Laos & Vientiane

[Nomad]

Was thinking of flying here for a few days as a side-trip from BKK. Worth seeing? How many days would you suggest? Any tips?

[bacwaan]

head to Luang Prabang instead of VN....much nicer, more laid back and some great hotels + restaurants/cafes at very reasonable prices

3 days min here....

[MarcTwoSix]

Luang Prabang is the best place I have been in Asia.....Hands down

I absolutely loved it

I have a really cool Canadian girl that will take you on the Mekong at sunset, beers and wind included.
We ended up going out with her for the night.

The waterfall is pretty damn nice.

But mostly just sitting on the patios drinking Beer Lao is what I preferred

[Mick]

Tend to agree. Vientiane is OK for a day or two, but Luang Prabang is way more historic, majestic and the kind of place you can hang out for a bit. I took the bus between the two cities, which was a long, but interesting trip. Stopped off at Vang Vieng on the return journey.

[Hatari]

I've had two trips to Vientiane, first with MsH, second on my own, headed off cycling from there.
I like the place, would happily go back, nice quiet escape I thought, city itself is small, easy to get around, not over-populated and quite conservative overall imo

Depends what you want/like; interesting history to the area, and the mix of old Khmer with more recent French influences

[MarcTwoSix]

This is how I can sum up Luang Prabang best.

I think a lot of us traveling South East Asia have a bit of a fascination or wonder of how it was back in colonial times.

And I think Luang Prabang is the only place I felt it was still there
The buildings, the bakeries, the pace, the outdoor restaurants

[Hatari]

I have a really cool Canadian girl that will take you on the Mekong at sunset, beers and wind included.

Was it the beers that brought on her wind, or something she had eaten?

[jontymate]

Very relaxed very very relaxed and well worth seeing. A lot of history to learn if that is your thing from the French influence in food and architecture to the significance in wars. Plus the traditional. The realization of language and borders past and cultural blend for me was an eye opener. To see the gradient of change from central Thai to Issan to Laos there was many "light bulb"moments if that makes sense of understanding.


Lots of little tours further afield and not far. I spent two weeks but met up with an old mate that is a metallurgist in a mine not far away that is based there. So we went to a few places with them that they though I would like and then Dao hired a guy to take us to other places that she had seen as a kid. Helps to have someone that can speak. She refuses any organised tours and on most occasions I agree.

If I did it again and well planed and not Thai planned (no offence lol) 5-6 days and you are ready to see elsewhere. I bused it from KK and never again. Wise to fly.