A weekend would be more than enough for the capital of Laos, especially after spending your days in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. Despite not falling head-over-heels-in-love with the capital of Laos, I would still have say that the city offers a diverse dining options, pretty parks, and important national landmarks for weekend visitors.
With Laos recently opening up after a long communist rule of 25 years, it has made great progress in its infrastructure and commerce. Tapping on the charm of the French influence since 1800s, a bunch of business centres, luxury hotels and up-and-coming mega-malls are slowly springing up in an attempt to attract tourists and trade. However, if one strolls down the dusty roads in Vientiane, you can still spot corners of the city trapped in time.
Day 1
Time for a late lunch after the five hours bus ride from Vang Vieng. I decided to splurge a little more for lunch at Khop Chai Deu. A spot frequent by expats and tourists, the restaurant serves traditional Laotian cuisine and fusion food as well. The fish in banana leaf (mok) looked simple but was extremely flavourful! Prices around around 30-60k kip per dish (5-10 SGD). Also, why not grab desserts after? Swing by one of Vientiane's. Popular cafes include Comma Coffee, Annabelle 1, Joma Bakery, Cafe Sinouk, Sense Coffe and Naked Espresso. Want some refreshing juice instead? Head over to House of Fruit Shakes with a plethora of refreshing fruit shake combinations.
I like to spend my first few hours in a city by exploring the streets, chancing upon indie shops and buying souvenirs for my loved ones after a long travel morning. Places you can check out for beautiful handmade Lao Products are Her Works, TaiBaan Crafts, and SAYA brand Shop. Alternative, get your massage fix at Lao Phu Thai Massage and Spa, 80k kip for 60 minutes foot massage. Way better than the two I had in Luang Prabang.
The sun should be slowly setting and making the heat a little more bearable, perfect time to head over to Vientiane Night Market. Let me warn you, the market is HUGE! Vendors start setting up around 5 pm in blue and red tents while locals dance in groups with their loud music at the square. Here you can find a myriad of products; souvenirs, imitations, cheap clothing, phone accessories and even personal care products.
Alongside the night market is a sprawling food square serving all kinds of Laotian food and drinks. You can also enjoy the evening with a Beer Lao in hand while sitting at the waterfront, people watching along Chao Anouvong Park.
Day 2
Friends know I can't start my day without a cup of coffee, especially when overseas. Since I stayed at Syri 1, a gorgeous guest house with great breakfast, I had access to good coffee. Grab a Drip Coffee at Drip 1920s cafe or a Laotian Iced Coffee at Indigo Cafe. Both cafes accept cards if you run out of money like me. If you want to have coffee at the comfort of your accommodation, download Food Panda and select a cafe that accepts online payment for your coffee. Cafe Jedna's Laotian Iced Coffee was great - strong yet malty.
Time for your morning walk to Patuxai, the country's version of Arc de Triomphe. You will pass by That Dam or Black Stupa on the way. The Arc was constructed to give commemoration towards the citizens who died during the war against France. Grabbing a photo under the arches is sufficient but you can also choose to climb to the top of the monument for views of the city (not much, I heard) for 3,000 kip.
Head to the other side of the city for the main iconic attraction of Vientiane if you headed out early or you have loads of energy to spare. Pha That Luang is a glorious temple with a large sleeping Buddha. Entry to the golden temple cost around 10k kip and the religious site is generally quiet with not many tourist around.
Escape the sun at an air-conditioned shopping mall. Choose between Vientiane Center or Talat Sao Shopping Mall, maybe just head to both. Parkson Mall is semi-opened so you can head in if you want a nicer mall or to pick up some groceries from their supermarket. Drop by Khua Din Market for some snacks. Apparently the baguettes located near the main bus station is one of the better options. There are fresh fruits and coconut sweets at the relatively smaller market if you are craving for a sweet bite.
Be educated at the COPE Visitor Center next, a NGO company that provides the victims of UXO (unexploded ordnance) and those who are physically disabled a chance to walk again. The center offers both rehabilitation and prosthetic limbs to patients. The COPE Center is rather tight with the small exhibition, a corner for their gift store and an outdoors cafe, Karma Kafe. Cool off with a cup of ice cream after touring around. It is also nice to know that all profits go towards supporting COPE and their mission as the entrance to the exhibition is free.
Grab a late lunch at Kung's Cafe. Hidden at the end of a lane way, the homely cafe offers breakfast/brunch food alongside curries and stir fries. Main dishes will set you back around 15k-20k (<SGD 4), super affordable. Do get the sticky rice pancake with mango (15k kip). Warm, chewy sweetness. Just up my alley (no puns intended).
Chill around your accommodation or fill up your travel journal at a cafe for the rest of the afternoon. Time for dinner. Join locals at Ban Anou Night Market that is set up on at the junction of Khun Bu Lom Road and Chao Anou Road It's not hard to locate the market. Spot the foggy alley from the distance as stall owners grill meat on skewers over hot charcoal starting from around 5pm every evening. There are stews, jaews tied in plastic bags, mok in banana leaves; all ready for you to take away for a scrumptious meal. Get Or Lam (5k kip) with sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf (3k kip). You can get an amazing Laotian dinner for very little, for those who can look beyond the environment.
If you want somewhere "cleaner", slurp down some noodles at Mrs Sengchanhphone Restaurant. Cheap local restaurant with an English menu, there are options for noodles and rice but I would personally recommend Khao Soy (rice noodles with fermented soy beans) or Sticky Noodles for 15k kip.
Transportation (Airport)
Being the capital of Laos makes the transit between Vientiane Aiport (Wattay) and the city centre extremely convenient. Either take a taxi for around SGD 10 (15mins) or the airport shuttle for 15k kip (2.37 SGD) which takes around 35 minutes. Check the nearest airport shuttle stop from your accommodation and the time table from the official website. Once on board, there will be a ticket conductor approaching you, so just pay her/him and you will be issued a bus ticket.
Extend your stay:
Kayaking and Cycling Day Trips - Book a one day trip with Green Discovery for an active day out. The adventure and ecotour operator brings you alongside Mekong and through rice fields before kayaking back down to Vientiane.
Buddha Park - Take a bus (1 hour, 6k kip) or tuk tuk to Xieng Khuan, a park scattered with over 200 Buddha statues and a 40-metre reclining Buddha. Take in the fantastic views of the religious sculptures in from the top of a giant pumpkin; a rather surreal experience for visitors.
Vientiane Temples - Explore the spiritual side of the Laotian Capital when you visit the well-known temples in the city. All three Wats are within walking distance. Start with Wat Si Muang, then Wat Ho Phra Keo and lastly, end your walk at Wat Si Saket.
Solo Scorecard - 2 (1 - Perfect for Solo Travelling, 5 - Would not recommend for solo travellers) A relatively quiet city, the capital of Laos doesn't pose as a threat to solo female travellers at all. The city centre is extremely walkable if you can stand the heat. The only two hindrance I can think of would be the general griminess that sticks with Lao cities and lack of certain infrastructure. Vientiane is not popular with tourists as there isn't much to do compared to Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. Was it worth the 5 hours bus ride? Mmm, maybe?
Comentários