Vientiene

I actually really quite like Vientiane. Admittedly it lacks any big attractions like other Asian capital cities, but for me this small city by the Mekong river on the border with Thailand is an attraction in itself. It has a lot of charm because at first you are hard pressed to believe that such a small and quiet city like this is actually the capital city. You'll notice lots of VW Beatles and old Russian made Soviet-era cars, the Lao nation being officially a Communist state (though it's well and truly opened up and liberalised it's market), gliding through the streets alongside Honda scooters. The riverside area sells very ...

Vientiane is the capital of Laos and situated on the border with Thailand. Use the border crossing Nong Khai/Vientiane via the Friendship bridge. You can get a Visa on Arrival for 30 days, it should cost you about 32 US $ each - take 15 min to proceed. Look that you have some bath left you have to pay 10bath stamp-fee. Although it is the capital it has the feeling of a small river town. Well, it is a river town and the Mekong is my favourite place. All roads in Laos eventually lead to Vientiane and if you travel north to south or vice versa you have to stop there. Connections include a 12 hour bus ride to Pakse in the south (if you want to ...

In Vientiene, you can get a better perspective of the struggle that is daily life here for many Laos people. Laos is the poorest country in Asia, with social indicators mirroring those of many african countries rather than its Asian neighbors. Additionally, it has the unfortunate title of being the most bombed country in the history of warfare. UXO's (unexploded landmines) litter the landscape, the socialist goverment rules with a heavy hand, and people struggle to eak out a living in an unstable economy. Only 5% of the country's land is arable, illiteracy and infant mortality is some of the highest in Asia, and the per capita income is less than $400. The UNDP, ...