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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.
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