There probably isn't a guidebook published that doesn't use the words 'sleepy' or 'laid back' when talking about Vientiane.  Compared to the rush of life at home in Bangkok, life in Vientiane definitely moves at a different pace.  While traffic in the Lao capital can be heavy on a weekday, when I strolled out of my hotel on Saturday evening, in search of someplace to dine, I was struck by how deserted the streets were.

Not that people weren't out any about.  When I reached the banks of the Mekong, there were lots of people strolling along, already dining, or just coming up from the huge sandbank which forms Vientiane's "beach" during the dry season.  There was even an aerobics class being conducted in an apparently unfinished gym.

In the restaurants along the river, all TVs were tuned to one Thai channel or the other - as they apparently always are in Laos - and the Lao were watching with some amusement the growing furore in the streets of Bangkok over the antics of the Thai prime minister.

Vientiane is remarkably easy to get to.  Rather than risking Lao Aviation or the infrequent Thai Airways flights, most people seem to take one of the budget airlines to Udon Thani, where vans will whisk you right from the airport to the Friendship Bridge in about an hour.  After immigration formalities on both sides, it's another 20 or 30 minute ride into the center of Vientiane.

Vientiane is still a small town, and you can easily walk between most of the sights.  You can see just about all the city has to offer in a day, easily.  But the easy atmosphere, great food and cheap wine is reason enough to linger for a few days at least.  The weather at this time of year is still rather cool and comfortable.  On my first day, it was downright cold, while Saturday was a bit warmer, at least while out in the sun.

Continue reading “A Weekend in Vientiane”