Read this blog: The one where we resisted the 80p trousers
Sunday 16th February 2025
Matilda had identified somewhere she wanted to try for breakfast but unfortunately it wasn’t open on a Sunday so we returned to the Joma Bakery Café for baked morning goods.
From here we booked an InDrive taxi to take us about 4km northeast of central Vientiane to Pha That Luang which translates literally as the “Great Stupa”.
Its foundation dates back to the third century, when a shrine was built here to hold a relic of the Buddha.
The current structure was built in 1566 after Vientiane became the capital of Laos although it has been renovated four times since then. A vast golden Buddha reclines near the entrance and the site incorporates many decorated graves.
The central stupa stands in a vast compound flanked by two Buddhist temples and naga balustrades adorn many of the temple steps, guarding these holy buildings which . . .
. . . feature the beautiful decorative painted carvings we have come to expect.
Murals and paintings illustrating the life of Buddha also adorn some of the temple buildings.
The roof of the central stupa was originally covered in gold leaf but this was repeatedly plundered by the Burmese, Siamese, and Chinese. Now only the 44m high pinnacle of the stupa is covered in real gold whilst the turrets surrounding it are painted [see also Selfie of the day].
During renovations in 2016-2017 the central spire was covered with over 10kg of gold leaf.
Many statues of Buddha adorn the inner cloisters around the central stupa.
Pha That Luang is a significant religious site and a national symbol: as such the central stupa appears on every bank note.
The multi-layered roofs at this important cultural site are also striking.
After our day time culture we went to visit the atmospheric Night Market along the banks of the Mekong River which opens at 18:00. Stallholders set up and pack away every evening and offer a wide variety of goods. We noticed that you could buy a pair of trousers for about 80p.
Nearby there is also a funfair although we did not try out any of the rides.
We did however, visit the Tipsy Elephant Rooftop Lounge bar for the view across the market at night.
We know that we have not been very adventurous with the local cuisine as yet. However, our hotel asked for a 30 US dollar deposit per night against items we might charge to our room. As we have had issues in the past with the speed with which these deposits are returned, we decided we would use at least some of it. We therefore returned to the hotel to eat [see Dish of the day].
Selfie of the day:
Dish of the day:
Route Map:
