Set on the steady waters of the Mekong River, Vientiane is the busy bustling capital city of Laos. It used to be a sleepy backwater capital of an equally backwater state for many years, together with the gradual opening up to foreign investment and tourism of Laos, Vientiane has witnessed enormous changes and continuous expand. Although small, this city has growing ambition. Laos tours packages
Phou Khao Khouay National Park – Source: www.greentrailtours.com.vn
While maintaining a low-key, laidback feel, Vientiane is home to a vibrant wealth of restaurants, bars, hotels and embassies. Like all other cities in Laos, the pace of life here is best described as slow — bordering on freezing, particularly on the weekends. You can still find tranquil temples, tree-lined dirt roads and relaxed inhabitants fonder of setting up the sound system and barbecue for the party than anything else if you get out of the tourist center. Having a total population of only 850,000, Vientiane seems to be the smallest capital city in Southeast Asia. Tours Indochina
Amazing tour in Phou Khao Khouay National Park – Source: goasiadaytrip.com
Vientiane, like many French colonial cities, is particularized by broad, often leafy boulevards, squeaking colonial mansions painted in sun-bleached tropical hues, a stunning riverside promenade, and mod 1960’s era villas with huge gardens dripping in bougainvillea. You can find beer shacks and French coffee shops, coconut palms and tamarind trees, rustic wats and traditional homes scatter the city. The fascination of the place combining with a sedentary pace of life makes it outstanding.
Even though lacking the overwhelming charm of Luang Prabang, Vientiane is well worth spending more time exploring.
Vang Vieng- source: www.ivivu.com
However, you should not go around the capital completely. This capital city provides travelers with enough sights and attractions for a few days. This remains one of the primary hideaways into Laos and jumping-off point for journeys to the remote pockets of the country as it has an easy overland route into Thailand and an international airport. If you want to stock up or refuel on creature comforts, it is such a good place. In Vientiane, there are many international restaurants and fun bars offering some superb Lao food of all budgets and tastes.
It is possible to discover the stunning sights and quaint back alleys by cycling around and making a stop along the way to enjoy a delicious bowl of pho. From participating in an interesting cooking class or visiting the busy morning local market before going to the Mekong to quench your thirst; observing local fisherman wade in a river that is covered with glowing gold by the setting sun and finding your heart melt in overestimate for peaceful beauty of Vientiane to tackling a multisport daytrip in Phou Khao Khouay National Park, Vientiane offers you all.
Picturesque landscape of Vang Vieng- Source: tour-asia.net
You can also spend your time in Vang Vieng, the backpacker magnet situated in the north of the city in Vientiane province. Not only being a village-chnaged-into-tourist-town setting against a dramatic backdrop of karst, Vang Vieng is open for all travelers and offers them great chances to enjoy its non-tubing outdoor pursuits: enormous evergreen rice paddy fields, jagged cliffs, blue lagoons and mysterious caves and charming natural beauty. Yet no hotel or guesthouse is more than a five-minute bike ride from rural countryside, the town itself is still a little tacky and soulless.
See more:
Luang Prabang heritage exposure 4D-3N
Luang Prabang Marvelous Day Tour
The Indochina Voyages Team
