Vientiane: Laid-Back Capital of Laos

2nd destination of our sabbatical trip: Laos! Our first stop in this only landlocked Southeast Asian country is its capital, Vientiane.

In the local Lao language, the city is called Viangchan, or the "City of the Moon." This is reflected in the national flag, where the white disk represents the full moon reflecting over the Mekong River. Sadly, it was almost entirely destroyed by the Siamese army in 1828 and left to the jungle, only to be rebuilt by the French in the late 1800s. Unlike Thailand, there is no monarchy in Laos (abolished after the Vietnam war in 1975 by the communist Pathet Lao) and today Laos is one of the world's few remaining communist states (officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic)

Getting there from Thailand proved to be a bit of a puzzle. Direct flights were too pricey, and we’re definitely too old for the overnight bus routes. Instead, we hacked the itinerary: a quick domestic flight from Chiang Mai to Khon Kaen, followed by a four-hour bus ride across the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge. A little more legwork, but much kinder to the budget—and our backs!

After a smooth AirAsia flight from Chiang Mai, we landed in Khon Kaen (northeast Thailand) in the early afternoon and headed to the Khon Kaen bus station to catch our ride to Vientiane. Since no journey through Thailand is complete without a pit stop at the local 7-Eleven, we took the opportunity to grab lunch - perfectly low-key fuel for our first international border crossing of the trip.

Our bus departed with only a handful of people in a 25-seat cabin and was a charmingly old-fashioned ride, looking and feeling like a relic from the 70s with a very loud old school Thai music in the background—a proper local experience! The border crossing itself was a bit surreal; since the driver didn't speak a word of English, we had to rely on the traveler’s golden rule: Watch what everyone else is doing and follow them closely. After a three-hour journey, we arrived at the Thai border and collected our exit stamps. Our bus was parked a few meters down the road, so we quickly walked over and hopped back in, keeping a close eye on our fellow passengers to make sure we didn't get left behind.

We then crossed the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge, a massive span over the Mekong River which serves as the natural border between the two countries. We arrived at the Lao border in Thanaleng feeling prepared with our £40 e-visas, hoping for a smooth entry. Instead, we were met with total ambiguity. The driver dropped us off, unloaded our luggage, and left us standing there looking for a sign of what to do next. Eventually, we found a random desk where an official handed us yet another form to fill out. After passing through few checks, we sprinted back to the bus just as it was preparing to depart and we finally made it to Laos!

After another 45-minute drive, we finally pulled into Vientiane just as darkness settled. For a capital city, it felt dim—the streets weren't well-lit, giving the whole place the vibe of a sleepy little village rather than a national hub. The bus terminal was small and chaotic; the moment we stepped off, we were swarmed by tuk-tuk drivers and quickly escaped from them to book our first ride via Loca app, the local equivalent of Grab and an absolute lifesaver for getting around Laos.

After checking into our hotel, we immediately headed out to find food and to our luck, there was a vibrant night market right near our hotel. While the rest of the city seemed to be fast asleep, this street was alive with stalls, music, and people eating and drinking. The first snacks I spotted were... chicken feet and fried insects! I wasn’t exactly feeling brave enough for those, so after wandering around, we settled on steak skewers, a super-delicious Chinese pork burger, coconut pancakes, a Beerlao, and a fresh fruit smoothie. The fruit here—especially the dragon fruit and mango—is so fresh I couldn't resist! We decided to save traditional Laotian food for another day, but we did notice groups of Chinese tourists eating durian like crazy; apparently, it's way cheaper here than across the border.

On our first full day, we decided to take things slow and spent the morning tucked away in a coffee shop, mapping out the next legs of our sabbatical itinerary—it felt good to just breathe and plan.

The following day was our full "tourist mode" exploration. We started with breakfast at Hitchilika, an authentic French café set within the ruins of a colonial mansion. It’s located right next to That Dam, a weathered "black stupa" that locals believe is inhabited by a seven-headed Naga spirit that protected the city during the 1828 Siamese war.

From there, we walked to Patuxay, the "Victory Gate" in the city center. It was built to celebrate independence from France in 1953, it’s a bit ironic—it resembles the Arc de Triomphe. We climbed the stairs to soak in the history and the panoramic city views.

Next was the big one: Pha That Luang (picture at the very top). This massive, gold-covered stupa is the most important national monument in Laos and a symbol of Buddhist sovereignty. We also explored the surrounding grounds, which include a stunning reclining Buddha.

We wrapped up our sightseeing at Haw Phra Kaew. This temple-turned-museum has a fascinating (and slightly controversial) history: it’s the original home of the Emerald Buddha, which was taken by the Siamese in 1778 and now sits in Bangkok. A quick stroll through the adjacent Wat Sisaket gardens finished the tour.

Walking through the city, we watched the contrast of beautiful French colonial architecture on one corner and communist flags on the next. Our final night back was at the food market back again (became our favourite place in the city), the perfect way to wrap up our Vientiane days.

Few observations (The Life of a Payments Girl)

• After our time in Thailand, we were used to being "cash-concerned" because card acceptance there was so low. The only digital way to pay was via PromptPay, which unfortunately required a bank-level KYC check that we couldn't easily bypass.

• Interestingly, I noticed that Laos seems to have a much smoother digital onboarding process; you can register a card and complete the KYC directly within the app. However, the math didn't quite favor the tech: LocaPay charges around 3% per transaction, whereas an ATM withdrawal fee worked out to about 2%. Despite the cool app, cash was the winner!

• There are very few local Lao banks here, but plenty of international names like ICBC (China), as well as Vietnamese, Thai, and Malaysian banks. This is largely because Laos is a landlocked nation that relies heavily on foreign investment for major infrastructure projects (like the new high-speed railway).

Next Stop: Vang Vieng, Laos!

Wrapping up Vientiane:

Local recommendations:

• Breakfast or Lunch: Brunch & Buddies, Nita Laotian Sandwich, Joma Bakery Cafe

• Dinner: Vientiane Night Food Market, Cafe Indochine

• Coffee: Hichillico Cafe, Micasa Cafe, Khaoji Pate Sihom

  
  

Quote of the trip: "Vientiane is a capital of silence. It is a city built on the memory of what was lost, standing as a monument to the resilience of those who stayed." - Tiziano Terzani 

Soundtrack of the trip: David Bowie - Five Years