Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos, situated on the Mekong near the border with Thailand. Vientiane is stretched out on the north-eastern bank of a bend in the Mekong River. From the river bank inland, the main roads running parallel to the river are Thanon Fa Ngum, Thanon Setthathirat and Thanon Samsenthai. The central district, Chanthabuli, contains most of Vientiane's government offices, hotels and restaurants. Vientiane's widest boulevard, Thanon Lane Xang, runs from the Presidential Palace (now used for government offices and for state receptions) to the northeast around Patuxai, the Victory Gate, towards Pha That Luang, the That Luang Stupa which is the most important religious monument in Laos. Vientiane became the capital in 1563 due to fears of a Burmese invasion. Vientiane was the administrative capital during French rule and, due to economic growth in recent times, is now the economic centre of Laos. The city hosted the 25th Southeast Asian Games in December 2009 celebrating the 50 years of Southeast Asian Games.
The name of the city is derived from Pali, the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism. Although the original meaning of the name of the city is "city of sandalwood", as shown by ancient Lao inscription which wrote according to etymology, unlike modern Lao which is written phonetically, in modern Lao, the meaning of the name Vientiane is unclear. Many, if not most, Lao people claim that the city's name means "city of the moon", while many also claim correctly that the city's name means "city of sandalwood" because the words for 'moon' and 'sandalwood' are written and pronounced identically as 'chan' in modern Lao. However most academic and historic Lao sources do claim that the city's name does in fact means "city of sandalwood". This is reinforced by the fact that the name of the city in Thai and Khmer are both retained the etymological spelling, which indicates "city of sandalwood." The romanized spelling "Vientiane" is of French origin, and reflects the difficulty the French had in pronouncing the hard "ch" sound in of the Lao language; a common English-based spelling is "Viangchan", or occasionally "Wiangchan".
Climate
Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the onset of the monsoon which in Vientiane lasts about seven months. Vientiane tends to be hot and humid throughout the course of the year, though temperatures in the city tend to be somewhat cooler during the dry season than the wet season.
Tourism
Compared to the hectic, bustling capitals in other Southeast Asian countries, Vientiane's deliciously relaxing atmosphere makes it feel like the small town it is.
Of course, the booming tourism industry is changing this by slowly but surely bringing the excesses of Thailand and China to this formerly sleepy city. It has also become famous for bedbugs. Just like any other Southeast Asian capital/major city, Vientiane is experiencing a building boom. Even its Presidential Palace is having a major makeover-addition and a new convention centre has opened recently.
The memorial monument, Patuxai, began construction in 1957 and completed in 1968, is perhaps the most prominent landmark in the city. While the arc de Triomphe in Paris inspired the architecture, the design incorporates typical Lao motifs including “Kinnari”, a mythical bird woman. The monument itself aside, the palm tree-lined park around it complete with fountains is quite pleasant though lacking of shade during the day time. Energetic visitors can climb to the top of the monument (7th story height), which reveals an excellent panoramic view of the city. There is also featuring a musical fountain nearby that attracts visitors from around Laos and Asia, as well as a World Peace gong presented by Indonesia. Roving cameramen will be happy to charge you for photos near these attractions.
1. Temples and Stupas:
Pha That Luang:
Although still a small city, the capital experiences a major influx of tourists. The city contains many temples and Buddhist monuments with Pha That Luang, a Buddhist stupa, one of the most famous in Laos. It is the most important national cultural monument and very popular amongst foreign tourists. The original was built in 1566 by King Setthathirath, and was restored in 1953. The golden stupa is 45 metres tall and is believed to contain a relic of the Lord Buddha.
Wat Si Muang:
Another site that is also popular amongst tourists is Wat Si Muang. The temple was built on the ruins of a Khmer Hindu shrine, the remains of which can be seen behind the ordination hall. It was built in 1563 and is believed to be guarded by the spirit of a local girl called “Si". Legend says that Nang Si, who was pregnant at the time, leapt to her death as a sacrifice, just as the pillar was being lowered into the hole. In front of the temple stands a statue of King Sisavang Vong.
Wat Si Saket (Sisaket Museum):
It is probably the oldest standing temple in Vientiane. Built in 1818 by Chao Anou in the Bangkok style and hence left unsacked when much of Vientiane was razed in a Siamese raid in 1828. Within the cloister walls are hundreds of niches housing Buddha images large and small, made of wood, stone, silver and bronze. In the centre of the courtyard is a five-tier-roofed sim (ordination hall) housing yet more Buddha niches and beautiful but fading murals of the Buddha's past lives.
Hophakaew Museum:
Entrance fee imply. On Thanon Setthathirat (opposite Wat Si Saket), there is an elegant, and majestic structure, King Setthathirat's former royal temple, which housed the magical Emerald Buddha (pha kaew) after it was taken from Lanna (Chiang Mai). The Siamese took it back in 1779 - the image is now housed in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew - and came back in 1828 to raze the temple for good measure. The present structure is a 1942 reconstruction of dubious provenance. The temple no longer operates and the interior has been turned into a small jumbled museum housing Buddha images; look out for the beautiful tall, lithe, long-armed Buddha in the hands-down "calling for rain" pose.
Black Stupa (That Dam):
(off Thanon Samsenthai near the US embassy), the mythical abode of a seven-headed dragon that protects Vientiane. It was renovated in 1995 but still has an attractive patina of age, and is slowly being overgrown again by lush grass vegetation.
2. Nearby
Buddha Park was built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat and contains a collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, scattered amongst gardens and trees. The park was built about 28 kilometres south of Vientiane at the edge of the Mekong River.
Vientiane is home to one of the three bowling alleys in Laos (the other two are in Luang Phrabang and Pakse). There are many upper-class hotels in Vientiane.
Other sites include:
• Haw Phra Kaew, former temple, now museum and small shops
• Lao National Museum
• Talat Sao Morning Market
• Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan, Buddhist monastery
• Wat Sok Pa Luang, Buddhist temple
• Settha Palace Hotel, Since 1932
• The Sanjiang market
Tourist Activities – What can Lao offer?
After you've done the round of temples, the best thing to do here has always been to wander down to the riverside, relax with a cold Beerlao - the national beer - and watch the sun set over the Mekong.
Or you can enjoy the following option:
• Zip-Lining Adventure: in Nam Lik just 2h away from Vientiane. Zip-lining gets you the feel of freedom while whooshing from tree to tree along steel wires in up to 37 meters height and 180 meters in length! Scaling the dizzying heights on ropes, giant nets, sling or U-bridges and getting back to earth through ‘abseiling’ adds to the extra-ordinary excitement.
• Trekking through nature parks: The National Protected Area of Phou Khao Khouay is the nearest National Park to Vientiane, the nearest point just over an hour away. Besides some great scenery and beautiful waterfalls, the NPA offers trails through dry evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, numerous waterfalls and rivers. Wildlife is abundant but elusive.
• Picnicking on the shores of Nam Ngum Lake: There is a local favourite which is 90 km from Vientiane. There are floating restaurants along the lake shore; their specialty is fish fresh from the lake. Cruises among the lake's islands can be booked here, which makes for a relaxing couple of hours. Just inquire at your guest house/hotel or at any travel agency.
• Centre Culturel et de Coopération Linguistique (French Cultural Centre): The French Cultural Centre is on Lane Xang Road. It has a French library and a small theatre that shows plays and films.
• Bicycle Touring: for better experience, contact the TA (Travel Agent) as they will offer awesome guided bicycle tours through and around Vientiane. They will take you off the beaten track to the place where you usually wouldn't go. Along villages, temples, school yards, the banks of Mekong River, crematoria, markets, and local businesses. They have excellent quality mountain bikes.
Stay Safe
Vientiane is a fairly safe city in terms of crime. However, bag snatching from guests sitting in front of cafes is becoming more common. Bags in the baskets of (rented) bicycles or mopeds, even when moving along, are also far from safe. Do not leave a bag in an accessible position. If your bag is snatched, immediately start shouting: the perpetrators rely on tourists reacting by silently trying to chase them without alerting the numerous police boxes. The thieves are often drug addicts.
Probably a bigger hazard than crime is the missing sewer covers on pavements. Additionally, there are many loose stones that will tip if stepped on. Tread carefully and exercise extreme caution at night.
To prevent the development of a sex trade industry, which is so prevalent in its neighbor - Thailand, Laotian law bans foreigners from having sexual relations with Laotian nationals other than their spouses. This law is enforced by the village chief and given with the fines. The incentive to enforce is high. The penalty is US$500 for the first offence, though as the text of the law is not available, the fine could be much more (the U.S. Embassy says US$5,000); the foreign offender can face prison or deportation and the Lao woman prison. A Laotian prison is the last place anyone would want to be. If you take a girl to your room and she robs you, this law makes it almost impossible to obtain police assistance. Foreign women should note that, while rare, Laotian police enforce this law on both sexes. Bartenders are happy to provide stories of angry tourists confronting girls at the same bars they picked up the night before. Most hotels also do not allow foreigners to take girls to their rooms as it is officially prohibited.
Homosexuality is legal and there is a fairly open gay scene in Vientiane. Since the Pathet Lao took over in 1975, the Lao government has been completely silent on LGBT rights and homosexuality itself. Female homosexuality is relatively frowned upon for Lao women while male homosexuality is widely tolerated. A growing acceptance of homosexuality in Laos continues. Gay and lesbian travelers should be aware though that some hotels will impose the same restrictions as for straight people and not allow a Lao national into your room.
Illegal drugs are a problem throughout Laos and certainly so in Vientiane where even very young children can try to peddle "happy pills" to tourists. After declaring victory in the "war on opium" in 2005, it is not so much opium and heroin these days as methamphetamine that incurs the wrath of the authorities. Penalties are extremely harsh. Be extremely cautious of tuk-tuk drivers offering to sell you drugs, as they often collaborate with the police or police impersonators to "shake down" unsuspecting tourists.
Current as of 2006, the Lao PDR criminal code for drug trafficking or possessions are:
• Heroin: up to life imprisonment and 10 million kip ($1,316) fine; death penalty for possession of over 500 g.
• Chemical substance: up to 20 years imprisonment. 50 million kip ($6,578) fine.
• Amphetamines: up to 5 years imprisonment and 7 million kip ($921) fine.
• Opium: up to 15 years imprisonment and 30 million kip ($3,947) fine; death penalty for possession of quantities over 3 kg.
• Marijuana: up to 10 years imprisonment and 20 million kip ($2,631) fine; death penalty for quantities over 10 kg.
Moreover, dogs - whether stray or just owned by irresponsible idiots - are dangerous, especially at night. Stay on well-lit, busy streets.
Long trousers and sleeves are recommended when visiting a temple or official offices. Foreign women adopting the traditional long sarong (siin) are much appreciated.
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