Hi Susie!

Vientiane is lovely! But taking into consideration your limited time in Cambodia (plus transport time , $37 visas, etc) why not spend your entire time in Cambodia? If you need info, let me know. There's plenty there to keep you occupied for a couple weeks. Some nice beaches in the south as well, with great seafood!

Forgot to add- you will also pay a hefty $25 per person for departure tax when leaving the airport in Cambodia. It is not included in the ticket price.

If your 4-5 Laos time includes your travel time from Cambodia and back to BKK, both Vientiane and LP would be a bit of a rush around.

Vientiane is great and is in a class of its own - very different to Cambodia - but you won't get much of a feel for it in a 1 or 2 day stop-over. Your relatively short time would probably be better spent exploring either LP and surrounds, or Vientiane - one or the other - but not both.

The flight from REP to VTE is QV 522 10:05-1:00pm. We'd have part of that day then maybe the next in VT. The flight VTE-LPG is QV 109 9:30-10:10am. We'd have 2 1/2 days, 3 nights in LP. The flight LPG-BKK is PG 942 12:10-2:15pm, giving us 2 1/2 days, 2 nights in BKK as our flight home to the US leaves at 10:30pm. I don't want to risk flying in to BKK to connect with an int'l flight home the same day.

So if we try to go to both cities in Laos it will be at the expense of time seeing temples in REP. Maybe I should save Vientiane for a future trip to SE Asia?

I wish we had made it to Cambodia last Nov. like originally planned so this trip could have been just Laos. But we were stuck in Phuket for 6 days due to the BKK closure.

If you feel you will be sacrificing your time in Cambodia, then save Laos for the next trip. I spent 4 days in Siem Reap my first time there, 5 years ago, and this January spent an entire week there, and could have stayed longer.

There is heaps mor to do than just the temples- you could do a Tonle Sap river cruise, see the "flooded forest", get a massage & manicure, see Beat Richner's cello recital, give blood at the Children's Hospital, visit the museums, see the night market, and hang out in the restaurant area of the Old Market eating and drinking.

In December, we will make our 3d trip to Laos. I advise more time in/around LPQ; no time in Vientiane. Of course, how can one predict what others would find interesting?

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It's funny how so many people go to Vientiane, but they never really take the time to SEE it. Pity...

Hi,

I am considering a trip to Laos next March.

Maneki-neko, I'm curious about your last comment. I get the feeling you think Vientiane is worth more days than others posting here. I'd love to hear what you mean exactly.

Tracey.