Spend a leisurely morning visiting the tranquil side of Vientiane, Laos’ capital and largest city on the Mekong River near the Thai border. Drive 1 hour southeast of town to Buddha Park. The park, which opened in 1958, is a whimsical sculpture garden filled with Buddhist and religious symbols, featuring a strange large concrete pumpkin with a three-level interior portraying Hell, Earth, and Heaven. Spend some time wandering around among the odd and sometimes ornate statues.
In the afternoon, you can explore some of the city’s most famous temples, known as “wats,” such as Wat Sisaket, the only temple to survive the Siamese invasion of 1828 and famous for its cloister wall housing thousands of tiny Buddha images; Wat Phra Keo, a former temple that is now a museum, decorated with carved wooden features, a magnificent 16th-century lacquered door with Hindu carvings, numerous Khmer stone carvings, and Check out the Patuxai Victory Monument as well, a military memorial honoring those who fought for independence from France that resembles the Arc de Triomphe. Observe the mythical creature that are half-woman and half-bird that adorn the monument; they are distinctive of Laos. That Luang, a massive gold-covered Buddhist stupa in the heart of Vientiane, is the tour’s final stop and is often considered the most significant national monument in Laos. Return to your hotel.
Notes:
- Suggested time: 09:00.
- Duration: 8 hours.
