🇱🇦 Laos – Vientiane: Travel and Backpacking, Nov 2019

Disclaimer

The information in this blog is accurate as of November 2019.

CONTENTS

• 🤔 – What to Expect
• 🌅 – Activities
• 🍛 – Food
• 🚇 – Transport
• 🛌 – Accomodation

🤔 What to Expect

• A French inspired city.
• French street names and architecture (unfortunately, mostly run down).
• Littered and dirty streets.
• The smell of fermenting rubbish.
• French baguettes – that aren’t sweet!
• Roads are busy but the buildings are empty.
• A relaxed pace of life.
• Roughly 11,000 Kip to £1.00.

🌅 Activities

Patuxai

• 3,000 kip entrance fee to reach the observation section of the monunent and see views over the city.
• Free to walk around the grounds.
• Patuxai translates to Victory Gate.
• A victory monument to commemorate Laos resilience and independence.
• Resemblance of L’Arc De Triomphe in Paris, France with a Laostian twist.
• The 5 towers symbolise the 5 Buddhist principles of thoughtful amiability, flexibility, honesty, honour and prosperity.
• As you walk up there are multiple stalls selling the usual souvenirs.

• Lovely park to wander through.
• A musical water fountain donated by China.

COPE Visitor Centre

• Free entry however there is a donation box.
• The staff are friendly and encourage any questions to be asked.
• COPE helps and supports people in Lao with physical disabilities providing prosthetics, treatment, care and accessibility.

• Aims to educate and provide support to communities who live in Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) areas of Laos.
  Learn about how the history of the Secret War is still effecting Laostians today.

• Many people still suffer from injury or die due to unexploded cluster bombs.
• Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world.

Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan )

• 15,000 kip entrance fee. There are also parking fees if you decide to drive.
• Accessible via public bus.
• Could easily spend one and a half to two hours here.
• Vendors, gift shops and a restaurant overlooking the Mekong River are onsite.

• Built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bounleua Sulilat.
• Over 200 Sculptures of Buddha, Hindu Gods, Demons and Mythological Creatures.
• Located on the side of the Mekong River and 25km from the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.
• The name should be changed to Buddha and Butterfy Park as there were lots of them fluttering around. So beautiful!

Chao Anouvong Statue and Park

• No entrance fee.
• Built in 2010 to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the city of Vientiane.
• Lovely green park.
• Holds the night market at the West side of the park.
• Lively at night due to cooler temperatures with people running, taking part in workout classes and children playing.

Other Things To Do

• National Museum however from what we’ve read it’s closed for renovations.
• Visit multiple temples located throughout Vientiane.
• Morning Market.

🍛 Food

Day2Night

(We didn’t get the name… oops!)

• Moderately priced food.
• Laotian and French cuisine.
• Food was good however we’ve had similar for cheaper prices.
• We spent 83,000 kip on a main, half a main (just meat, no side dish included) and 2 sodas.

Fruity Heaven

• Average priced food.
• Small menu.
• The food was really standard, best described as “meh”.
• Don’t understand why it’s so busy. Maybe it’s the fruit shakes as they looked rather good.

Bacan Cafe

• Moderate prices. Two mains and 2 softs cost 82,000 kip.
• If you’re looking for something different but also tasty – try here!
• Portions were a little smaller, especially if you have a big appetite.
• Heinz ketchup & French’s mustard. 😋 It’s been a while!
• Lovely little setting with friendly staff.

Al-Haram Indian

• An affordable Indian ranging from 35,000 – 55,000 Kip depending on meat choice.
• Portion sizes are decent.
• Taste was great.
• Filling we did not finish ours.
• Would eat here again.

Croissant Cafe

• Cheap but also lacking luster. 20,000 Kip for a basic breakfast – eggs, tiny sausages and miniature bacon.
• Fruit juices, coffee, soft drinks and beer are relatively cheap. A hot coffee 18,000 Kip or Iced for 20,000 Kip. Tea was 8,000 for hot or 10,000 for Iced.
• Fried eggs were very runny/uncooked for my liking.

🚇 Transport

Public Bus

• Cheapest way to get around!
• Get you around the city, airport and some attractions a little further out.
• We paid 8,000 kip each one way to reach Buddha Park, approximately 35 minutes out of the city centre.
• Catch the number 14 bus for Buddha Park.
• There is a public bus that also goes to and from the Airport – 15,000 Kip per person.

Tuk Tuks

• Classic way to get around.
• Can be expensive.
• We ended up getting a Tuk Tuk to the Airport for 15,000 kip each. This is a similar price to the public bus, which can get you there.
• The cheap price was because we refused and they saw us waiting at the public bus stop – I think they just wanted the custom so dropped the price.
• A sign in the Tuk Tuk said 1-3 people 60,000 Kip.
• They sound as though they shouldn’t be driven.

🛌 Accommodation

InTouch Guesthouse

• 103,000 Kip (£9.06) per night for a standard double room.
• Basic double room with private bathroom, Aircon and fan.
• Hot showers.
• Towels provided but no other amenities.
• Noisy at night e.g. dogs barking, other people.
• 25 minutes walk to the city centre.