Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hugging a wide bend in the Mekong river, Vientiane is more like a large town, dotted
with a few grandiose monuments, than the engine room of a nation. However, in the
twenty-odd years since Laos reopened its doors to foreign visitors, the city has changed
withdizzyingrapidity.Atthebeginningofthe1990s,Vientianewallowedinaneconom-
ic stupor brought about by a fifteen-year near-ban on free enterprise and a heavy reli-
anceonSovietaid.ButwiththecollapseoftheSovietUnion,economicrestrictionswere
relaxed; soon afterwards, Vientiane's collection of billboards proclaiming the glories of
socialism were outnumbered by advertisements for Pepsi, and the hammer and sickle
that had been erected atop the abandoned French cultural centre was removed. Today,
withforeigninvestmentpouringin,thecityisgrowingfast,andswishblackSUVseasily
outnumber tuk-tuks. Along with new shopping malls and luxurious high-rise develop-
ments,Vientianehasathrivingtouristeconomy,andsomeexcellentplacestostay.Even
so, it remains one of Southeast Asia's quietest and most easily navigable capital cities,
and the people have managed to retain their hospitality and sense of humour.
Two days is enough to see Vientiane's main sights, but it pays to stick around longer, and
there's plenty to see in the surrounding area. The most popular
day-trip
is to Xieng Khuan,
or the “
Buddha Park
”, a meadow that's home to more than two hundred concrete Buddhist
and Hindu statues, including a 40m-long reclining Buddha. North of Vientiane, the
AngNam
Ngum Reservoir
attracts locals and foreign visitors alike for relaxing weekend retreats, of-
fering hiking and camping and boat trips to small, half-sunk islands. Off the beaten track and
a bit more of an effort to reach is the resort of
Ban Pako
, on the banks of the Nam Ngum
River, which offers a rural Lao experience within relatively easy distance of the capital.
Slightly further afield, but still within day-tripping range of Vientiane, is
Vang Vieng
, the
small riverside town synonymous with tubing and once notorious for its wild parties. Follow-
ing a major government crackdown, however, that led to the closure of riverside bars, much
of the associated bad behaviour has gone, and although tubing and partying remain a major
attraction, the town is now forging a new future as an adventure destination. Set amid spec-
tacular scenery on Route 13, Vang Vieng provides the perfect environment for hiking, kayak-
ing, climbing and caving, and is also a convenient stopover on the spectacularly mountainous
ten-hour bus journey from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. An alternative route to Luang Pra-
bang involves travelling the winding roads of
Sayaboury
, a remote left-bank province famed
for its sizeable population of elephants.
