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 Traveller's Tales: Getting around in Vientiane, Laos
Know the most popular landmarks in Vientiane, Laos. You may read about best transportation, recommended travel itinerary, suggested routes and directions. Also, you might want to read our
Luang Prabang city guide,
and Vientiane city guide.
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| R Wedderburn |
12 February 2005 |
Stayed at Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientiane - Vientiane, Laos.
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I was only there for 1 day but enjoyed it. Vientiane is a fairly sleepy capital on the river. I went to see most of the local tourist attractions which were easily accessible. Budha park is way outside of town and not worth the visit IMHO if you only have 1 day.
I ate dinner at a simple restaurant on the river. The fresh fish and sauce was out of this world. The meal along with beers and an entree for my driver was less than $5. Unfortunately, I don't have the name of the restaurant but there are many places along the river. Don't be afraid to venture out.
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| E Brodal |
17 November 2004 |
Stayed at Asian Pavilion Hotel - Vientiane, Laos.
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Vientiane is a quiet and laidback city (compared to other asian capitals anyway). I also found it quite friendly. Major attractions are easily available by foot. I particulary liked Wat Si Saket. Other places worth seeing are places like Pha That Luang, Morning Market and the National museum. I spent about three days in Vientiane before moving to Luang Prabang further north.
Luang Prabang was really beautiful. I spend six days there, including daytrips to the caves and waterfalls. The trip to the Pak Ou caves was by slowboat on the Mekong river and included stop in villages like a Hmong village. I just went down to the pier where the boats to the caves started, and hired a boat for the day (we where three persons paying US$10 each). I think the rivertrip to the caves is just as interesting as the caves themselves, because of the beautiful scenery along the river. In Luang Prabang itself I particulary enjoyed the Royal Palace Museum, Phu Si hill and Wat Xieng Thong. Or just strolling the peninsula between Mekong River and river Nam Khan. I would also recommend to rent a bike (several guesthouses have bikes for rent for about US$1.50 per day) to explore the city and its surroundings at least for one day.
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| J Brownjohn |
06 January 2004 |
Stayed at Settha Palace Hotel - Vientiane, Laos.
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With wider knowledge of the visa on arrival scheme I expect the place to pace of change to increase. Just remember to pick up the VOA form at Bangkok or wherever and get to the front of the queue at Wattay.
My latest LP guide gave prices that are already out of date: jumbos won't easily budge below $1 (OK they ask $2 but you know they're trying it on) and car+driver is not easy to find for as little as $10 more than LP upper bound figures.
The morning market is being spoilt by busloads of rich US tourists (when they arrived the stallholders immediately ignored my Asian wife). Prices are rather high, almost comparable to Bangkok and bargaining, even by an expert is hard.
Eating out is very cheap and continental food is good; e.g. we were very impressed by Cote d'Azur. We did not risk the roadside stalls and my wife was not too impressed by the Lao food. For me, I could not complain at $1 for a litre of excellent laobeer, while watching sunset over the Mekong. Vientiane is peaceful, people are friendly and easy going and I had a very relaxing stay.
My wife enjoyed visiting the weaving commune (enchanting for me to watch the ladies at work). On the way back from a relaxing day at Nan Ngum lake we stopped at a market selling all kinds of animals and animal components.
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| D Furlong |
21 December 2003 |
Stayed at Settha Palace Hotel - Vientiane, Laos.
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One of the hotel staff organised a car and driver for us for the day to tour the region (Buddah park, temples, Morning market, friendship bridge, lunch, more temples...) Vientianne is quite primitive and there really isn't that much to do and see (1 or max 2 days will do you). Be careful walking the streets and pavements (where they exist!) as there are a lot of open holes. Everything (over)priced in US$ - generally prices are way way too expensive. Worth the detour: Phaeng Mai Gallery - for handwoven silks. Absolutely fantastic - expensive but definitely high quality. (take a taxi - 5 to 10 minutes from centre).
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| J Rubin |
12 August 2003 |
Stayed at Novotel Vientiane - Vientiane, Laos.
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Took tuk-tuk round the town. Bargain with the drivers. Also there is boat trip along Mekong River, from pier leaving at 5.30pm. It's free and you only pay for drinks. Vientiane is a very pleasant town. For those who like Indian food, there are some very good, cheap Indian restaurants. Everyone in Laos prefers payment in $US or Thai baht to the local currency (Kip). Take lots of $US or Thai baht in small denominations ($1, $5, 10 or 20 baht) to avoid getting change in Kip (that can't be changed when you leave the country). Whatever you do DON'T stay in a 'resort' called DANSAVANH, 1.5 hours by road outside Vientiane. The facilities promised there don't exist and it is just a place for Malaysians to go gambling.
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| S Mendis |
17 July 2003 |
Stayed at Asian Pavilion Hotel - Vientiane, Laos.
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I went into Laos by land from Thailand. You can catch a domestic Thai Airways flight to Udon Thani from Bangkok for less than half the cost of a flight to Wattay airport in Vientiane, as well as more frequent flight availability. Thai Airways operates a shuttle bus (100 Baht) from the airport to the border at Nong Khai - the drive takes about 45 minutes. You can get a visa-on-arrival at the border for US$31. Vientiane city is about 20 minutes by tuk-tuk (150 Baht) on the other side. A cheaper and more flexible option than flying directly.
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| J Kinn |
24 November 2002 |
Stayed at Settha Palace Hotel - Vientiane, Laos.
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Vientiane serves mainly as a place you pass through on the way to more interesting places (such as Luang Prabang). Vientiane, however, is good for a day. The Settha Palace provided a car (for a very reasonable rate) to take us around.
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| M Quelch |
28 June 2002 |
Stayed at Asian Pavilion Hotel - Vientiane, Laos.
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Cave de chateux, excellent french restaurant with set and a la carte menu. Set menu very good value, a la carte excellent, expensive for Laos but very good value compared to anywhere else. Took hotel city tour, driver very friendly, had as long as we wanted at all sights. Buddha Park was interesting, take a torch to climb up through the "pumpkin" monument. Everywhere within easy walking distance, any longer distance used hotel transport.
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| V Candra dewi |
03 June 2002 |
Stayed at Novotel Vientiane - Vientiane, Laos.
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The hotel shuttle was excellent. At night they drive us (eventhough it was a couple only) to the restaurant and ask us what time we wanted to be picked up. That was a great service. Places to go in Vientiane was not much, we prefer to go to Vieng Vang/Luang Prabang instead. Inside Vientiane, the best to go around is using the bicycle, so that u can enjoy the seen more and relaxly go around the city, beside time flies fast enough when your intention is to relax. the lime/lemon juices are excellent there, or should I say in general the juices are excellent. Getting a bus to go outside Laos is not difficult at all. Eventhough its not like bangkok, but Laos is still a place to shop with bargain!! Although dont expect to get a nice dress made in laos, vietnam is still much better.
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| D Bhojwani |
17 April 2002 |
Stayed at Asian Pavilion Hotel - Vientiane, Laos.
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Vientiane is, as the travel guides say, "a laid-back place", or "sleepy", for lack of other travelogue cliches.
Its easy to get around central Vientiane by just walking but you might need a tuk-tuk if you want to visit Pha That Luang and the Patuxy.
The other notable wats in the city are all located near Samsenthai Road, which is where the Asian Pavillion Hotel and the Lao Plaza hotel are on.
I personally felt one full day in Vientiane was enough but there did seem to be a considerable number of backpackers (a disproportionately large number of them Australians and middle-class, Home Counties English) hanging around, "soaking up the atmosphere" and "chilling out" (whatever those phrases mean!) for a prolonged period, no doubt on the advice handed down by their predecessors and various travel guides. Totally tedious for someone trying to get away from people like that.
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