Vang ViengThe small, laid back town of Vang Vieng is spectacularly situated on a bend of the Nam Song River, surrounded by green agricultural fields, friendly Hmong and Yao ethnic minority villages and mountains that hold fascinating limestone caves. Once no more than a bus change on the long journey between the capital
Vientiane in the south to the world heritage city of
Luang Prabang in the north, Vang Vieng has become a destination in its own right, appealing to backpackers in particular.
Magnificent scenery, the river and numerous caverns and caves in the surrounding limestone
mountains are the main attractions and several guesthouses organize guides to explore them, or visitors can hire bicycles and motorbikes. The cave of Tham Phou Kham, set in a limestone cliff, contains a bronze Buddha inside the main cavern, and is one of the more interesting caves to visit. To get there is part of the enjoyment, with river crossings on precarious bamboo footbridges, past rural villages and between shimmering rice fields, surrounded by exquisite scenery of fresh and vivid colors. The cave of Tham Pha Thao is for the more adventurous and involves wading through a deep subterranean stream past enormous stalactites and stalagmites. Another main attraction is floating down the river on inner tubes and enjoying the laid back pace of life.
Vang
Vieng is an ideal stop off point on the Vientiane-Luang Prabang route, combining shy but friendly people, a beautiful rural setting and enjoyable activities.
VientianeLife in Vientiane, modest capital of
Laos, flows along as languidly as does the
Mekong River on the banks of which the city is situated. Resembling more a sprawling series of villages than an inter-connected urban metropolis, Vientiane is a sleepy place dotted with a mix of Laotian temples and French colonial buildings, most of them crumbling into decay. Paddy fields still dot the outlying suburbs and even intrude into the city center in places. Downtown is characterized by narrow lanes that run off the main streets, where bakeries sell croissants alongside vendors touting noodle soup and sticky rice.
Most of the city's places of interest are concentrated in a small area in the commercial district, easy to explore on foot, between the bamboo and thatched beer gardens on the riverbank and
Talaat Sao, the morning market. There are some fine Wats (temples) to visit, like Wat Si Saket, one of the city's oldest, surrounded by a lush tranquil garden. Other grand buildings are the unfinished Patuxai monument, resembling the
Arc de Triomphe, and the new Chinese-financed cultural center. The
Lao Revolutionary Museum is worth a visit simply because it is a now rare example of a communist propaganda collection, while the
Kaysone Phomvihane Museum is dedicated to Laos' post-war leader.
Luang PrabangEncircled by mountains and charmingly situated at the meeting of the Mekong and Khan rivers, the 'Jewel of the Mekong' conveys an atmosphere of remote serenity and informal splendor.
The heart of a thriving kingdom for more than a thousand years, it is today a sleepy mixture of ancient temples, cobbled lanes, interesting back streets, French-Indochinese architecture and ochre-colored colonial buildings. Trees line the streets above the banks of the river where children swim and play, while farmers carefully tend to their tiny, irregular riverside plots of agricultural land. In the mists of dawn, throngs of barefoot orange-robed monks silently make their way from the monasteries to the streets, where locals wait to gain spiritual merit by filling their wooden alms bowls with rice, before disappearing once again into their places of refuge and meditation. Unhurried people drift past stalls of spicy papaya salad, noodles, omelets and fruit drinks. This is the real Lao, a town with a distinctly village-like feel, but endowed with a historical legacy so rich that it has been designated a World Heritage site.
The main attractions are its historic temple complexes, with about half of the original wats, or temples, built before the French arrived, still standing. The most magnificent is
Wat Xieng Thong (Golden City Temple). Nearby is the Royal Palace with its golden-spired stupa, now a museum, and Wat Wisunalat, the oldest continually operating temple in the town. Across the river is Mount Phu Si with several temples on its slopes and a monastery on top, a popular spot for its dazzling views of the gilded spires in the town below at sunset.
A popular excursion is a scenic boat trip past waterfront villages to the nearby Pak Ou caves, filled with Buddha images. Also worth visiting is the picturesque Kuang Si Falls, a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall tumbling over limestone formations with clear turquoise pools below.
