Vientiane Watering Holes

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While you may not recognize the Mekong Waterfront, all the rickidy shacks are gone, in favor of lots of bricks and cement, hopefuly keeping the city dry, when the river reaches peak floods




Cross the 50 year old "French " bridge on the way to Highlander.

Andy has moved a few times this seems to be "home' now.

LoBo recently opened along the River road

 

[KTMphil]

Have you been there ever when it has burst its banks?

 

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2008 Vientiane flood
Boating Buddha park
These sandbags remained years after the flood has subsided

 

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[highlight=#ffffbf:38r19l4q]Don't miss[/highlight:38r19l4q] Jamal Zahid Indian Pakistani Halao Food Restaurant

 

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Not the greatest location,or decor, great food cheap price!

 

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Nother great night out at Jamal Hazid



Eric from Ride Lara,
http://www.ride-lara.com/showing off one of his fast CRM'S :eek1

 

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Samyek Pakpasak

One of the few surviving waterfront restaurants now a rising star with a great view from the balcony, live music and lots of local folk.

 

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L'Estaminet
Hidden secret on the main Street Lane Xang Avenue, great food, real nice garden atmosphere, don"t miss it!

 

[KTMphil]

Don ---what do you make of the Spirit House restaurant close to the Mekong (next to that unusual hotel that i can't remember the name of)? We were there with Digby seemed pretty decent?

 

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The park setting, under the trees along the river bank are a memory now



The atmosphere is not quite the same, with a new hotel being constructed next door also

 

[KTMphil]

Real shame to see what they have done to the Mekong river bank next to the Spirit House restaurant, Vientiane, Laos, a few months ago with the trees it looked like this. Here looking south across the Mekong River, the white lights in the distance are Nong Khai, Thailand.

& the same spot with the trees gone looks like this

What are they creating? Just flood protection?

 

[rhiekel]

What a shame....I used to love that meandering stretch with the trees and funky places. If this " progress" keeps up, I guess Asia will look like America....

 

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Hi Rob, haven't seen you up these parts in awhile,
Here are a few more items on the landscape lately, some not exactly watering holes..
Now every shopping mall in Thailand has one of these, however for Laos this is big!

A second Pizza Company

The New Laos Stock Exchange


New Hotel Casino in Vientiane

The Long awaited Lao Telecom building is now open!

The Vietnamese bank building almost complete

 

[KTMphil]

Jesus - Vientiane is out of control!

 

[rhiekel]

Wow !!!!!! I need to get out of town more...... Looks like Vientiane is moving rapidly towards losing its title as one of the most laid back small capital cities in the world. Oh well, all things change.
Laos stock exchange ??? The epitome of capitalism in a communist country ?? Too funny.. Are they actually going to have a casino in town, or is that just a hotel name ?
I am a bit confused by the flood control they have " engineered" . I am no hydraulic wizard, but it appears to me they have just made a nice sloped surface for the flood water to come up on. To actually stop flooding I would think they would need walls along the bank, just like Bangkok is talking about doing.

 

[KTMphil]

Must try this place next time I'm in Vientiane, looks fabulous food.

 

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Yes Jamal Hazid is "on the map" many locals willing to brave the transit down that alleyway, are rewarded with some very inexpensive Pakistani food. Jamal is on Facebook if you can find it?


Laid back City no more, How about Traffic Jams and red lights,,, and....
That Luang Park makeover is almost finished!

Hyundai is here in a big way, (Korean funded waterfront construction project)

EDL Up and running!

Now yesterday this digger was taking a swim in the Lane Xang Hotel Pool, the hotel will soon be gone!

Shell Caltex,,, Gone, now Vietnamese oil companies have taken over!

That Luang market, no more..(Vietnamese)

new Traffic POLICE bulding

Mega Golf course project Thadua road! (Vietnamese)

Far left of photo,
50, 10 wheel dump trucks working 7 days a week to complete the Don Chan Project! (Chinese)

Well, there are still some familiar sights (Laos)

 

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It seems like not long ago you had to find a State run exchange window to get the local Laos currency "lak" or "kip".
Times are changing now there are a Plethora, of banking institutions to take your currency.

Nongbuathong- Nongbeuk road, nearing completion which will be a great help getting in and out of the city which will cut off the worst road in the country, (13N Sakhai, Dongdok road!)

Familiar scene once again

 

[KTMphil]

The Vientiane metamorphosis is fascinating, thanks Don.

 

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Add this to the changing skyline of Vientiane,
Just downstream of the Chao Anouvong Park,
This massive construction project is taking place fast!

 

[KTMphil]

Are they using Laos or Chinese workers?

 

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Phill

there seems to be plenty of Chinese workers on site, these two guys I talked to were from Laos. Must be 800 to 1000 workers on site at the moment!

 

[KTMphil]

Phill

there seems to be plenty of Chinese workers on site, these two guys I talked to were from Laos. Must be 800 to 1000 workers on site at the moment!

I think in Thailand market rate is 300 Bht a day now, last year was 200 bht

 

[Midnitemapper]

A couple more "watering holes" from this morning..
Mekong on the Rise, signaling a beginning of the rainy season!
Geo-referenced Photos via Garmin Montana 650!



Free toilet 1000kip for paper, sorry its flooded at the moment, You don't need to go to China for china toilets!
San Jiang shopping center is turning into a trashpit!

San Jiang Chinese products interesting to visit?

 

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Do not blink your eyes here in Vientiane or you will miss something.
Andy and the Highlander bar have relocated and are open with a sign up now.

A new mobile X ray clinic outside the International Diagnostic center

 

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This thread is for watering holes!
The Nongduang retaining pond and park are almost complete!

 

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Large factory taking shape!

This building going up in record time, a Chevrolet dealer?

 

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Chao Anou statue and just a small patch of open grasslands, but soon to be...

The Glory of Laos... coming soon

 

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Lanexang arcade going, up,, Up.

 

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Hare and Hound getting a makeover

 

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Old ones go out, Peking restaurant!

 

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New ones come In..

 

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2 stores now and very populare pizza and Swensons Ice Cream, next door.

 

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Phonephet market!

 

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Swedish baker no more, Toshiba and coffee?

 

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Istanbul restaurant

 

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Full Moon Cafe

 

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Common Grounds Cafe

 

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Friendly guard lets me in to see the activity

Massive drainage system

Big pipes

Chinese workers

 

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Small accident