Vientiane Watering Holes

Midnitemapper

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2011
Location
VIENTIANE, laos
Bikes
xt600, xr400 (4)
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

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Cross the 50 year old "French " bridge on the way to Highlander.
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Andy has moved a few times this seems to be "home' now.
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LoBo recently opened along the River roadlobo.jpg

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Nother great night out at Jamal Hazid

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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.samyekpakpsak.jpg
 
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?
 
The park setting, under the trees along the river bank are a memory now

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The atmosphere is not quite the same, with a new hotel being constructed next door alsospirt-house.jpg
 
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.

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& the same spot with the trees gone looks like this

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What are they creating? Just flood protection?
 
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....
 
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!
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A second Pizza Company
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The New Laos Stock Exchange
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New Hotel Casino in Vientiane
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The Long awaited Lao Telecom building is now open!
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The Vietnamese bank building almost complete
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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.
 
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!
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Hyundai is here in a big way, (Korean funded waterfront construction project)
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EDL Up and running!
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Now yesterday this digger was taking a swim in the Lane Xang Hotel Pool, the hotel will soon be gone!
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Shell Caltex,,, Gone, now Vietnamese oil companies have taken over!
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That Luang market, no more..(Vietnamese)
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new Traffic POLICE bulding
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Mega Golf course project Thadua road! (Vietnamese)
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Far left of photo,
50, 10 wheel dump trucks working 7 days a week to complete the Don Chan Project! (Chinese)
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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.

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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!)
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Familiar scene once again
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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!
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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!
 
Midnitemapper said:
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
 
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!
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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!
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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.
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A new mobile X ray clinic outside the International Diagnostic center
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