I began my Laos adventure in the capital city of Vientiane. A quick and cheap 1-hour plane ride from Bangkok, it was a good starting point to begin my journey. Vientiane lacks the craziness and chaos of other major SE Asia cities, but it’s super welcoming, chill and has a laidback vibe to it, which totally makes it worth at least a one day visit. The traveler in me would never skip a new city, so with only 24-hours to explore, I made sure to make the most of it! Here’s how you can to 😉
Sunrise on the Mighty Mekong
You definitely want to get an early start! With only one day, it is worth it to wake up early to walk/run/skip along the banks of arguably SE Asia’s greatest river, the Mekong! Known in Laos as “Khong, Mother of Waters,” this river is immensely important to the country. I hadn’t bought a Laos sim card when I first arrived but was able to still use my phone borrowing service from Thailand, that’s how close the two countries are. For those that are not early risers (like me 99% of the time), sunsets here are pretty sweet as well!
Cost: FREE
Wat Si Saket
I visited a few temples in Vientiane and this was the most memorable. Located in the center of the old city, Wat Si Saket was built in 1818 making it Vientiane’s oldest temple. The main attraction here is the seemingly endless shelves of thousands upon thousands of Buddhas, over 6500 of them!
Cost: 5000 kip
Climb up Patuxai Victory Monument
From there, we headed towards Vientiane’s version of Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, Patuxai Monumnet. It is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city built by the French in the 1960s as a tribute for those who lost their lives fighting for independence from France. Climbing up the spiral staircase is a must! You’ll be rewarded with exceptional panoramic views of the city.
Cost: 3000 kip to climb to the top
COPE Visitor Center
Did you know that Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world? How nuts is that? More than 2 million tons of bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War between 1964 and 1973 and it is estimated that up to 30% of those bombs have failed to detonate. Still to this day people die or suffer horrific injuries due to unexploded ordinances. Thank God for places like COPE Vientiane, a locally run non-profit organization that provides rehabilitation services and prosthetic to survivors of unexploded ordnances (UXO). A somber yet incredibly informative visit, this is an absolute must visit when in Vientiane.
Cost: FREE but donations are welcomed
Buddha Park
A unique sculpture park also known as Xieng Khuan that is located about 30-45 minutes south of Vientiane. It’s a very interesting visit to say the least. Not technically a temple but rather a large field filled with over 200 Buddhist and Hindu statues. Getting here was half the fun also as it was my first experience on a local Laos bus. You can absolutely take a taxi or tuk tuk but it’s way more expensive and the bus ride there and back literally cost pennies!
Cost: 5000 kip
Vientiane Night Market
Once the sun starts setting the night market is the place to be. It’s hard to miss the Vientiane Night Market and the orderly red roofed tents located on the riverside that runs parallel to the Mekong. If you’ve ever visited any other night market in SE Asia you’ll quickly see how different this one is from the rest. Definitely not as crazy and no food. You can find the typical tourist souvenirs, electronics and clothes but not much else. Be sure to grab a drink across the street at the rooftop bar Bor Pen Nyang for the perfect night cap of Lao Lao, a Laotian rice whiskey.
Cost: FREE to browse, haggle to buy
