#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Laos Forum >  >  > Laos Questions >  >  My First Trip to Vientiene & Laos - Advice

## Tunaka

I'll be going to Vientiene (and Laos) for the first time ever.  I've read the other "Is Laos good?" thread, but I have a couple of specific questions. 

If some folks can help me, I'll appreciate it greatly.

1.  Affordable (cheap) Guesthouse in a central (happening) area of VT.

2.  A good fun place to have a cold beer(s)

3. Things to see and do (if anything).


Thanks in advance.

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## wefearourdespot

> 1. Affordable (cheap) Guesthouse in a central (happening) area of VT.


There are no "happening" areas in Vientiane. Cheap guesthouses are hovels.



> 3. Things to see and do (if anything).


There aren't any.

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## the dogcatcher

Dogcatcher does Laos again.
Laos travel forum.
Other good threads there as well.

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## blue

yes cheap places are hovels ,  some of the  hotels  are very jaded too,
i stayed here , in the centre and nice clean , costs about 1500 Baht  now.
Chanthapanya Hotel Vientiane, Laos

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## dirtydog

Laos Hotels and Guesthouses - TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum

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## SiLeakHunt

I stayed in one on the river front called the Lane Xang (I think) not too bad, but there is definitely nothing "happeneing" about Vientiene or Laos in general.

Cheers

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## Thormaturge

Take a book.

Does your mobile phone have any games on it?  If so take a spare battery. If not, load a few and take a spare battery.







> I'll be going to Vientiene (and Laos) for the first time ever.  I've read the other "Is Laos good?" thread, but I have a couple of specific questions. 
> 
> If some folks can help me, I'll appreciate it greatly.
> 
> 1.  Affordable (cheap) Guesthouse in a central (happening) area of VT.
> 
> 2.  A good fun place to have a cold beer(s)
> 
> 3. Things to see and do (if anything).
> ...

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## isanmick

I've been to Vientiene a few times and there isn't a great deal there.
I intend to go to Laos after songkran but this time to see Vang Vieng and 
Luang Prabang where there seems to be some lovely scenery.

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## blue

I've only been to Vientiane , those places sound interesting 
next time i visit i would like to see Khmer ruins ,Wat Phu near Pakse
and stay in that area

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## sabang

Laos= pleasant but boring. The nonsense you have to go thru' just to cross the border nixes it for me. I 'went' to Laos about six weeks ago- caught the bus from Ubon to Pakse. Except I didn't- the border formalities were so irritating that, having been sent to the wrong line once, I wasn't about to do the whole thing again. So stuff the bus, stuff Pakse (nuffin there anyway)- we just had a few dark Lao's in the border markets while the bus tourists finished & carried on their way, then got stamped into Laos, left immediately and caught a bus back to Ubon- and pleasantly overnighted there instead. I'm not the worlds most patient traveller.

Luang Prabang & Vang Vieng are prolly worth seeing for the patient traveller, and the islands on the Mekhong near the Cambo border seem to be on the backpackers trail now, as a stop off really before entering Cambo. An Aussie mate, experienced backpacker, did all three recently- he thought Luang was overtouristed & overhyped, liked VV, and thought the Mekhong islands were an OK chill for two nights, then boring. But not for me Bruce, like most of these 'socialist paradises' the red tape just to get in the place is enuff to make me look elsewhere- And I live near the border.

There is a very nice French restaurant in Vientianne called Cote D'Azur, other than the border stamp it was the only thing that made my visit there worthwhile.

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## Tunaka

Thanks for the responses.  And the list of hotels by dirty dog.

I think I'll upgrade to a "hotel" if the guesthouses are hovels.

Yes, I'll bring a book or two. 

I'll be flying into the VT airport.

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## SiLeakHunt

When I was there I hired a motorbike and had a tootle about, the main market is called Talat Soon, worth a look, there are a few war museums as well that are worth a bit of a glimpse. There's a big hotel on teh river front a few minutes drive out of town that has a nightclub on an open floor where a few people had gravitated to. 

Don't expect too much and you won't be dissapointed.

cheers

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