Ride/Road - Hwy 13. Sealed with a narrow shoulder
that at times disappeared. The chilliest morning yet.
We have not needed a/c the last three nights and we
actually used our blankets.
We decided to pedal south on Hwy 13 instead of Hwy
10 into Vientiane. The ride is shorter and supposedly
less hilly.
Headwind persisted and traffic was much heavier.
Lots of villages, towns, services such as gas stations
with toilets, shops and food all along this ride.
Hills - We did have a lumpy (undulated) ride just south
of the Vang Xang Resort at the beginning of the ride
but nothing major. The remainder of the ride was
relatively flat.
Vientiane is a small city compared to other capital
cities, but it is a nice size city compared to other towns
in Lao and an easy town to get around in on a bicycle.
Vientiane is going through some major road work for
about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) as we entered at the
north end of town on Hwy 13. Traffic was congested,
hectic and a bit chaotic.
Once past the road work traffic dispersed and it was
low with only some street in town having a moderate
level of traffic. The main avenues are wide and long
with traffic circles and monuments. Some of the
narrower streets closer to the river are one way. The
main avenue has a grand monument similar to the
Arch of Triumph in Paris.
Vientiane is a nice town with beautiful Wats
surrounded by trendy international restaurants, artisan
shops, internet cafes, and luxury hotels. It has just
about everything a traveler needs. Beautiful Wats,
nice setting along the river, lots of stores, markets and
easy to get to embassies for Visas for neighboring
countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.
We found a great bakery, Le Banneton on Rue
Nokeokouman. Amazing freshly made loafs of
European bread. The Croissant d'Or next to Le
Banneton has more pastries than bread, but it looks
good too.
The Phimphone Market was the only place we could
found oats and bags of Muesli. It's a well-stocked
smallish supermarket with western and Thai products.
A bit pricey, but it has items we couldn't find anywhere
else. It is located next to the JOMA Bakery. There is
also smaller outlet near the traffic circle, at the Nam
Phou fountain. For fresh food, Vientiane has several
local markets. Talaat Kudin, at the bus station and
another on the main avenue, Talaat Sao. The town is
packed with nice places to eat. Lots of local options
and international restaurants are clustered together
along the few tourist streets in down, especially on the
street across the river. The riverfront area is not built
up and local vendors set up makeshift restaurants
along the riverbank with colorful mats, pillows, candles,
torches and tiny white lights to create the prefect
setting to watch the sunset and have dinner. Very
romantic.
The best and most well-know bike shop in town is,
Topcycle Zone on Dong Palan Road. The ex-pat
owner is very knowledgeable and runs a fully stocked
shop. Worth a stop.
Internet cafes are all over town. Prices per hour are
really cheap, but quality (speed) varies. JOMA café
sells cards for WIFI access in their restaurant.
Nice running path along the river.
No ATM's in town but there are money changing
booths along the river road and the local vendors are
glad to take US dollars and give you back change in
kip.
Slept - Riverside Hotel
Location - On Nokeo Khoummane. Do not
recommend.
Cost - $15.00
Amenities - Double bed, a/c, en suite bath, TV
w/English channels),window with view of solid brick
wall, cheap foam mattresses, and the bathroom
smelled like sewage.
Bikes were locked outside in the day and then locked
in the lobby at night.
Slept - Lao Orchid Hotel
Located - Chao Anou Rd. Vat Chanh
Cost - $35.00
Amenities - Double beds, a/c, fridge, TV w/English
channels, beautifully decorated room, en suite bath
with a balcony overlooking the Wat Chan and the river.
Exceptional service. Breakfast included in their
restaurant on ground floor.
Bikes were locked in the garage underneath the hotel.
Highly Recommend.
Other accommodations in town - There are plenty of
places to stay in Vientiane. Inexpensive, nicely set-up
guesthouses to fancy 5 star hotels and resorts. There
is something for everyone and plenty of rooms to go
around.
that at times disappeared. The chilliest morning yet.
We have not needed a/c the last three nights and we
actually used our blankets.
We decided to pedal south on Hwy 13 instead of Hwy
10 into Vientiane. The ride is shorter and supposedly
less hilly.
Headwind persisted and traffic was much heavier.
Lots of villages, towns, services such as gas stations
with toilets, shops and food all along this ride.
Hills - We did have a lumpy (undulated) ride just south
of the Vang Xang Resort at the beginning of the ride
but nothing major. The remainder of the ride was
relatively flat.
Vientiane is a small city compared to other capital
cities, but it is a nice size city compared to other towns
in Lao and an easy town to get around in on a bicycle.
Vientiane is going through some major road work for
about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) as we entered at the
north end of town on Hwy 13. Traffic was congested,
hectic and a bit chaotic.
Once past the road work traffic dispersed and it was
low with only some street in town having a moderate
level of traffic. The main avenues are wide and long
with traffic circles and monuments. Some of the
narrower streets closer to the river are one way. The
main avenue has a grand monument similar to the
Arch of Triumph in Paris.
Vientiane is a nice town with beautiful Wats
surrounded by trendy international restaurants, artisan
shops, internet cafes, and luxury hotels. It has just
about everything a traveler needs. Beautiful Wats,
nice setting along the river, lots of stores, markets and
easy to get to embassies for Visas for neighboring
countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.
We found a great bakery, Le Banneton on Rue
Nokeokouman. Amazing freshly made loafs of
European bread. The Croissant d'Or next to Le
Banneton has more pastries than bread, but it looks
good too.
The Phimphone Market was the only place we could
found oats and bags of Muesli. It's a well-stocked
smallish supermarket with western and Thai products.
A bit pricey, but it has items we couldn't find anywhere
else. It is located next to the JOMA Bakery. There is
also smaller outlet near the traffic circle, at the Nam
Phou fountain. For fresh food, Vientiane has several
local markets. Talaat Kudin, at the bus station and
another on the main avenue, Talaat Sao. The town is
packed with nice places to eat. Lots of local options
and international restaurants are clustered together
along the few tourist streets in down, especially on the
street across the river. The riverfront area is not built
up and local vendors set up makeshift restaurants
along the riverbank with colorful mats, pillows, candles,
torches and tiny white lights to create the prefect
setting to watch the sunset and have dinner. Very
romantic.
The best and most well-know bike shop in town is,
Topcycle Zone on Dong Palan Road. The ex-pat
owner is very knowledgeable and runs a fully stocked
shop. Worth a stop.
Internet cafes are all over town. Prices per hour are
really cheap, but quality (speed) varies. JOMA café
sells cards for WIFI access in their restaurant.
Nice running path along the river.
No ATM's in town but there are money changing
booths along the river road and the local vendors are
glad to take US dollars and give you back change in
kip.
Slept - Riverside Hotel
Location - On Nokeo Khoummane. Do not
recommend.
Cost - $15.00
Amenities - Double bed, a/c, en suite bath, TV
w/English channels),window with view of solid brick
wall, cheap foam mattresses, and the bathroom
smelled like sewage.
Bikes were locked outside in the day and then locked
in the lobby at night.
Slept - Lao Orchid Hotel
Located - Chao Anou Rd. Vat Chanh
Cost - $35.00
Amenities - Double beds, a/c, fridge, TV w/English
channels, beautifully decorated room, en suite bath
with a balcony overlooking the Wat Chan and the river.
Exceptional service. Breakfast included in their
restaurant on ground floor.
Bikes were locked in the garage underneath the hotel.
Highly Recommend.
Other accommodations in town - There are plenty of
places to stay in Vientiane. Inexpensive, nicely set-up
guesthouses to fancy 5 star hotels and resorts. There
is something for everyone and plenty of rooms to go
around.
| Cycle Touring Routes > Laos > Houei Xai to Vientiane > Map > Day |
| Day 6 Phon Hong (Vang Xang Resort) to Vientiane, Laos Kilometers - 62.4 Miles - 39 |