware that if you arrive within a half hour of closing you’ll be turned away. 20,000 kip admission. For more information: 021–212461 and 021–212460, or e-mail [email protected].
Take a peek in where you can — the presidential palace isn’t open to the public, but offers a great glimpse into how the colonial-style architecture can be renovated. It’s in the same walkable area as the rest of Vientiane, so enjoy the brief view before moving on.
Wat Sisaket
Built between 1819 and 1824, Wat Sisaket (Wat Si Saket) is the city’s oldest temple. A few years later, the Siamese razed the town — and left this temple standing. Renovated in 1935, take in the cursive Lao inscriptions near the wat’s entrance, and enjoy the thousands of Buddhas cloistered into the nooks of the walls:
Over ten thousand in all. Inside the main building are some mural paintings. The English sign explains more about the stories, but the paintings themselves are rapidly deteriorating. Another sign shows the damage done from 2001 to 2005 — today, take in what’s left.
Simply amazing.
Another odd sight within: a ‘storage room’ of broken Buddha images, recovered from underground while excavating Vientiane. The hundreds of headless Buddha are individually numbered, but not all are easily seen. In any case, make this a stop along the way.
Wat Si Saket is open until 4pm, and charges 5,000 kip admission.
Ho Phra Kao / Haw Pha Kaeo
Just in case one temple wasn’t enough for you, just across the street is Ho Phra Kao (also spelled Haw Pha Kaeo — ahh, the wonders of a language with no official transliteration system). Built in 1565 by King Setthathirath originally to house the Emerald Buddha (the Phra Kao means ‘jewel Buddha image’), which now rests in Thailand’s Grand Palace. There’s still plenty of Buddhist artifacts around, many in good to great condition.
What this place isn’t is an actual temple — thank the Siamese for destroying the temple during the 1778 invasion, and again during an uprising in the 19th century. It’s been rebuilt for a third time between 1936 and 1942.
Today, what looks like a temple from the outside is actually a museum, with a small shop also around. If you’re in the area and aren’t already overwhelmed by Buddha images, it’s worth a few minutes.
Ho Phra Kao (Haw Phra Kaew) is open until 4pm, and charges 5,000 kip admission. It’s just across the street from Wat Si Saket, and on the same side of the road as the presidential palace.
That Dam
Make all the jokes about the name you like — it’s not as funny when you remember ‘th’ is pronounced just like ‘t’. Taht Dahm isn’t as funny, but that’s closer to the correct pronunciation.
The stupa was supposedly once covered in gold, which was pillaged by the Siamese in 1828. The stone stupa today is a several story pile of stones, though some locals supposedly believe there’s a seven-headed naga inside that attempted to protect the country. Get a picture with That Dam Wine House if you happen to be carrying an extra ’n’ with you (and who doesn’t, really?)
Laap / Larp / the best dish Laos has to offer
Laos isn’t exactly known as a culinary hotspot, but try at least one plate of laap while in the country. A mixture of marinated meat, green veg, and spices, it’s a bit spicy and goes well with a helping of sticky rice. Find it in most Laos restaurants or Western-friendly places.
The night market along the river
After the sun sets, a bit of nightlife awaits. You won’t confuse Vientiane with Las Vegas (or even Bangkok), but a few places offer suds and music. Find your way to the river road (Fa Ngoum or Fa Ngum) to take in the restaurants and bars galore. A couple of M-Point stores are around, being the closest thing this city has to a modern day convenience store. Walk along the river and look at Thailand across the water.
Vientiane’s night market awaits! They start setting up around 4pm and stay until about 9pm every night, so your timing is relatively flexible. Plenty of t-shirts, sandals, small Buddha images, blatant ripoffs of Western brands, arts and crafts, and so on. It’s mainly set up for the tourists, but some locals peruse the market as well.
Where we last saw our plucky heroes, they were meandering the Vientiane night market after a long day of exploring Laos’ capital city. Go back and read part 1 again if you like, but do carry on.
Start with some French food
Vientiane’s walking city centre has more than enough food options around, including some French food by the fountain. Xang Khoo has some excellent crepes (45,000–70,000 kip) along with a typical selection of French and Asian dishes. Open 8am-10pm. 020–5959–8290 or 020–2121–9314 if you can’t find the place.
With an early lunch out of the way, we rented some bicycles for reaching a couple of places away from the city center. Pedal bikes (and motorcycles) can be hired most anywhere around town, especially the side streets that connect to the river road or at most guesthouses.
Wat Si Muang
Wat Si Muang is a small temple with a fun story. This temple houses the city pillar — also considered a phallic symbol — in the back hall. The locals believe it dates to the Khmer period — about 1,000 years or so old. While there’s no mention of it on-site, the Lonely Planet tells the story of a pregnant woman sacrificed under the city pillar (this is admittedly disputed). Beyond that, take in one of the largest displays of a couple’s tombstone I’ve ever seen at a Buddhist temple:
Not sure I want to know how much they had to donate…
Phathatluang Museum / Pha That Luang Museum
Also aways out of town is the Phathatluang Museum (also spelled Pha That Luang), perhaps the most important national monument you’ll see in the country. The area’s limited opening hours mean you’ll have a fair chance at not getting in, but there’s more than enough to see so long as it’s light outside.
Constructed in the mid-16th century on the site of a Khmer temple, what you see today dates from the 20th century. It followed the Siamese invasions during the 18th and 19th centuries and a French renovation job at the turn of the 20th century. With plenty of Buddhist imagery everywhere you go, it feels more like a temple than a museum.
Open everyday from 8am-12pm and 1pm-4pm. Admission 5,000 kip.
A North Korean restaurant?
Just south of Pha That Luang is a treat — a North Korean restaurant that plays the North’s blend of karaoke in the background. As you’d expect from a country with a powerful propaganda machine, most songs are as innocuous as they seem, with plenty of songs about trees and the natural beauty of the country. It’s like a non-stop Kenny G playlist in the back of the room, but if you understand some Korean you’ll enjoy reading the scrolling lyrics. The waitresses also do a little song and dance around 7:30pm, but only if there’s enough people in the dining room — showing up on a weeknight might not cut it.
Still, the food makes it worth the trip — the ‘vegetable pancake’ (ya-chae-jeon) is some of the best I’ve ever had (30,000 kip), and everything we ordered was surprisingly good. You know, for a country that can’t feed itself. Entrees from 50,000–80,000 kip, and North Korean soju available for 40,000 kip. Open 11am-10pm.
Return the bikes (or meander a bit more while there’s daylight left), then head back to the river road for a night you won’t soon forget.
Bor Pennyang – eat, drink, and be merry
Bor Pennyang (also spelled ‘bo pen nyang’) is similar to ‘mai pen rai’ in Thai, or ‘no worries’ in English. It’s the local place to grab a drink, rub shoulders with local expats, or maybe ask that sunburnt tourist in the corner what she thought of her travels today.. Whether your drink of choice is a Coke, a Beerlao, or a bucket, take in some of the atmosphere with your traveling companions — and make some new ones.
You might even decide eh, what the hell? Let’s go bowling!
Intoxicated bowling, anyone? This ain’t your daddy’s bowling center, and you’re not having a league game here — the lanes are second-hand, the balls are chipped and damaged (some badly), and scoring systems can be iffy. You don’t come here to have a proper game — you come here because no one’s going to hassle you if you don’t want to wear bowling shoes, and beers are swiftly delivered to your lane. Take yourself a bit less seriously than you might otherwise, and allow yourself to wind down after a fair bit of traveling today. Make your way back to your hotel from here, or back to the dancing fountain:
