Vientiane, Laos - A Rare Hidden Gem
Here you will find low prices and simple folk customs
Here you will find Buddhist temples of various styles
Here you will find the quietly flowing Mekong River
Transportation🚴
I chose to cross the border from Thailand to Laos
You can first take a flight✈️ from Bangkok to Udon Thani, then take a bus through the Nong Khai border to Vientiane. This is half the price of flying directly from Bangkok to Vientiane!
Public transportation within Vientiane is not well developed. You can choose to take the local tuk-tuk, which is inexpensive. Generally, a single ride costs no more than 10r.
Of course, walking through the city center of Vientiane is also a great option!
Food🍜
Here, you can DIY your own fruit smoothie. Choose the fruits🍉 you want, and the staff will put them into the juicer to make a smoothie for you, which is refreshing and cool!
You can visit the Mekong Night Market and Vientiane Night Market, where you can find cheap and affordable Southeast Asian food. You can eat well for less than 50r!
You can also choose to shop at the local department store, Vientiane Center Shopping Mall, which is said to be invested by Chinese people.
Attractions🗼
That Luang Stupa
Patuxay
Haw Pha Kaew
Wat Si Saket
Lao National Museum
You can visit all the attractions in the city in one day. If you have more time, you can visit Wat Xieng Khouane (Buddha Park).
About the China-Laos Railway🚞
Vientiane Station is the terminus of the China-Laos Railway.
If you are departing from China, traveling from Kunming, Yunnan to Vientiane, Laos, you can book tickets directly on websites like 12306 and Ctrip.
If you want to travel in the opposite direction, it is more troublesome. Domestic platforms do not support it, and Laos does not have a mature online platform for booking tickets. Local residents buy tickets at the train station 7 days in advance, so you may need to find someone online to buy tickets in advance!
Accommodation🏨
Hotels in Vientiane are generally affordable. I stayed at the Malina Hotel, which has a swimming pool and a café. A standard room costs about 170r per night, and the accommodation environment is okay.
It is recommended to stay in the city center, near the Mekong River area, which is close to various attractions and allows you to experience the local atmosphere.