Laos - Vientiane

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Vientiane

31/12/10-02/01/10

The capital of Laos. You would think it would be a crazy place full of beeping traffic (like the rest of Asia) and people rushing around. But no, it's very relaxed, hardly any traffic with attractive little side roads to walk around. The centre looks out onto the waterfront and over the river you can see Thailand.

We arrived on the morning of NYE on the sleeper bus! Got a shared jumbo tuk tuk to our hotel in town.

We stayed in Hotel Ramanyana on Lan Xang near the Patuxai monument. It was a bit of a panic reservation on Agoda as we were finding that places were booked up for new year. I wouldn't recommend staying there. Was $45 for a basic, comfortable room but the hotel was 25 minute walk into town (annoying at night), the lobby smelled of sewage and breakfast for us consisted of toast and tea (lots of noodles, sushi or rice dishes if you prefer!!) 

For NYE Tiger Beer put on some entertainment in their central square - Nam Phu. We stayed there for a couple of tiger beers  and then went to dinner at Aria (a pizzeria) where the pizzas were great but the service was rubbish!!

For the last part of the night we went to Bor Penyang - the 'popular' rooftop bar overlooking the riverside. It was very lively with a few travellers but mainly locals and western men with their respective working girls. Two actually tried to chat up Duncan whilst I was in the toilet but he assures me he gave them the brush off!! Midnight came 2 minutes late according to our watches and according to the Thai fireworks across the water!! 

The next day was a bit of a daze and so we just wondered around. Went up Patuxai ('Gate of Victory') to see the view if the city and ate dinner early at a riverside street restaurant (good cheap food).

One thing we would recommend is the Sok Pa Luang sauna at the Wat of the same name. The entrance to the sauna house is to the left if the entrance gate of the Wat (which we found out afterwards). You can have a sauna and then a traditional Laos massage for 20000 and 30000 kip each respectively. The woman clicked my back about 5 times and i felt like a new woman afterwards!!
We negotiated a tuktuk to the sauna  and Pha That Luang stupa and Wat (the most important national monument in Laos) for 100000kip. 

Next to Vang Vieng - 40000 kip each (departed from a random location so probably best to book through a travel agent).....

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Photos

Pha That Luang
Laos most important national monument