The capital of the Southeast Asian country of Laos, Vientiane is the largest city and the most peaceful city in the country. The city has a rather relaxing atmosphere unlike other capitals of countries. Vientiane was earlier known as Sri Sattanak, or Sisattanak and was the administrative capital of the Lan Xang kingdom. The name of the city is believed to have derived from the Pali language and literally means “city of sandalwood”.The city is well connected by air with most of the major cities in SouthEast Asia.

Vientiane being a historic city has a number of attraction in the form of monuments and temples. The Wat Si Saket temple is perhaps the oldest of the temples in Vientiane and houses thousand of Buddha statues all made of wood,stone and metals like silver and bronze. The Haw Pha Kaew and the Wat Si Muang are other temples that are known for its beautiful Buddhas statues. The Victory gate or Patuxai which is a rendition of the French Arc de Triomphe and the Laos National museum are among place that needs to be visited by any tourist.

(Image courtesy of charlotte.marillet)