Fran Doherty witnesses the emergence of Vientiane as a favorite destination for travelers in Southeast Asia

Almost twenty years has passed since Laos opened her arms to the tourist cir­cuit, emerging as the new darling of Southeast Asia, untouched by the frantic pace of life the majority of us city dwellers have become accustomed to. The country’s capital Vientiane is in essence the antithesis of other Southeast Asian capitals such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi and Bangkok.

Tracing the swerve of the Mekong River Vientiane is centrally located with rugged mountains to the north and fertile lowlands to the south. With a population of just over half a million, the city holds sway as the fulcrum of Laos culture, commerce and administration and is considered, by Laos standards as being busy. However, all things are relative and if there were a poll to nominate the world’s quietest capital city I suspect Vientiane would feature somewhere in the top six. Vientiane is a city of gentle charms where the future dangles on tentative hooks like a ball and chain waiting to be released.

The most obvious sign of the city’s French heritage is the central boulevard which bears a striking resem­blance to the Champs Elysees. The lure of Vientiane has much to do with the fact that breakneck develop­ment has yet to sweep aside the soul of this sleepy capital, where temples and religious affiliations blend with the rural foundations of the city. The majority of the city’s sights are situated within a relatively close proximity due to the fact that an urban sprawl has yet to materialize.

Rebuilt by the French after the Siamese army left it in virtual ruins in 1828, the city doesn’t feature French-style architecture as prominently as, say, Saigon or Phnom Penh. But the local penchant for producing stomach-filling baguettes and fragrant coffee clearly shows that the influence of the French still lingers on. Laos continues to triumph in its ability to fascinate and beguile visitors, in part due to its understated ap­proach to luxury, inherent beauty and baw en nyang – no problem attitude. Time and the Chinese will tell whether the charming beer huts and open air restau­rants on the banks of the Mekong will be replaced by the kind of polished resorts and upscale coffee shops that are affordable to about 2% of the population.

For now Vientiane offers a soothing alternative to the chaos of Bangkok and Hanoi – gleaming skyscrapers, droves of rickshaws and legions of street vendors are few and far between in ‘Southeast Asia’s biggest vil­lage’.

What to Do
The French coined the phrase ‘The Vietnamese plant the rice, the Cambodians watch it grow and the Laos listen to it grow’. The national psyche is decidedly laid back, which is of course part of its appeal, rent­ing a push bike can be done from many of the hotels in the city and this will give you easy access to the surrounding sights and sounds of Vientiane. Here are some of the things definitely worth checking out when in town.

Every Saturday local monks lead a walking and sitting meditation session at Wat Sok Pa Luang. Between 4 pm and 5:30 pm the sessions take place in pa­vilions and within the garden. Everyone is welcome, the session is, of course, free of charge and a translator is present for the after-period question time. Twice a year the Buddhist teacher holds intensive Vispassana meditation workshops at the monastery, open to all who wish to join.

Four kilometers away from the bridge that links Thailand to Laos – the Friendship Bridge – is the 18-hole Youth Garden Golf Course. As the first course to be established within the city it can be accessed by non members for about 16 USD on weekdays and a little more on weekends, inclusive of the caddy fee. You can bring your own clubs, or rent a set. A quiet nine-hole course set in well-tended grounds, the Youth Garden Golf Course is consid­ered the hub of expatriate activity in Vientiane. Members’ tournaments fea­ture regularly on the weekends; however, you are guaranteed a quiet round on weekday afternoons.

Time and the Chinese will tell whether the charming beer huts and open air restaurants on the banks of the Mekong will be replaced by the kind of polished resorts and upscale coffee shops that are affordable to about 2% of the population.

For many years the country’s ancient silk-weaving tradition was lost under the Communist regime. With the help of foreign influence and interest from the likes of American weaver Carol Cassidy who started Lao Textiles in 1990, the once elaborate and endangered art form is experiencing a renais­sance. ‘Spinning a yarn’ in Laos is an inherent part of the culture; visitors can learn how to dye textiles using natural pigments and then weave them using a traditional loom. Weaving orientation is both an educational and practical exercise where visitors can learn about the process of weaving and improve their knowledge of various types.

Patuxai (literally Victory Gate or Gate of Triumph), formerly the Anousa­vary or Anousavari Monument, is situated in the centre of Vientiane. Built between 1962 and 1968, the Laotians built it as a mark of respect for all those who fought in the struggle for independence from the French. Ironically, the monument bears more than a slight resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe, al­though the attention to detail and intricate design is typically Laotian, boast­ing four rather than two archways. The view from the top is spectacular. Built with cement that was purchased from America, with the intention of constructing a new airport, the locals sometimes refer to the monument as the ‘vertical runway’. Snap happy tourists can be forgiven for assuming this monument holds pride of place in the hearts of the people, but the truth may be far from that. Painted on the buildings southwest corner is a description that reveals the Laos’s endearing honesty and naivity to ‘First World’ pre-occupations like marketing. One sentence reads, “From a closer distance, it appears even less impressive, like a monster of concrete.”

Where to Stay
The Green Park Boutique Hotel
Vientiane’s first and only boutique hotel has paved the way for the city to build a reputation around quaint hospitality, capturing the true essence of a boutique residence, the personalized service is merely enhanced by the complimentary refreshments and WiFi within rooms. The Green Park is a defining factor in Vien­tiane’s arrival as a visitor destination, the typical Lao­tian interior includes good exposure to light, clean lines and earthy tones; creating a soothing retreat, equipped with an abundance of greenery to be enjoyed from the spacious balconies all of which feature pool and gar­den views. The harmonious balance of the architecture and interior is notably the influence of the hotels owner who comes from a design background.

Le Silapa – French Restaurant
17/1 Sihom Road, Ban Haysok, Vientiane
Tel: 021 – 219 – 689

Green Park Boutique Hotel
248 Khouvieng Road, Ban Nongchanch
PO Box 9698

Situated alongside one of the city’s largest parks, the Green Park sits half an hour walk out side of town. (A shuttle bus runs regularly throughout the day but the walk is unsurpris­ingly pleasant).Each of the 34 (in four categories) guestrooms speak the language of boutique with everything from the in­dividually chosen pieces of art to the characteristically Laos fabrics adding to the overriding comfort and understated el­egance of the space.

Beyond the accommodation the Sala Nong Chan Restaurant is in a separate pavilion, the outdoor terrace overlooks the park and a meandering lake, a subtle compliment to the inter­national dishes on offer. Guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner here or alternatively take the room service option. Like the restaurant the Spa and lobby are in separate buildings. The Champa Laos Spa was under construction at the time of visit­ing but the impressive menu of traditional Laos massage and facial and body treatments will surely not disappoint. Classic rooms in the hotel go for 145 USD a night, inclusive of breakfast and round trip airport transfers.

Where to Eat
There is a distinct European charm when dining out in Vien­tiane, where you can watch the locals and tourists go about their business; an experience sometimes lost in the more hec­tic and polluted cities of Hanoi and Bangkok- basically you are not sharing your meal with a side order of exhaust fumes.
The riverside, open air restaurants overlooking the Mekong River are laden with traditional Laos, French-fusion and Indi­an restaurants all at a very reasonable price. The French food in Vientiane is something everyone should try, in typical Laos style the unassuming shop front of Le Silapa (a converted rail­way house) does not shout ‘best French cuisine in town’ but that is certainly the case. You can’t help but think about the fortune you would be paying in Europe or the US had you been eating the duck foie gras there. Don’t feel obliged to keep wine consumption to a minimum as every bottle of wine or­dered contributes to a medical fund for economically disad­vantaged children.

So drink and be merry, listen to the rice grow and savor the slow and easy charms of Vientiane – before the riff raff come flooding in.