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Vientiane
About Vientiane
Vientiane is the capital and center of culture, commerce and administration of Laos, situated in the Mekong Valley on the on the eastern banks of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand. It is a surprising city with rice fields behind tree lined avenues, old French colonial houses and gilded temples.
Local highlights
Explore the city
- Vientiane's major attractions are its serene Buddhist monasteries and significant monuments that dominate the scene on the streets of central Vientiane
- Patuxay-the Victory Gate (local version of the Arc de Triomph constructed in 1958)
Explore its museums and historical sights, such as
- That Luang (Royal Stupa) built in 1566 by King Setthatirat-the most important temple of Laos
- Lao National Museum-formerly the Lao Revolutionary Museum
- Ho Phra Kaeo-temple of the former Lao Royal family; once the home of the emerald Buddah that was stolen by the Thais in 1778 and now resides in Bangkok
- That Dam
- Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan
- Wat Si Muang
- Haw Pha Kaew-king Setthatilat's former royal temple, turned into a Buddha museum
- Wat Si Saket-the oldest (1818) temple in Vientiane and the only one that survived the destruction of the city by the Siamese in 1828
- Wat Sok Pa Luang
Highlights in the vicinity
- Buddha Park with a collection of huge concrete Buddhist and Hindu sculptures (24 km from the city)
- Phu Khao Khoay-Buffalo Mountain (45km east of Vientiane), home to elephants, tigers and Asiatic black bear
- Vang Vieng with caves, tunnels and waterfalls (160 km north of Vientiane)
- Don Savang (30km from Vientiane)-a small island in the middle of a lake at the Nam Houn Dam.
- Nam Ngum Lake (80km to the North of Vientiane) with beautiful scenery over the Nam Ngum river and surrounding forests.
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 200 Thousand
- Timezone: UTC +7
- Weather: Vientiane has a tropical climate with the rainy season from early May to the end of September, and the dry season from October to April. The average temperature is about 28 °C but this can rise to 38 °C in April.
Local transport
- Bicycle is probably the best way to get around
- Mini-Buses
- Tuk-tuk/jumbo- agree on the fare in advance
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: Wattay International Airport. Easiest way to get is via Bangkok (Thailand)
- Buses: connections to Nong Khai and Udon Thani in Thailand.
- Taxi: The Friendship Bridge (Saphan Mittaphap) from Nong Khai, Thailand is the most common means of entry, with cheap taxi pick-up services(don’t forget to bargain for the fare in advance)
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