Vientiane Travel Guide

Vientiane (Lao: ວຽງຈັນ, Vieng Chan) is the capital of Laos, with stunning temples, vibrant night markets, beautiful French-Indochinese architecture, lively street food stalls, and traditional craft markets.

17.9881102.5631Vientiane Wattay Airport(VTEIATA) (3 km west of the city).Vientiane's pint-sized, centrally-located airport was last expanded in 2020 and is reasonably efficient and pleasant. Both domestic and international flights now operate from different wings of the same terminal. Landside facilities include currency exchange places with surprisingly good rates and a handful of cafes and shops. The best restaurant in terms of price and selection is Le Moon Cafe & Restaurant on the second

Getting around Vientiane is generally easy, as the traffic is far less murderous than in larger Southeast Asian cities like Bangkok orHo Chi Minh City. Street signs are rather lacking, although in the centre more and more signs are appearing. Where there are signs displaying street names they are bilingual in Lao and French. The Lao word "thanon" on these signs is translated to "road", "rue", "avenue" or "boulevard", in many cases without any apparent logic.

Vientiane is a fairly safe city in terms of crime. However,bag snatchingfrom guests sitting in front of cafes is becoming more common. Bags in the baskets of (rented) bicycles or mopeds, even when moving along, are also far from safe. Do not leave a bag in an accessible position. If your bag is snatched,immediatelystart shouting: the perpetrators rely on tourists reacting by silently trying to chase them without alerting the numerous police boxes.

There are many places to stay in Vientiane at all price ranges. The nightly rate for a high-end hotel room can exceed the yearly salary of most Laotians.