Vientiane Day Trips

Xiang Khouan (Buddha Park)

The site known as Buddha Park is a bizarre collection of Buddhist and Hindu statues scattered around a riverside meadow, dominated by a gigantic reclining Buddha. Hundreds of huge concrete structures that combine Buddhist and Hindu philosophies are spread around representing a variety of deity forms. Fashioned by a purported holy man, the sculpture park was created to spread his beliefs and to reveal to mankind his ideas about the universe.

Address: 15 miles (24km) south of Vientiane; Transport: Bus 14 from Vientiane’s main station

Si Phan Don

The famous 4,000 islands region of Laos unfolds at the tail of the Mekong River in the far south of the country, lapping over into Cambodia. The area is renowned for its spectacular waterfalls (including South-East Asia's largest) tranquil village life and unspoiled natural beauty. It is also home to the rare but occasionally sighted pink Irrawaddy dolphin. The two most popular islands are Don Khong, the largest and most developed, and backpacker-magnet Don Det. Prices for accommodation and food are the cheapest in Asia. The area is also used as an entrance point to Cambodia, and buses frequently make the one hour journey to the border.