Top Things to See
Wandering the quiet, leafy streets where grand colonial buildings silently crumble away is one of the most pleasant ways to take in Vientiane. Visitors can linger in Buddhist temples after browsing the curios at the Morning Market or grab a riverbank table and sink a Beer Lao as the sun sets across the Mekong. There are also plenty of sights worth seeing and most of them are within walking distance of one another, giving visitors ample opportunity to discover the capital independently.
 Buddha Park
This fun and funky sculpture garden full of Buddhist and Hindu imagery is one of the more unusual attractions in Vientiane, and certainly worth a visit. The diversity of the statues is fascinating with images ranging from demons devouring damsels to a massive reclining Buddha, which has become a popular photo stop. Some of the larger sculptures can be climbed, and on clear day you can see across the Mekong to Thailand. The park is located about 24kms south of the city.
Fa Ngum Road
This small road runs along the bank of the Mekong, and is lined with places to eat, sleep and shop. The tiny side roads that lead off of Fa Ngum often have interesting boutique shops and quiet cafés. In the evenings, the grassy area next to the river is where many locals and visitors come to stroll and enjoy the views.
 Patuxai Monument
Vientiane’s version of the Brandenburg Gate or the Arc de Triomphe is this massive victory monument to Lao independence. During the day, visitors can climb to the top for great views over the low-rise skyline of the capital. The small park around the base is an interesting spot to chat with local students.
That Luang
This beautiful, majestic stupa is the national symbol of Laos and probably the most important single site in the country. Built in 1566, the original stupa was said to contain one of the Buddha’s hairs. Despite being destroyed several times, the latest version rises 45 metres and resembles a golden staircase.
Wat Ong Teu
This particularly auspicious Buddhist temple is named after the massive bronze Buddha image located inside. The four surrounding temples help to create a tranquil atmosphere, making it a suitable place of residence for the Patriarch of Lao Buddhism, who lives here. Many monks come to Ong Teu to study and it is an ideal site for chatting with novices. The temple is located at the intersection of Chau Anou and Setthathirat roads.
 Wat Si Saket
Built in 1818, Si Saket was the only temple in Vientiane not to be razed by the Siamese in 1828 - perhaps due to its Thai style of design. More than 10,000 Buddha images of myriad style and size fill every spare inch of space in the outer courtyard, providing hours of exploration and contemplation. The murals covering the temple walls are also some of the finest in the city.
Top Things to Do
Converse with a monk and indulge an eager mind. Foreigners can walk into any Buddhist temple complex and enjoy the surroundings. Young novice monks are often hanging around the courtyard in their free time and many enjoy chatting in English to practice their skills. Interaction like this is often hard to find in a foreign country, and should not be missed. Wat Ong Teu has a large body of monks and is a good place to engage in conversation with monks.
 Delve deep into the recesses of Vientiane’s famous Morning Market. Although it’s open all day long, this busy central market is at its most interesting in the early morning hours, when trading by locals is brisk and things have a native feel. Drink a thick Lao coffee and snack on fried balls of dough before heading into the building, where some truly unbelievable items are sold.
Ease the pains of globetrotting with a traditional Lao herbal sauna. Laos has a legacy of herbal saunas, something unique among its Southeast Asian neighbours. Sokpaluang Temple is the ideal place to unwind in a relaxing steam room infused with medicinal herbs that simmer in a pot under the house. Lush green grounds and the backdrop of the temple make for a remarkably surreal environment.
 Enjoy fine French cuisine at one of the long-established restaurants lining Nam Phu. This central fountain and plaza alongside the Mekong is well known for its upscale French restaurants that ring the area. Also on-site are two of the city’s finest bakeries, if you need something to take back to your room.
Give the locals your best version of Hotel California at a karaoke bar. Whether you like karaoke or not, you’ll gain a new appreciation for the big-heartedness of Laotians after experiencing an hour or two of Lao and Western classics being belted out. Snooker Karaoke is the place to go to experience this popular night-time diversion.
 Sip a cold Beer Lao along the banks of the Mekong as the sun goes down. Every evening, small food stalls emerge along the wide river bank selling barbecue, sticky rice, papaya salad and other local favourites. The view across the mighty Mekong from here is one of the best sunset spots in the world and plenty of locals cruise up on their motorbikes to unwind after a day of work. It’s Vientiane at its finest.
 Take a boat cruise along the Mekong to Wat Phu. Built to honour the Hindu god Shiva, Wat Phu is one of Southeast Asia’s most impressive Khmer temple complexes. Buddhist influences are also evident at this pre-Angkor site. It’s easy to see why Wat Phu is a UNESCO World Heritage site, especially as the sun sets over the Mekong river valley. Taking a comfortable boat ride along the Mekong from Vientiane is a classic way to reach this world-class temple.
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