Day trip or weekend trip from Vientiane, Laos?

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Wikivoyage does list one place you shouldn't miss, only it's semi-hidden earlier in the article: Buddha Park!

Don't be fooled by the name, this is one seriously wacked-out temple/garden/art exhibit full of gigantic concrete statues, which has little to do with Buddhism and a lot to do with its creator Bunleau Sulilat. One of those Salvador Dali-esque crazy artist types, only he developed his own religion, a blend of Hinduism and Buddhism, and starting creating his works to spread the good word. A few pics are worth a thousand words:

enter image description here (Arian Zwegers, Wikimedia Commons)

enter image description here (Thoman Wanhoff, Wikimedia Commons)

He fled Laos after the Communist revolution in 1975 and went on to clone his park as Sala Keoku across the river in Nong Khai, Thailand, which is arguably even better since it's better preserved -- although if you've already crossed the river it's probably not worth the hassle of going back.

Upvote:2

Have you considered Nam Ngum Reservoir and the surrounding area?

There are tours going there, there are old Buddha statues, a market in Dong Makkhai etc. It's also close to the Phou Khao Khouay National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area, with Elephant treks and more to see. I am not sure if they charge entrance fees though.

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