You’d think that the capital city of a country would be a hub for activity and excitement and interesting sites, but sad to say Vientiane really didn’t have too much to offer. Thank goodness we only had one and a half days in this town, since really that was more than enough time to see it all.

The main venues to check out within the town are the temples – we dutifully explored Pha That Luang, the national symbol and most important religious site in Laos. Like many of the temples we’ve visited throughout Asia it was quite opulent and beautiful, covered in gold paint that reflected in the sunlight.

Another “must see” in town is the Patuxai (Victory Gate), a take off of the Paris Arc de Triumphe. Apparently it was constructed from concrete donated by the US that was supposed to be used for the new airport. We climbed to the top, strangely discovering on the middle floor lots of t-shirt vendors.

Our meals in this town were very sub-par compared to our excellent dining experiences in Luang Prabang. The restaurants didn’t have near the cozy ambience like they did in Luang PRabang, nor was the food remotely as fresh and fragrant and tasty as in the small town. No doubt, if we were to come back to this beautiful country, I think we’d bypass Vientiane, and head straight up to Vien Viang, which we hear is supposed to be quite amazing, then on over to Luang Prabang.