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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 24 July 2009 03:09 |
| Places of Interest in Laos | 
Map of Laos
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Map of Vientiane
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| ATTRACTIONS IN AND AROUND VIENTIANE | | | | | UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES & OTHER INTERESTING PLACES IN LAOS | | | |
| Pha That Luang (Royal Stupa)
Located 3 km north of downtown, is the most famous landmark of Vientiane. Pha That Luang is the most important religious monument in Laos and symbolizes Buddhism and the Lao sovereignty. The stupa’s official name, Pha Jedi Lokajulamani means “World Precious Sacred Stupa”. Every year in November, Vientiane’s most important festival – Bun That Luang, is celebrated here. Built in 1566 by King Setthathirat, the stupa has three tiers and each tier represents a different stage of enlightenment as depicted in Buddhism. The lowest tier symbolizes the material world, the middle tier represents the world of appearance and finally the highest tier symbolizes the world of nothingness. Pha That Luang is closed on Mondays.
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Patuxai - Victory Monument
Located on Lan Xang Avenue, Patuxai or also known as Victory Monument or Victory Gate, is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Vientiane. Although slightly resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Patuxai is decorated with many kinnari women, a Laotian symbol and has four gates instead of two. This monument was built to commemorate those who fought for the independence of Laos. There is a doorway which allows visitors to climb to the top (7th floor) of the monument for a view of downtown Vientiane. There is a park surrounding the monument with palm trees and a fountain.
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Wat Si Saket
Wat Si Saket, one of the oldest standing temples in Vientiane, is located nearby the presidential palace. Built by Chao Anuvong, the last king of the Lan Xang Kingdom in 1818, this temple features Siamese architecture. The highlight of Wat Si Saket is its square cloister which encloses the ordination hall. On the wall, there are small niches which feature more than 2000 ceramic and silver Buddha images. These Buddha images were made between the 16th to 19th centuries. On the shelves in front, there are larger Buddha images made in Lao style. Wat Si Saket is open to visitors from 8 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm. Entrance fee is 5000 Kip
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Lao National Museum
Formerly known as the Lao Revolutionary Museum, the Lao National Museum features historical exhibits, artifacts and photographs during the Lao revolution. You can see firearms, furniture and even clothing such as socks that were used during the fight for independence. The museum is open from 8 am to 4 pm daily and entrance fee is 5000 Kip. |
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Hor Phakeo This building, originally built in 1565 as a personal place of worship for King Sayasetthathirath, housed the Emerald Buddha (Pha Keo) before it was taken to Bangkok by the Siamese in the 19th century. Today it is a museum, which holds one of the most extensive collections of Buddhist artifacts in the country. Open daily: 08.00-12.00 / 13.00-16.00
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Nam Ngum Lake
This artificial lake, created by the damming of the Ngum river for a hydroelectric plant, forms an area 250 sq km and contains many attractive islets. Boats can be hired by the hour to explore the area and visit the islands which were once used to banish law offenders after 1975. |
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National Ethnic Cultural Park
Located 20 km south of Vientiane, near the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, this park features cultural exhibits, statues of Lao literary heroes, models of traditional Lao houses, a zoo, children's playground and restaurant with relaxing seating along the banks of the Mekong river.
Open daily: 08.00-18.00 |
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Wat Xieng Khouang (Buddha Park)
Located 25 kilometers from Vientiane, Buddha Park is a sculture park which contains over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues. Founded in 1958 by Bunleua Sunlitat, the park features statues of Hindu deities such as Vishnu and Shiva as well as Buddha. The statues are made of cement. The highlights of Buddha Park is a giant reclining Buddha statue and a giant pumpkin-like statue. This statue has three stories which signifies 3 levels – Hell, Earth and Heaven. You may enter this statue and a spiral staircase allows you to climb to the top. Each level contains sculptures representing the level. You can get a good view of the park at the top of the pumpkin. Open daily: 08.00-16.00 daily, except Mondays and holidays. |
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 | Phu Khao Khoay - Buffalo Mountain
This mountain is a National Biodiversity Conservation Area (NBCA) and is situated 45km east of Vientiane. The hills, which rise to over 1000m and are covered with pine forests and is a home to important wildlife including elephants, gibbons and rare species such as gaurs, tigers, clouded leopards and Asiatic black bears.
While there are no formal facilities for visitors, the area makes a cool retreat from Vientiane during the hot season March to May but is pretty cool and misty much of the rest of the year
For more information:http://www.trekkingcentrallaos.com/
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|  | Don Savang
About 30km from Vientiane, 4km from the road to Luang Prabang, is Don Savang - a small island in the middle of a lake at the Nam Houn Dam. There are a number of floating shelters and a small restaurant where you can relax. Here, locals enjoy the afternoon spending their time eating, drinking and playing water sport |
|  | Talat Sao (Morning Market)
Consisting of three main buildings located in the centre of town on Lane Xang Avenue opposite the post office and central bus station, this extensive market carries mostly durable goods, ranging from Lao handicrafts, textiles and jewellery to imported household appliances. | | | |  | Mekong Promenade Take a stroll along the Mekong river, watch the sunset, enjoy barbeque and Beer Lao on the river’s edge, get a workout in evening aerobics, go shopping or simply watch people pass by: this pleasant stretch of the Mekong in central Vientiane has a little something for everyone. | | | | 
 | Luang Prabang, - a UNESCO World Heritage city. The Ancient Town of Luang Prabang in the center of northern Laos has been described as one of the most charming and best preserved towns in Southeast Asia. There are 34 Buddhist temples among Luang Prabang's colonial and Chinese architecture, all set in a backdrop of lush green mountains. The Mekong River frames the town's western border, and is an important commercial and recreational transportation link. Vibrant cultural traditions, rituals and distinctive artwork such as temple murals, woodcarvings and pottery make Luang Prabang an attractive destination for a wide range of interests. Due to its outstanding cultural and natural features, the town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Notable sites to explore in this city including the Kuang Si Falls, located south of Luang Prabang. One can also take a boat ride northwest of the city to visit the Buddha Caves and Whisky Village, where one can see how local Lao wine spirits are made. The town is directly accessible by air from Bangkok, Vientiane and Chiang Mai, and travelers looking for a bit of adventure can opt for overland travel from all directions. There is also regular boat service on the Mekong (a two-day voyage) to and from Houeixai, which borders Chiang Kong in northern Thailand.
More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Prabang |
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 | Vat Phou
The Vat Phou Temple Complex and the surrounding Champasak Heritage Landscape is located 500 km south of Vientiane on the east bank of the Mekong River in Champasak province. Vat Phou is an excellent example of early classical Khmer architecture, dating from the 7th to 12th centuries AD. At the foot of Vat Phou is the ancient city of Shestupura, which was settled in the 5th century AD, and is believed to be the oldest urban settlement in Southeast Asia. Besides the main Vat Phou Temple Complex, there are several lesser-known archeological and nature sites nearby that can take some time to explore. Wat Phou was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.The quiet town of Champasak, gateway to Vat Phou, is accessible via short car or bus ride from Pakse. There is also a regular boat service on the Mekong to Champassak that takes 2-3 hours.
For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vat_Phou |
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| The Plain of Jars
The Plain of Jars is situated on the Xieng Khouang Plateau in north-central Laos, and is comprised of thousands of stone jars in clusters of up to 300, and varying from one to over three meters in height. Local legend claims the jars were constructed to distill an alcoholic brew to celebrate a victorious military campaign over an ancient king. However, archaeological evidence suggests that the jars are funerary urns, carved by Bronze Age people around 2,000 years ago. Due to its strategic location, the Plain of Jars played a pivotal role in the Second Indochina War and was the site of many ground battles and intense aerial bombardment. Xieng Khouang is now a peaceful area with cool weather, vast grasslands, several ethnic minorities, hot springs and caves.
Based on the Plain of Jars' extraordinary heritage, the Lao Government is preparing a nomination dossier for submission to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre to inscribe the area as a World Heritage Site. The Plain of Jars is accessible by air from Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Overland travel is possible from northern and central Laos and north-central Vietnam.
More information about the Plain of Jars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_of_Jars | | |
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Last Updated on Friday, 07 August 2009 00:39 |
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