Vientiane is the capital of Laos. I reached Laos after a 2.5 hours flight from Kuala Lumpur. The country is not that developed compared to Thailand. The capital city feels like a small town. The best way to visit Vientiane is by using motorbike. Motorbike rentals are very cheap in Laos and the roads are good for motorbikes.
Buddha Park – The park is located about 25 km from Vientiane. There are frequent buses available from Vientiane to Buddha park. The park is not a temple but it is one of the major tourist attractions in Vientiane. The park has around 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues.
Pha That Luang – It is a gold Buddhist Stupa located at the center of Vientiane. The Stupa was built in the 3rd century. The Stupa has a unique architecture compared to the pagodas I have seen in Chiang Mai.
Patuxai Monument –The monument was built in the 1950s after the independence from France. The architecture of the monument is inspired to some extent by European architecture. I was little surprised to know that Laos was a French colony before. But after doing some retrospect I was not the surprised because most of the French colonies seems to be very underdeveloped including the colonies in Africa which is completely opposite to that of the British colonies. You can also reach the top of the monument in order have a bird’s eye view of the center of Vientiane. There is also a big public park in front of the monument.
Wat Si Saket – After visiting the monument I went to visit a Buddhist Wat. It was built in the early 19th century. The architecture of the Wat was very similar to that of Chiang Mai pagodas. There are lots of other Wats scattered throughout Vientiane. People interested in pagodas and history will find the place very fascinating but unfortunately I don’t belong to that group.
Wat Si Muang – Wat Si Muang is another Buddhist temple located in the downtown Vientiane. It is pretty similar to other Buddhist temple I have visited before. The local people say that visit to the temple will bring Goodluck. After seeing numerous Buddhist temple and pagodas I wanted to see something different.
That Dam – I didn’t know about the place before but stopped my motorbike because I saw something different. I researched about it later to found out that it is a large Stupa and people believe it is inhabited by a seven headed snake which protected people from ancient invasion.
I wanted to try some Laos cuisine for my dinner because I don’t think it is that popular among other countries. My hostel recommended a popular restaurant in order to try some traditional Laos food. I ordered some Laos snacks items and fresh fish from Mekong river cooked in traditional Laos spice. Rice is very popular food among Lao people and it is widely produced in Laos
Mekong River sunrise – Mekong River was situated just 5-minute drive from my hostel at Laos. I wanted to see the sunrise at the Mekong river so I wake up early at took my motorbike to see the beautiful sunrise. I was really disappointed it was just ordinary sunrise and no one was there. The best part of Vientiane was Laos food and Patuxai monument. I waited for my bus in order to visit my next destination Vang Vieng which is almost 4-hour bus ride from Vientiane.
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