Here at WoWasis, Vientiane gets our vote as one of the nicest cities in Southeast Asia. Although it’s the capital of Laos, it’s relatively small, at just over 130,000 people, and is easy to navigate. It’s got a decidedly different vibe as a capital city, without Bangkok’s crowds, or Phnom Penh’s edginess.
Here, Lao traditions meld with colonial French, allowing you to have a baguette and coffee and one of Vientiene’s many bakeries before taking a day to visit Vientiane’s impressive Buddhist temples, then finishing it up with superior French cuisine at terrific prices. It’s laid back without being dull, and a wonderful place to spend a day or two on your way to the old royal city of Luang Prabang, to the north.
Top 3 in Vientiane
1) Pha That Luang is a temple complex that’s the most important monument in Laos, and its image is popular everywhere in the country, including a prominent place on the Kip, Laos’ monetary unit. Built in the 17th century, it consists of two temples flanking a golden stupa, which has three tiers of smaller stupas surrounding it.
2) Wat Si Saket is a lovely temple surrounded by a cloister, and is best-known for its hundreds of Buddha images in niches. There are over 6,000 Buddha images interspersed throughout the temple, so plan for a couple of hours to take it all in.
3) The Lao National History Museum documents the triumph of the Pathet Lao, and presents a nationalistic perspective on history that may be unfamiliar to Western visitors. Western cultures take a real beating in the labeling that accompanies many of the exhibits, and it reflects an “only-in-Laos” experience that we found worthwhile.
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