Vientiane is the capital of Laos, a beautiful and often underappreciated country in Southeast Asia. It sits on the Mekong River, directly facing Thailand’s city of Chiang Mai; we could see Thai houses from the windows of our hotel.
You can easily spend a few days exploring Vientiane, so let me show you a few spots to which you should pay extra attention. Sadly, we didn’t visit the museums in Vientiane, but if you have the time, be sure to check out the National Museum and the Lao Textile Museum.
1. Buddha Park
Buddha Park, or Xieng Khuan, is one of the most unusual sights you can visit in Vientiane. Founded in 1958 by monk Bunleua Sulila (who also established another similar park, Sala Keoku, just across the river in Thailand), this small sculpture park sits on the shores of the Mekong River and blends beautifully with a botanical garden.
Its name translates to “Spirit City” because it contains about 200 impressive figures of Buddha and other Hindu and Buddhist images. Some are extremely large and elaborate, while others feature mythical figures and animals, giving the park more of a temple vibe than that of a regular sculpture park (although the sculptures are all relatively modern).
Don’t worry—you’ll have plenty of photo opportunities here, including a lovely collection of frangipani! This is definitely a trip to remember.
The Buddha Park is located a short drive from the city center; it took us about 45 minutes with traffic, but if you’re lucky, it should take closer to half an hour. The ticket booth closes at 5 PM, but we were allowed to stay a little longer.
2. Pha That Luang
Pha That Luang is not only the symbol of Vientiane but also of all of Laos!
The shiny golden structure you see today stands 44 meters high and was built in 1566 when the capital was moved here from Luang Prabang. However, its origins can be traced back to the 3rd century AD.
It looks very impressive, and you can also visit the inside if you have time. Pha That Luang is surrounded by a park and other religious buildings.
3. Patuxai
Patuxai, translated as the Victory Gate and initially called ‘Anousavari’ or ‘Gift from Friends,’ is an impressive arch in the center of Patuxai Square, stretching onto Lang Xang Avenue.
This remarkable building celebrates Laos’ independence from France and is compared by locals to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, albeit with additional structures on top! Construction began in 1957 but was delayed due to a lack of funds and flooding from the Mekong River in 1966. The monument was finally completed in 1968.
Admire the fountains in the adjacent square, examine the deities (such as the Kinnaly statue, Indra riding the Elavan elephant, Rahu, the Three Chaksura, and others) depicted in the celestial-colored mosaics inside the arch and decorating its outer walls.
Be sure to climb a few flights of stairs to see the city from above and to appreciate the unique patterns of Laos! Your visit will be also very informative as the hall inside has lots of facts about the Arch construction as well as as the history and traditions of the country.
4. Wat Si Saket
Wat Si Saket is one of the most important historical temples in the city.
It was constructed between 1828 and 1824 and miraculously survived the Siamese occupation, which saw the destruction of all the temples except this one. This means that the Si Saket temple is probably the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane!
It has a very special atmosphere, with golden statues and colorful, partially faded panels inside (photography is limited there) and dozens of Buddha statues in the courtyard.
You can pay here in both dollars and kip.
5. Presidential Palace
Right across the street from the Si Saket temple, you can spot a grand building behind a massive gold gate—that’s the Presidential Palace. This is the official residence of the President of Laos and sits on the site of a former royal residence. Although you cannot visit it, you can easily see it from the street.
6. Ho Phra Keo
Ho Phra Keo is a museum and a former royal temple built in 1565 to house the famous Emerald Buddha (which was rebuilt since then) when the capital was transferred here. Usually, you can pay everywhere in Vientiane in US dollars; however, this was the only place that accepted kip only.
7. Wat Si Muang
You’ll recognize Wat Si Muang from its entrance, where many stalls sell fragrant marigolds, compositions of palm leaves, candles, incense, and lotus and other offerings.
Wat Si Muang is a Khmer temple erected in 1563 (it was destroyed in 1828 by the Siamese and rebuilt many times afterward). It’s named after a young pregnant woman named Si Muang, who volunteered to sacrifice herself to calm the angry spirits. She descended into a hole in the ground, and one of the temple’s pillars was placed on top.
Now it’s one of the most important religious sites in the city.
The temple grounds are beautiful, decorated in gold and red — be sure to take a stroll there!
8. COPE Visitor Centre
Laos was one of the most heavily bombed countries during the period when Americans fought in the Vietnam War, and Laos was involved in this conflict as well. Many people are still injured or killed by hidden unexploded ordnance (UXO) dating back to that time; you can learn more at the COPE Visitor Centre.
The COPE Centre stands for Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise, an organization and rehabilitation center that assists local people with physical disabilities caused by such explosives. All your donations help provide treatment and prosthetics.
Where to Stay
The Doubletree by Hilton is a modern hotel located in the very heart of Vientiane, the capital of Laos. It’s a short drive from the airport (about 10 to 15 minutes without traffic), and the staff is super friendly and accommodating – and of course, the DoubleTree always has the best chocolate chips cookies!
The breakfast is served by the reception and had a good selection of international dishes.
Our room was situated on the top floor and overlooked the Mekong River, the most important waterway in this part of Asia. Our room was enormous, with a lovely bathroom and modern interior design.
From the pool area on the top floor you can see a wonderful panorama of the city including Lao National Cultural Hall, a famous venue for various purposes.
If you choose to have a snack or a dinner near the hotel, I’d recommend you spend an evening at Khao Chai Deu – they a fantastic selection of Lao dishes to try, and the restaurant has a colonial French vibe you won’t want to miss. And we celebrated my birthday there!
Also pop in for cakes and coffee at Joma Café – you can find this Canadian-founded cafe chain in other cities of Laos too (but Starbucks is also located nearby).
You might also like my other blogs about Asia.
Hope you liked my blog!
Yours, Anna
Xxxx
