Laos is not the most common destination for tourists, I’ll be the first to admit. Since we’ve been lucky enough to have already traveled to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, however, Ryan chose Laos for our first 3-day holiday weekend.
We spent the afternoon walking around Vientiane, which reminded me a lot of Cambodia. We stumbled upon some temples, and That Dam on the way to the Patuxai.
Patuxai is a war monument in the center of Vientiane, dedicated to those who fought in the struggle for independence from France. It was my favorite site we visited in the capital.
You can pay to go up to the top and get the best view of Vientiane you’ll probably get.
The other sights we wanted to visit were slightly more spread out, so we grabbed a tuk tuk driver and had him take us to the places we read were worthwhile, starting with Pha That Luang.
Our next stop was further outside of the city, the Buddha Park. The tuk tuk ride was windy and long, but well worth it. The hundreds of various buddhas came in all shapes and sizes, laying, sitting, standing, you name it. It made for a relaxing atmosphere and interesting visual experience.
Last stop was the COPE Visitor Center, which is part of a rehabilitation center that provides care and support for unexploded ordinances survivors. You can learn more about the history of how COPE came to be, and the 9 years the United States bombed Laos here. It was a sobering place to visit, and I’m always grateful for learning about history that we weren’t taught in school growing up.
Trip wasn’t over yet (I know, it seems like we’ve already packed in a bit)! Sunday morning we hopped on a bus for 3 hours up to Vang Vieng, a much more remote destination in Laos. It used to have a party reputation, but after 27 tourists died in 2011 from tubing drunk and consequently drowning or diving onto rocks, the city cracked down on the culture that had developed. It seems now to be more a relaxed place where you can still find fun nightlife in bars and restaurants, but doesn’t have a rowdy feeling.
We explored the Jang Cave, accessible by walking over a bridge that gave us San Francisco vibes, and took a ride to one of the Blue Lagoons for afternoon relaxation.
We cleaned up back at the hotel before heading out for dinner, and got a quick shot of the beautiful sunset. The landscape in Vang Vieng, being more remote, felt much more rural and wild and less urban, which I preferred.
Laos was a perfect country to visit for 3 days, and we plan on going back at some point in the future to spend time in Luang Prabang, a city that holds much of Laos history and culture. In the meantime, our next destination we have booked is Bali for our one year wedding anniversary, and we couldn’t be more excited!
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