I was invited by a friend to visit Vientiane - the capital city of Laos PDR recently. Apparently, Air Asia just started direct flights to Vientiane last December. Only two and a half hours away, it's rather accessible. Being my first visit, I was excited that I'm going to see one of the most underdeveloped country in South East Asia. Laos as I eventually found out is actually bigger than Peninsula Malaysia alone. Landlocked among 5 other countries - Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, & Thailand, Laos is situated just east of the Mekong River. It has a population of about 6.5 million people and Vientiane itself is a city of about 464,000 people.We arrived around noon and stayed at the Don Chan Palace hotel, owned by a fellow Malaysian. The rooms were very modern and comfortable. At 14 storeys high, Don Chan Palace Hotel is the tallest building in Laos. There were actually quite a lot of cars besides motorcycles and bicycles on the roads, much more than I had expected given its reputation as a poor country. I was told that as recent as six months ago, there were mainly gravel roads but had since been paved with tar roads courtesy of China's charitable contributions.
Laos it seems is a very religious country although the government is Socialist. There were many Buddhist temples and monastery in Vientiane. There aren't many tourists sites in Vientiane, the famous ones are - Pha Tat Luang, the most important national monument; Patuxai, the Arc de Triomphe of Laos! I visited both sites. If I had more time, I will perhaps head north to the historic town of Luang Prabang, a Unesco World Heritage site. Was told the scenery was beautiful there and time stood still.........relatively untouched by development........no modern highrise hotels there, motorized traffic also minimal unlike Vientiane.
Meanwhile, walking around Vientiane, I have to say it's indeed very laidback. People here know how to enjoy life and they work at a very leisurely pace. Although the country is supposed to be poor, you never see any beggars here! Everyone has something to do and they all seemed contented. I was told the average monthly salary here is just a mere US$50!
