Udon Thani International Airport 54 min
COPE Visitor Centre (41 min) Solemn visitor center & museum with displays & films on history of bombings & related disabilities. Sala Keoku (18 min) Unique park featuring gardens & paths leading around a series of massive religious sculptures. Pha That Luang Vientiane (41 min) Historic 44-m. gold Buddhist stupa with multiple levels, a walled enclosure & a grassy courtyard. Lao National Museum (43 min) Exhibits on Laotian history & the struggle for independence in a former French governor’s residence. Morning Market (44 min) Daily market for traditional handicrafts from textiles to jewelry, plus produce & street food. Wat Pho Chai (15 min) Important Buddhist temple featuring detailed wall art & an elaborate gold sitting Buddha statue. That Dam Stupa-สวนธาตุดำ (43 min) Ancient, bell-shaped stupa believed to have once been protected by a 7-headed water serpent. Wat Si Muang (40 min) Buddhist temple built in the 16th century, drawing bustling crowds with the promise of good luck. Tha Sadet Market (14 min) Busy covered market on a riverside promenade with street food carts, clothing & local handicrafts. Patuxay Monument (45 min) Imposing 1960s war memorial featuring a European-style arch & traditional Laotian carvings. Presidential Palace - Palais présidentiel (41 min) Hophakaew Museum (42 min) Former temple, built in 1565 for the Emerald Buddha (now in Bangkok) & today a museum & shop. Sisaket Temple (42 min) 19th-century Siamese-style temple with a museum & cloister wall housing thousands of small Buddhas. Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (10 min) 3,839-ft. long bridge providing 2 pedestrian pathways, a central railway line & views of the river. Buddha Park (27 min) Attraction known for dozens of Buddha statues in various poses, also a popular cycling destination. |