Vientiane & Vang Vieng, Laos

Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos (population: 235,000), but life still feels utterly simple and basic here. It’s almost as if we’ve somehow stepped back in time—which I suppose makes sense. Laos was not open for foreign tourism until 1989 (after the fall of the Soviet Union), and private enterprise wasn’t really allowed until the years thereafter. (Laos was and remains under communist rule, although capitalism now prevails.) As a result, Laos has very little of the modern development of even its Asian neighbors, making it seem like life has changed very slowly in the past few decades. Vientiane is not particularly charming or pretty in the traditional sense; but it definitely has charm in its own way. Its simplicity and laid-back feeling is quite appealing, and we ended up staying a day longer than we had planned. As stated by our Lonely Planet guidebook: Vientiane might just be “the most relaxed capital city on earth.”

Laos is cheap, cheap, cheap. A typical sit-down meal is $2-3 and a bottle of BeerLao is a $1 or less. Even in a fancy restaurant (or as fancy as Lao gets), a dish of any ethnicity will almost never go beyond $5 or so. Amy and I, for instance, went out to a more upscale French restaurant recommended by our guidebook and—after a steak, pork chop, and wine—our bill was still only $12. Our biggest expense so far (other than lodging) was using the swimming pool at the fanciest hotel in town ($6 each).

Other notable costs: a one-hour massage: $5; fruit smoothie: $0.50; glass of wine: $1.50; anything from an on-street food vendor: $0.50-$1; mid-range hotel: $30 per night (with breakfast); ride in the tuk-tuk taxis (picture below) $1-2.

Vietnamese and Thai food is very common here, but Laos has its own take on that style of cuisine. Our favorite dish is chicken laap, a spicy Lao-style dish of minced chicken, garlic, lime, and onions--and served with sticky rice. Tasty. Despite appearances, we also had the best Vietnamese crispy spring rolls at the place below (we went there twice)... which, yes, also rents out motorcycles from the restaurant. (Uh...)

The Lao people are known for being very relaxed and friendly…. and we definitely agree. Everyone seems to smile and say “sabai-di” (hello) as you walk by. And the market vendors are extremely laid-back and reasonable; much different than the loud, aggressive, and hard-bargaining street vendors that I’ve seen in other Asian countries.

After a few days in Vientiane, we took a hot and humid bus ride to Vang Vieng (which is basically a stop-over point on the way to another city, Luang Prabang). The town of Vang Vieng is very small and overly-touristy (and a bit on the dirty side), but the surrounding landscape is flat-out gorgeous. Huge limestone cliffs tower over the town.

The most popular activity in Vang Vieng is to take an inner tube down the Nam Song river. The 3.5 km trip is so popular that various “bars” have been set up on the beaches along the route, with operators that hold out bamboo poles to bring you in to their bar. Definitely a 'college spring break' vibe. (They’ve also set up various rope swings and water slides to further entice you.) Amy wasn’t feeling well that day, so she wasn’t able to give it a try. I, of course, was inclined to stay back and take care of her, but she insisted that my duties as a blogger demanded I float down the river (with a Beerlao in my hand). The things I have to do for our readers!

Anyway, we’ve now left Vang Vieng and just arrived in the city of Luang Prabang. More soon....