Inside the Vientiane Travel Guide

Top Attractions in Vientiane

That Luang

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The golden steeple of That Kuang looms over Vientiane. This is a national symbol and the most important religious building in Laos. The present gold leaf stupa is a recreation of the 16th century temple thought to have been built by the …

National Stadium

Lao National Culture Hall

Presidential Palace

Vat Nak Health Center

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only worth staying for 1 night. very small, you can finish all the attraction in one afternoon, not so interesting in comparison with luang prabang

5 June 2005 | A Yahoo! User

Introduction

Laos' capital city and seat of government sits on a bend in the Mekong River amid fertile alluvial plains. Despite its chequered past, Vientiane (pronounced 'Wieng Chan' by the locals) is a laid-back city with a number of interesting wats (Buddhist monasteries) and lively markets.

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Not to miss

Pha That Luang The most important national monument in Laos, Pha That Luang is a symbol of both the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty. Its full official name, Pha Chedi Lokajulamani, means World-Precious Sacred Stupa, and an image of the main stupa appears on the national seal. Legend has it …

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Facts for the Traveller

Population : 201000 Area : 3920km² Longitude / Latitude : 102.68 / 18.01 Currency : Kip (LAK) Weights & Measures system : Metric

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Getting there & Getting around

Getting there Departures from Vientiane are perfectly straightforward. The Domestic Terminal is in the older, white building east of the impressive International Terminal. Passenger boat services between Vientiane and Luang Prabang have almost dried up as most people now take the bus, which …

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History

Recent History Between March and December 2000 a string of small bombings or attempted bombings occurred in Vientiane and other cities. In 2003, two Lao military officers were arrested in connection with the Vientiane bombings. Observers speculated that the officers were paid to place bombs by …

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Weather

The southwest monsoon arrives in Vientiane between May and July and lasts into November. This is followed by a dry period (from November to May), which begins with lower relative temperatures and cool breezes created by Asia's northeast monsoon, lasting until mid-February. The much cooler …

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Overview of Vientiane

Vientiane (wee-en-chan) has to be one of the world's most unique capitals. Like many cities in developing countries, on arrival it's a bit of a shock; the main roads in town were only recently paved, and it's a place where the 3-month overdue repairs on a traffic light on one of the main intersections …

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