Vientiane | The World Through My Camera

Lao People's Democratic Republic | ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ

Laos

English

ເມືອງລາວ

Lao

Muang Lao

Lao (Transcribed)

Region:

South-East Asia

Area:

237 955 km²

Ranked out of 195

Population:

7 275 000

Ranked 105 out of 235

Urbanization:

36 %

Ranked 157 out of 194

Capital:

Vientiane

Population: 1 003 000

Largest City:

Vientiane

Population: 1 003 000

Major Cities:

Vientiane
Savannakhet
Pakxe
Thakhek
Luang Prabang

Economy & Development:

Human Development Index:

Medium

Ranked 137 out of 189

Inequality-Adjusted HDI:

Low

Ranked 108 out of 189

GDP (PPP) Per Capita:

$7 826

Ranked 152 out of 225

Democracy & Freedom:

Democracy Index:

Authoritarian

Ranked 161 out of 167

Freedom House:

Not Free

13 points out of 100 possible

Press Freedom:

Very Serious

Ranked 161 out of 180

Economic Freedom:

3rd Quartile

Ranked 95 out of 162

National Identity:

Independence Since:

1953

Independence From:

France

National Day:

2nd of December

What Is Celebrated On The National Day:

The end of the monarchy and the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975 after the Communists' victory in the Laotian Civil War.

Facts & Codes:

Driving Side:

Right

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Time Zone:

UTC +7 (ICT)

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Country Calling Code:

+ 856

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Country Code:

LA

ISO 3166

Province of Laos | ແຂວງ (Khoueng)

Vientiane

English

ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ

Lao

Viangchan

Lao (Transcribed)

Region:

Central Laos

Area:

3 920 km²

Ranked 18 out of 18

Population:

820 000

Ranked 2 out of 18

Population Share:

11 %

Of National Population

Capital:

Vientiane

Population: 1 003 000

Largest City:

Vientiane

Population: 1 003 000

Major Cities:

-

Information:

GDP Per Capita::

-

Climate:

Tropical Savanna Climate

Köppen: Aw

Time Zone:

UTC +7 (ICT)

-

English:

Vientiane

Lao:

ວຽງຈັນ

Viangchan

Thai:

เวียงจันทน์

Weīyngcạnthn̒

Chinese:

永珍

Vieng Chan

Swedish:

Vientiane

Lao People's Revolutionary Party

Emblem of Laos

Meaning of the Name:

The literal meaning is "(Walled) City of Sandalwood".

Former Names:

-

Nicknames:

"City of the Moon"

The Laotian words for "Moon" and "Sandalwood" are very similar.

Demonym(s):

-

Patuxay

Triumph Arch

Pha That Luang

Famous Pagoda

That Dam

Old Stupa

Vientiane-Wattay International Airport

IATA Code:

VTE

ICAO Code:

VLVT

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

3 km / 2 mi (W)

Located In:

Sikhodtabong District

Named After:

-

Information:

It's one of few international airports in Laos, so if you arrive by air you will likely have to travel through Vientiane-Wattay. The airport is quite small, which makes it easy to navigate. It's located very close to Downtown. I wouldn't recommend walking to it though.

Transfer To/From:

Vientiane is a small city with a fairly high amount of expats. Many of the restaurants in central Vientiane is run by expats, who will speak English. English is not widely spoken by the native population. But as with everywhere else in South-East Asia, it's still easy to get by and make things work.

Underground Metro

Tram / Light Rail

Elevated Rapid Transit

Walkability

Public Transportation:

You'll have to use your legs if you want to get around in Vientiane. There's also tuk-tuks at your disposal at almost every street corner, but no public transport.

Walkability:

The city is small so it doesn't take long to get between places. Many streets are lacking usable sidewalks. If they exist they are usually used as a parking lot or storage.

Accessibility:

It's not a great city, or region, in terms of accessibility.

Currency:

Lao Kip

Code:

LAK

Subunit:

Att

Symbol:

₭

Cash Or Credit:

Cash only.

Good To Know:

If you need to exchange money ask your hotel where they recommend you to do it. You can often get much better rates at places you wouldn't guess handle exchanges. I was advised to go to a convenience store across the street from my hotel and got a better rate than at the official exchange office further down the street. I had to use the official exchange office later on my trip because it was a Saturday and almost everything else was closed.

Local Language:

Lao (Laotian)

Language Family:

Tai (Kra–Dai)

Writing System:

Lao Script

What About English?

Vientiane is a small city with a fairly high amount of expats. Many of the restaurants in central Vientiane is run by expats, who will speak English. English is not widely spoken by the native population. But as with everywhere else in South-East Asia, it's still easy to get by and make things work.

Quai Fa Ngum

Pedestrianized

No

Built

-

District

Central Vientiane

Lan Xang is often mentioned as the main street of Vientiane, and it might be so for ceremonial purposes. But you won't find much everyday street activity there. The waterfront Quai Fa Ngum felt more like a true main street, in a similar sense as to what Ocean Drive is to Miami Beach. This is where you will find the most activity, lots of restaurants and a night market in the evenings.

Draw a rectangle between Quai Fa Ngum in the south, Khun Bu Lom Road in the West and North, and Lan Xang in the East. Everything inside that rectangle is very central and a good place to look for a hotel in. I personally would recommend trying to come as close to the Mekong River and Quai Fa Ngum as possible.

It's a small city, and the major crimes that do exist don't target tourists doing regular tourist stuff. As always in the South-Asian region, there is a small risk of bag snatchings. Just be aware of your surroundings and it will be fine. During the day, the risk is low. It's mainly in the darker parts of the day that you have to keep an extra eye on things.

Note: My assumption is of the basis that you will always take normal precautions when you're out traveling, just as you would do at home. Even the safest cities have bad elements and no matter how safe you might feel you must always take basic precautions. I'm always aware of my surroundings when I walk around, both with and without the camera. I am however a very typical tourist and it shows so I am a person that will undoubtedly draw the attention of those who targets tourists. If you can you should of course always try to blend in as much as possible, but with my big camera around my neck, it's impossible. That's two things that are good to know when reading my assessment of how it felt from a safety point of view.

There are no international fast-food chains in Vientiane. Since my visit in 2019, the South Korean hamburger chain Lotteria has opened in Vientiane Center. There's a local chicken chain called BKL Burgers. I never tried them, and I don't know if they even existed in 2019.

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Do I Recommend You To Visit?

If you, like me, wanted to check off Laos from the list of visited countries then sure. There are enough sights to fill a full day of sightseeing. But of the cities in South-East Asia I've been to it's by far the least interesting.

Will I Come Back Again?

No

Weather During My Stay:

Excellent weather. Hot, sunny, and blue skies.

Best:

-

Not As Good:

-