Laos - Vientiane city tour of the Tourist Attractions

So lets go on a tour of Vientiane and see what attractions it holds for the casual holiday maker or the visa runner, not a lot actually but it is quite a nice place for eating and drinking.

So first off you need some transport, you can rent bicycles all over the place, or one of these samlor things, remember some are in better condition than others, we used the same guy for the 2 days we were there, just told him what time and where to pick us up, prices from friendship bridge are all listed so they can't be ripping you off to much, got to admit it didn't feel like dealing with Thai taxi drivers where you know that as soon as they open their mouths they are trying to rip you off so maybe the French did do some good in the world.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_01.JPG

Thats one we didn't get :)

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_02.JPG

You will see quite a few nice looking luxury SUVs and nice cars, but you do have to remember the French influence and the crap they brought into Lao.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_03.JPG

Quite a few beggars, some were a bit of a pain.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_04.JPG

The Laos Arc De Triumph, not quite as impressive as the French one in Paris, there is a small fee to go inside but there really aint much point as it doesn't over look anything of interest anyway.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_09.JPG

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_10.JPG

Probably looks good when he fountains are turned on.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_11.JPG

Next stop some Buddhist Temples, yep thats as exciting as it gets :(

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u..._forecasts.gif

It must be your hard man image DD as I found the Lao tuk tuk drivers even more avaricious than Thai taxi drivers, the bastards wanted 400 Baht to travel from town to the hotel we were staying at, a 20 min walk so about 2 kms. Fvckem, I walked.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dirtydog

it didn't feel like dealing with Thai taxi drivers where you know that as soon as they open their mouths they are trying to rip you off

---

Shit DD, think you need to get out of Pattaya more often. Can't remember that last time I was ripped off, although none of them can drive

Thats where you went wrong peterpan, if your staying at a nice posh hotel you don't tell them that, just find the nearest crappiest doss hole guest house to your hotel and tell them to take you to there, when you get there just get them to drive the extra 100 meters to your hotel :) easy really :)

I was generally refering to Bangkok for rip off taxi drivers nick :)

^They mustn't like the look of you then, or maybe they just hang around some of the less salubrious areas of the city:)

A few months back I had a young tuk tuk guy, looked after me all night. Waited while I had an excellent Indian, took me way out of town to a brothel, back to town for a ST bar, bought him beers everywhere, and coughed up a few hundred baht.

I was in bed by midnight completely satisfied:burnout:

DD how cold was it at night? You mentioned in another thread that it got rather chilly.

Was it too cold for the obligatory Singha vest top?

Naaa, I'm well hard, tshirt and shorts all the time, probably went down to 70 degrees at night.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dirtydog

You will see quite a few nice looking luxury SUVs and nice cars, but you do have to remember the French influence and the crap they brought into Lao.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_03.JPG

---

must disagree on this !!!!!

Probably the best and most practical utility vehicle ever made !

Only fault is that it is bloody FRENCH !!!:rofl:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Naaa, I'm well hard, tshirt and shorts all the time,

---

The prosecution for the trail of TD vs the rest of the world for crimes against fashion rests its case, your honour...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kingwilly

trail of TD

---

"Trial" is probably the word you are looking for you tie wearing poove :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CharleyFarley

A few months back I had a young tuk tuk guy, looked after me all night. Waited while I had an excellent Indian, took me way out of town to a brothel, back to town for a ST bar, bought him beers everywhere, and coughed up a few hundred baht.

I was in bed by midnight completely satisfied:burnout:

---

I should think so, screwed an Indian, Then a Brothel, then a short time bar, your the man Charley.

Only saw one gold shop in Vientiane, but that one had 2 police sitting outside armed with sub machine guns, they wouldn't let me take a picture though :(

And Vientiane has ATMs, not sure what currency they will give you, if it is Kip then they must just shovel it into the back of the machine, this one is down by the river where the Hash House Harriers place is.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...chine_visa.JPG

So lets hit the cultural sites in Vientiane, and what better or more boring than a Temple.

This place had some really great carved teak wood doors, thats about the best thing I can say about it.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_13.JPG

Somebody spent some money on painters.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_11.JPG

Something like this on your Brixton flat would look cool.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_10.JPG

This is the original Temple, about 100 odd years old, it's locked but probably real easy to open.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_09.JPG

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_08.JPG

Not too bad looking is it :)

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_02.JPG

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dirtydog

And Vientiane has ATMs, not sure what currency they will give you, if it is Kip then they must just shovel it into the back of the machine

---

Yes they give out breeze-block sized wedges of Kip. Cambodia is the only country I've known where the local currency is so shit that even ATMs give out Dollars.

The bricks of Kip situation was much worse a few years back when the largest denomination bank note was 5,000 Kip - about 20 Baht back then (even less now). Luckily now they have the luxury of 20,000 Kip notes - equivalent to about 70 Baht.

So lets have a quick look at some more of this Temple in Vientiane.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_19.JPG

A shrine to have a little pray at.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_18.JPG

An old shrine.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_20.JPG

This temple had some really great carved teak wood doors.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_22.JPG

Thats got some great detail in it.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_23.JPG

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...village_24.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Happyman

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dirtydog

You will see quite a few nice looking luxury SUVs and nice cars, but you do have to remember the French influence and the crap they brought into Lao.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...actions_03.JPG

---

must disagree on this !!!!!

Probably the best and most practical utility vehicle ever made !

Only fault is that it is bloody FRENCH !!!:rofl:

---

well said, dollys can do the business off road,and are not to heavy to push,shame they are french though!!

nice bit of travelog dd, any fun n games?

Here are a few pictures of the Nam Phou Fountain, not very impressive, probably would have looked better if they turned on the water.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...fountain_3.jpg

There must be a better way to make a fountain, those pipes look damn ugly.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...e_fountain.jpg

Plants looked quite nice though.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...fountain_1.jpg

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...fountain_2.jpg

The Vientiane presidential palace was originally built to house the French colonial governors, not too shabby is it, it was also used as a royal residence for the monarchy after independence.
Since they kicked out the royal family in the 70s the palace is now for the president and formal occasions, they wont let me or you in though :(

You will find it down on Lane Xang street.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ial_palace.jpg

These were taken in '02. It's worth it to go to the top of the monument IMO. Why not?
https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gif

https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gif

The Buda park is worth a look-see. About a 30 minute tuk-tuk ride outside of town as I recall. I believe there's one on the Thai side of the river as well. Freaky statues abound.

https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gif

Another picture of Victory Monument in Vientiane.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...monument_2.JPG

Now remember this is like a six lane major road, this guy is blind, yep he got across the road safely, he waited I assume till the traffic noise died down, and then he started crossing, at the middle he didn't wait till the noise died down and just edged out into the road with his stick in front of him, now that takes some balls, and you thought your life was hard.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...monument_1.JPG

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dantilley

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dirtydog

And Vientiane has ATMs, not sure what currency they will give you, if it is Kip then they must just shovel it into the back of the machine

---

Yes they give out breeze-block sized wedges of Kip. Cambodia is the only country I've known where the local currency is so shit that even ATMs give out Dollars.

The bricks of Kip situation was much worse a few years back when the largest denomination bank note was 5,000 Kip - about 20 Baht back then (even less now). Luckily now they have the luxury of 20,000 Kip notes - equivalent to about 70 Baht.

---

I got 50000 Kip notes. Pretty handy. The ATMs work and the exchange guy at the airport in LP ensured me they'd change Kip back into Baht upon leaving (didn't try that though because I managed to spend almost all I had). So nothing wrong with Kip.

Went to Laos the other week ( work:() out in the jungle at Nam Theum dam site
They much preferred Thai Baht there !!!

Vientiane has 3 bowling alleys, The Alley, the Lao-ITECC Center just outside of town and the Lao Bowling Centre.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ractions_6.JPG

Tables set up selling lottery tickets.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ractions_7.JPG

Secondhand clothes?

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ractions_5.JPG

If you are wondering where your shoes went they could be in Lao.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ractions_4.JPG

Nice looking strawberry.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ractions_3.JPG

No idea what sort of food this is but it was being sun dried.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ractions_2.JPG

Another sort of food.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ractions_1.JPG

The French obviously forgot to teach the Lao people how to run electric cables so they learnt from the Thais.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u..._vientiane.JPG

If it gets too cold don't forget a tshirt for your dog.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ntiane_dog.JPG

The Palace in Vientiane.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...ane_palace.JPG

What about the dark beer Lao ? Easy to get or what?

Love that stuff but only had it in Nong khai.

I think your in the wrong thread terry, but they did have a nice tshirt for sale for the aussie members :)

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u..._vientiane.jpg