Photo of the week: Pha That Luang in Vientiane, Laos
This week's travel photo is of Pha That Luang in Vientiane, Laos. This grand chedi (stupa) is the largest in Laos and stands as a monument to this fascinating country.
Temples of Laos: Pha That Luang, Vientiane
Pha That Luang isn't actually a temple, but a grand stupa (chedi) in the heart of Vientiane, and I think it deserves a post of it's own along side the temples of Laos. Walking up to Pha That Luang According to the Lao people, legend says that Pha That Luang was originally built [...]
Photo of the week: Rowers on the Mekong River at Sunset in Vientiane, Laos
This week's travel photo is of some rowers on the Mekong River at sunset in Vientiane, Laos. Every day that I was in the small capitol of Laos I went down to the river to watch the beautiful sunset, a time when the locals love to come out and exercise. It's a great time for [...]
Temples of Laos: Wat Inpeng, Vientiane
Wat Inpeng is one of four temples that sit close to each other in the centre of Vientiane, close to the river front. Although it is located right in the main guest house area of the city, I noticed that most people seem to just walk past the temple. I decided to take a closer [...]
Mekong Riverfront Parklands in Vientiane, Laos
On my first day in Vientiane, the sleepy little capitol of Laos, I took a walk along the Mekong Riverfront. I was surprised to find that a lot of work has been done in developing the river front into a recreation area. A lot of work is still to be done but the main part in [...]
Temples of Laos: Ho Phra Keo, Vientiane
Ho Phra Keo is one of Vientiane's oldest temples. Built in 1565 by King Setthathirat, the Wat was used as the royal chapel of the Lao Monarchy, but more importantly it was built to house the Emerald Buddha. This sacred statue, which is now housed in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, ended up in [...]
The Mekong River in Photos
As I travelled through Laos, the Mekong River made a lasting impression. It was the first thing I saw as I entered the country across the Friendship Bridge to Vientiane, it was ever present as I explored the spiritual heart of Laos at Luang Prabang, and finally it was my highway as I made my [...]
Patuxai – The Arc de Triomphe of Asia?
My first taste of Laos came from it's little capitol city, Vientiane. By the third day of exploring the city I had come to see how much the French had influenced the architecture and culture. Although the city seems to be trying to develop into a modern capitol, some of the older buildings have kept [...]