Vientiane
Overview
Vientiane is hardly one of the great capitals of the world. At just over 300,000 people with no major industries, it isn't an economic powerhouse. However, it’s a comfortable, relaxing place large enough to be of interest but remaining intimate. This, combined with the Laotians’ easygoing attitude, makes Vientiane one of the most problem-free cities in the world.
The city sits on a bend of the Mekong River, which forms Laos’ border with Thailand. It is a pleasant and relaxed place to spend a few days.
Simply wandering around Vientiane's leafy promenades with a mix of Laotian temples and French colonial buildings, most of them crumbling into decay, pausing at the thatched beer gardens on the riverbank and the morning market of Talaat Sao, is a joy. Nobody takes much interest in you unless you want attention, and nobody seems interested in ripping you off. The local markets are a pleasant experience and a good place to buy local handicrafts.
Food in Laos is similar to Thai cuisine: Vietnamese and Chinese dishes are also common. Laotian coffee is very good. There are several good hotels and a range of international and Laotian restaurants. As is the case in Vietnam, apart from the buildings, there is little left from the colonial period, but one of the French legacies is an appreciation of good food, and a ubiquitous supply of croissants.
Although it lacks the heritage sites that are a feature of most Asian capitals (most were destroyed by the Thais in 1827), it has enough to keep you occupied for at least a couple of days: the relaxing atmosphere often lures people to stay longer.
Vientiane can easily be explored on foot or by bicycle to visit its Wats, museums, colonial architecture and ‘Buddha Park’. Pha That Luang, 4km from the city centre, is Laos’ most sacred shrine. Built in the 16th century, sacked by the Thais in 1827 and restored (badly) by the French in 1900 (they did a better job in a further restoration completed in 1935), it’s interesting rather than spectacular. The base of the stupa has walkways and stairs connecting the different levels, designed for the faithful to climb. Each level has different architectural features pertaining to Buddhist doctrine.
Other imposing civic buildings are the unfinished Patuxai monument, reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe, and a new Chinese-financed cultural centre.
The national Lao Revolutionary Museum has a well-presented pre-history section, but it’s main asset is a rare collection of a communist propaganda with slogans such as ‘barbaric slavery under the imperial yoke of France’, ‘capitalist running dogs’ and ‘imperialist puppets’.
The Xiang Khouan (Buddha Park) is an eclectic assemblage of Buddhist and Hindu statues scattered around a riverside meadow, dominated by a gigantic reclining Buddha. Hundreds of concrete structures combine Buddhist and Hindu philosophies representing a variety of deities. Fashioned by a self-titled ‘holy man’, the park was created to promulgate his beliefs and to reveal his ideas about the universe.
Weather
Laos enjoys a warm, tropical climate with two distinct seasons -the rainy season from the beginning of May to the end of September and the dry season from October through to April.Temperatures and rainfall very considerably throughout the year and also according to latitude and altitude.from November February the temperatures are lower and cool breezes bring a pleasant and refreshing change from the humidity of the rainy season. Temperatures drop to as low as 15 C (or well below that in the mountains) in December and January. During this Cool season, rainfall is at its lowest. From mid February the temperatures gradually increase to their highest levels, close to 38 C, in March to May. The rains start towards the end of this hot period too bring a welcome relief to the land.
Probably the best time travel in Laos is between November and February -the temperatures and rainfall are lower. May to July is a good period for those planning to travel in the mountainous northern provinces. The higher altitudes mean temperatures will be lower and at this times the rainfall is still reasonably low. Popular times for tourists are December to February and August.
Tourism Information
Buddhas
Along the western side of the cloister is a pile of Buddhas that were damaged during the 1828 Siamese-Lao war. And in the sǐm (ordination hall) a slightly damaged Khmer-style Naga Buddha - which depicts the Buddha seated on a coiled cobra deity ( naga ), sheltered by the naga 's multiheaded hood - is also on display just in front of the main seated Buddha; it is believed to date from the 13th century and was brought from a nearby Khmer site.
Haw Pha Kaeo
Once a royal temple built specifically to house the famed Emerald Buddha, Haw Pha Kaeo is today a national museum of religious art. According to the Lao, the temple was originally built in 1565 by command of King Setthathirat, who on inheriting the Lan Xang throne moved the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane and brought with him the so-called Emerald Buddha (Pha Kaeo in Lao, which means Jewel Buddha Image - the image is actually made of a type of jade).
Kaysone Phomvihane Memorial
Opened in 1995 to celebrate the late president's 75th birthday, the Kaysone Phomvihane Memorial, serves as a tribute to Indochina's most pragmatic communist leader. The memorial is actually two jarringly different sites. Kaysone's old house is a model of modesty suggesting he might have lived in less luxury than any other world leader. In contrast the museum is a vast Vietnamese-style celebration of the cult of Kaysone, a cult he never encouraged. Visit the house first.
Lao National Culture Hall
Opposite the Lao National Museum, and dwarfing it, is the monumentally proportioned Lao National Culture Hall. The outsized and ugly hall was built by the Chinese government in the late 1990s as a 'gift to the people of Laos'. It hosts occasional cultural events as varied as French cinema, Lao classical dance and even beauty pageants, but with no publicly available schedule of events you'll need to keep a close eye on the Vientiane Times for an announcement.
Lao National Museum
The Lao National Museum's limited collection of historical and revolutionary exhibits will never be confused with the Louvre. But it does serve to sum up the country's ongoing struggle to come to grips with its own identity, so it's worth a look. The museum is housed in a large administrative building originally built as the colonial police commissioner's office in the 1920s. It became a museum in the 1990s and until recently it was known as the 'Lao Revolutionary Museum'.
Papaya Spa
In an old French villa west of town (follow the many signs), this is one of the classiest massage operations in town. Services include Lao massage, Swedish oil massage, facials, waxing, body scrubs, reflexology and sauna.
Patuxai
Reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Patuxai is Vientiane's most prominent monument. The name is approximately equivalent to Arch ( pátųu , also translated as door or gate) of Triumph ( xái , from the Sanskrit jaya or victory), but unlike its Parisian namesake the Patuxai boasts four, rather than two, archways.
Pha That Luang
The most important national monument in Laos, Pha That Luang is a symbol of both the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty. Its full official name, Pha Chedi Lokajulamani, means World-Precious Sacred Stupa, and an image of the main stupa appears on the national seal and in countless other places. Legend has it that Ashokan missionaries from India erected a thâat or reliquary stupa here to enclose a piece of the Buddha's breastbone as early as the 3rd century BC.
That Dam
Sitting at the centre of a quiet roundabout near the centre of Vientiane, legend has it that the stupa now known as That Dam, or 'Black Stupa', was once coated in a layer of gold. The gold is said to have been carted off by the Siamese during their pillaging of 1828, after which the stupa took the 'black' sobriquet in memory of the dastardly act. However, another myth is slightly at odds with this.
Wat Si Muang
The most frequently used grounds in Vientiane are those of Wat Si Muang. The grounds are the site of the lák meuang (city pillar/phallus), which is considered the home of the guardian spirit of Vientiane. The sǐm (destroyed in 1828 and rebuilt in 1915) was constructed around the lák meuang , which now forms the centre of the altar. The pillar itself is believed to date from the Khmer period, indicating the site has been used for religious purposes for more than 1000 years.
Wat Si Saket
Built between 1819 and 1824 by Chao Anou, Wat Si Saket is believed to be Vientiane's oldest surviving temple. And it shows; this beautiful temple-cum-national museum is in dire need of a facelift. Chao Anou, who was educated in the Bangkok court and was more or less a vassal of the Siamese state, had Wat Si Saket constructed in the early Bangkok style but surrounded it with a thick-walled cloister similar to - but much smaller than - the one that surrounds Pha That Luang.
Wat Sok Pa Luang
In a shaded, almost semirural setting that is entirely in keeping with its name ( wat paa means forest temple), Wat Sok Pa Luang is famous for its herbal saunas and expert massage. The masseurs are usually lay people who reside at the temple. After a relaxing sauna, you can take herbal tea on the veranda while cooling off; then opt for a massage. You're not supposed to wash away your accumulated perspiration for two or three hours afterwards to allow the herbs to soak into your pores.
Xieng Khuang
In a field by the Mekong River about 24km south of central Vientiane, Xieng Khuan is a park full of Buddhist and Hindu sculpture that is a monument to one eccentric man's quite bizarre ambition. Xieng Khuan was designed and built in 1958 by Luang Pu (Venerable Grandfather) Bunleua Sulilat, a yogi-priest-shaman who merged Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, mythology and iconography into a cryptic whole.
Transportation
As the capital and largest city in Laos, Vientiane is the main point of entry for air travel into the country. Wattay International Airport is located just minutes from the centre of the city, providing the easiest means of getting to Laos from regional destinations.
The airport is small and slightly rundown in appearance, but it serves its purpose, transporting passengers from a few cities around Laos and to a handful of neighbouring international destinations. The national carrier Laos Airways handles most of the flights, but other regional carriers like Thai Airways and Bangkok Air also offer frequent services.
Passenger facilities are limited and the Arrivals and Departures lounges are not particularly comfortable. Arriving visitors can exchange money at the terminal, but dining options are not available. Transportation into Vientiane is by taxi only, which is arranged by a taxi broker next to the Baggage Claim table. Fares are fixed and non negotiable.
If you aren’t arriving by air, the other main way of getting into Laos is by bus. The main border crossing into the country is via the Friendship Bridge, which connects Nong Khai, Thailand to Vientiane. Crossing the border is straightforward and relatively quick. All buses arrive at Vientiane’s central bus station next to the Morning Market.
You can also reach the capital by boat along the Mekong from the northern border crossing with Thailand at Huay Xai or from the southern border crossing near Savannaket. River journeys can take a few days, but are very rewarding if you don’t mind being in a boat for the length of the journey.
Once you have reached your hotel in Vientiane, it’s easy to walk to just about all of the main attractions in the city. The main streets run in a grid, with Lan Xang being the main north-south avenue. At the centre of things is the popular Nam Phu Fountain, where a lot of the tourist action can be found.
If you don’t feel like walking, you can rent a bicycle from most guesthouses or a motorbike if you want to go farther afield. Three-wheeled tuk-tuks are the only form of public transportation in Vientiane, and can be easily found around Nam Phu. Rates are negotiable and normally very inexpensive for short rides within central Vientiane.
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