The area is said to have wild Elephants, Gibbons, Gaur, Asiatic black Bear, Tigers, clouded Leopards and Siamese fireback Pheasant. The impressive Tat Xai is a wonderful waterfall, and is reached by an all weather road off the main road to Ang Nam Leuk Nearby Tat Leuk is a much smaller waterfall, but is a beautiful spot still, and is a favourite spot for weekend picnickers. You can pitch your tent for free here, and there is a small restaurant that offers cheap Lao dishes. To the north there are several Hmong and Mien villages.

There is no public transport to the park, so you will have to find other means. It is easy to find a taxi to take you to there and it is a very reasonable price if you haggle a little, the taxi driver will even wait for you and take you back to Vientiane at the end of the day. Now that’s service!

Accommodation and places to eat in Vientiane

Vientiane has become a bit of a backpacking hotspot in the last few years, following hot on the heels of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam and there are plenty of places to stay for budget travellers. But do not let this put you off as there is till a healthy smattering of mid and top end Hotels to choose from.

As Vientiane is still developing its Tourism infrastructure, many of the higher class of Hotels in Vientiane are very cheap when compared to Western prices or even that of its neighbouring countries. The highest price you will probably find for a suite at the swankiest hotel is likely to be $250 but a comfortable double in a clean and respectable hotel will only set you back around $50 per night. Very reasonable prices I’m sure you will agree.

There are plenty of restaurants to choose from around the place as well with traditional Lao, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food on offer. There are also a few western eating establishments and even a Japanese restaurant, though these are expensive in comparison to the Lao and Chinese restaurants. There are many stalls offering tasty snacks around the streets of the city and prices are the same here for tourists as well as the locals. Just make sure you know what you are buying and also that it is cooked in front of you.

How to get to Vientiane

Flights which go directly to Vientiane from western countries are non-existent so you will have to change at some point. As flights to Bangkok are the cheapest in the region, you will probably end up changing here for a local flight to Vientiane. It is also possible to get a train to Laos, but it would be quicker and a lot more comfortable to fly. It is a good idea to fly with a Thai airline rather than a Lao company as the safety records are a lot better.

Warning: We advise against visiting the Lao Airline website as many viruses have been released on to computer's which visited this site!

Flights to Bangkok are regular from most countries and prices start at around $820 return from Los Angeles and $1200 return from the East coast.

Flights to Bangkok from London are probably the best value and prices start at the £750 mark.

Flights from New Zealand and Australia will set you back around NZ$1200 from Auckland and around A$920 from Sydney and other Australian cities.

Flying to Vientiane from Bangkok with the Thai National carrier, will cost around $200 return and flights leave daily, so you might end up with a night stopover in Bangkok.

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