Vientiane City Break

A City break in Vientiane, Laos. One of the most relaxed capital Cities in Asia

Sandalwood City, as the name translates is an intriguing city, with a variety of influences. It is a great place to travel to and experience cultures from around the region, as well as influences from the old Soviet Union and France. It may well be the largest city in the country, but it is by no means large. It is easy to get your bearings in a day, and walking around its streets, and riverside is an enjoyable experience.

A lot of the city is particularly attractive, with the beautiful and fascinating riverfront, the tree lined boulevards of French design and the Temples scattered around its backstreets.

There are of course the bad areas, rundown, with poverty stricken families trying to make ends meet. It can be dangerous to walk around them at night, as well as upsetting, but to be honest would you walk around the poorer areas of New York, London or Sydney at night if you were back home? Exactly.

Vientiane is a very peaceful and relaxing capital city and considering that it is set in a region which names Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta as its biggest cities, this can be surprising.  Of course the city can get busy, during the market hours it sometimes becomes a free for all!

Although this article is a ‘City Break’ there is an optional trip to the Phu Khao Khuay National Park for a spot of walking amongst the wilds of South East Asia..

There is plenty to see and experience in the capital Lao city and you won’t be left wanting for pretty architecture and friendly faces.

What to see in Vientiane

There are temples galore around Vientiane and while they are not of the standard of those in Luang Prabang, they are still very appealing and none more so than the oldest remaining temple in the city, Wat Si Saket. Wat Si Saket is opposite the Lao Presidential Palace and was built in 1818, this is the oldest Wat in the city as many of the temples were destroyed by Thai forces who invaded in the early 1800s. This temple was though to have been spared as it was very much like their own Siamese style temples. Wat Si Saket has many beautiful Buddha images inside and you really should spend a few hours at the very least in this beautiful piece of history. When you Travel to this destination you really should take in this location.

Of course there are many other temples in vientiane including Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan, which means Temple of the heavy Buddha and is one of the most important temples in the whole of Laos. It was rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries after it was destroyed in 1828. It houses the Buddhist Institute, where young monks come from all over Laos to have the schooling. It is also the Official Residence of the Deputy Patriarch (Hawng Sangkhalat). The Temple's namesake, The Heavy Buddha, is at the back of the Ordination Hall and weighs a whopping seven tonnes. When you travel to such a vast location, these temples add a real photo opportunity to any traveller.

These temples are in close proximity to Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan, why not travel to these locations as they are worth a look:

Wat Hai Sok was restored a few years back and has an attractive nine tiered roof with intricate spires.

Wat Mixai shares its compound with an elementary school, and is designed in the Bangkok style. The ordination hall has a surrounding veranda and is very pretty.

Wat In Paeng is a Monastery with a beautiful wood and mosaic façade hanging over the front veranda.

<< Previous    [1]  2  3    Next >>