Travel Vientiane in laos

Vientiane is stretched out on the north-eastern bank of a bend in the Mekong River. From the river bank inland, the main roads running parallel to the river are Thanon Fa Ngum, Thanon Setthathirat and Thanon Samsenthai. The central district, Chantabuli, contains most of Vientiane's government offices, hotels and restaurants. Vientiane's widest boulevard, Thanon Lan Xang, runs from the Presidential Palace (now used for government offices and for state receptions) to the northeast around Patuxai, the Victory Gate, towards Pha That Luang, the That Luang Stupa, the most important religious monument in Laos.

Where there are signs displaying street names (by no means everywhere...) these are bilingual Lao and French. The Lao word "thanon" on these signs is translated by "rue", "avenue" or "boulevard", in many cases without any apparent logic. Therefore the Lao word "thanon" is used throughout this article.

Since 2006 a major road upgrading project has been going on in the town center and out of it up to way past the airport in the west and the Friendship Bridge in the east. Financed by the Japanese government and planned and overseen by japanese engineers, the project is nearing completion (September 2007). Gone are the hazards presented by missing drainage gully covers, sidewalks upturned by tree roots, and even the smell from the gullies is no longer very noticeable. Almost no trees have been cut - amazing!. In downtown Vientiane the through roads Thanons Setthathirat and Samsenthai and the side roads connecting them and down to the river now have sealed surfaces and decent street lighting, and a one-way traffic regime is in place (but not the police enforcing it), and parking regulations have also been introduced. Of course, it is still anarchy on the roads. Foreigners beware: markings for pedestrian crossings have been painted on the new roads, but the local drivers regard them as decoration. Don't rely on them!

Note: do not rely on the Google Earth view of Vientiane for locating the sights: many locations put there by well-meaning users (the "Google Earth Community") are clearly in the wrong place, not just a block or so away but some even in a wrong part of the town!

Vientiane

Vientiane, capital of Laos is Asia's biggest village.  Busy and hectic in comparison to the rest of the country, it is quiet compared with any other city in Asia.  Vientiane, as all of Lao's major cities, is situated on the Mekong river which forms the lifeline of the country.  Vientiane is the hub for all travel in the country.  The city has a population of 450,000, about 10% of the country.

Vientiane is a city full of surprises.  Here you can find fields of rice and vegetables, agriculture hidden behind tree lined avenues.  French Colonial architecture sits next to gilded temples.  Freshly baked French bread is served next to shops selling noodle soup.

There is little modern in Vientiane.  Old French colonial houses are being restored as offices and as restaurants and hotels. There are only a handful of modern buildings which sometimes look remarkably out of place in this quiet capital.