May 7-10, 2025
Vientiane was about one hour train by LCR from Vang Vieng. It was our last stop in Laos, and capital of Laos, but it was perhaps the most boring one. We enjoyed the countryside of Laos much better than the city.
Unlike other places in Laos, we took bus from Airport to our hotel (V Hotel Vientiane). It was convenient, as long as you get on the correct bus. However, when the bus was waiting with open door, we were attacked by many mosquitoes. There were also many tuk-tuks (open carriages pulled by motorbikes) around. They were cheaper than taxi, but no A/C, and have to negotiate the price with the drivers, so we never took them.
In Vientiane, our hotel room was in higher floor, that we had big windows overseeing the riverside and night market. However, we could no longer find cheap & fresh fruit shakes that we enjoyed so much in other places. There are still many restaurants, cafes, temples and government buildings around, but it was quite boring to walk inside the city. Also, there was construction work everywhere, sometimes big holes on the road without any warning. It was difficult to walk.
Vientiane has extensive bus network that could be tracked by Viabus app, so it was quite convenient. Bus fare was extremely cheap, but it takes time to wait for the next bus, and takes time to walk to the nearby bus station, under such extreme heat. So, eventually, we just called taxi by Loca all the time.
We visited the National Museum in Vientiane. It did not meet our expectation, because half of the showrooms were closed, not as much exhibitions as we have hoped, but it still showed us the history of Laos very well. Laos had been through so many wars by different foreign powers, and long civil war. However, because of that, we could see French architectures and cultures in Vientiane everywhere. It almost felt like Hanoi. There were some cafe shops made from abandoned old structures, almost like movie settings.
We also visited some popular places in Vientiane, but in my mind they were not so special. However, we did enjoyed the night food market. There were so many booths selling all kinds of foods. It was difficult to choose. There was also some good restaurants near the night food market.
There were many tailor shops and clothing shops in Vientiane. Unless other countries, the clothes here are mostly handmade. There are also very unique design traditional fabrics. Many women, including students and office ladies, wear long tight skirts made with traditional fabrics. I think it was very elegant.
Also, the tailor shops can make handmake very high quality western suits from order in just 2 days, at very low price. We found a popular tailor shop called “F-Liberal” on internet. We ended up ordering both men and women suits. We did fitting twice, and asked for several modifications, but our tailor was very patient, even delivered the modified suits to our hotel. It has been our best experience in Vientiane.
