In Vientiane we visited Buddha Park. I’d read about this being originally built as a local place of worship, but which is turning in to a quirky tourist destination. Hundreds of huge Buddhist and Hindu concrete statues all congregated in one area; it sounded right my street!
I’ve read advice that you can hire a scooter and get to the park that way, but the bus sounded so easy that we decided to go with that. We went to Vientiane bus station (the local bus station, not the one you would have come in to if you got a bus to the city) and looked for bus number 14. It actually stops in a road just past the station on the right hand side. If you are looking around and you look like a tourist you will be pointed in the right direction! Everyone there knew where we were headed.
It’s 6,000 KIP each; you pay the conductor on the bus. The bus took forty minutes to get there on the way (and then an hour on the way back because it waited longer for people coming over the friendship bridge). The bus continues for a few minutes after the border stop and you’ll get off there.
Price was 6,000 KIP for entry. There was a sign saying that camera passes were extra but they said “camera, free” when we asked so they seem to have got rid of that idea. Toilets are still 2,000 KIP though!
None of photos that I have seen do the park justice; it’s huge, with so many statues, which are all so detailed.
I learnt that local people, particularly the monks still come here for peace and to meditate which makes it significantly more interesting than now only being an attraction for tourists. There were certainly quite a few monks there on the day we visited!
When you first enter the park you’ll notice the huge round statue. This provides an amazing view across the park if you aren’t scared of heights and can climb the teeny steep staircase! Make sure you go inside even if you don’t intend to go up. You’ll see many more statues in there on multiple levels.
Buddha Park is a quirky place, but was completely beautiful to me and I loved the trip to it. I am currently researching where I can get some massive concrete statues to decorate my own garden. I’m sure my tenants will love it when those turn up!
PRICE | 6,000 KIP
GETTING THERE | Bus number 14 from Vientiane bus station. Runs every 20 minutes; 6,000 KIP.
GETTING BACK | Bus number 14 comes back past the entrance every 20 minutes. If you just miss it, don’t worry… it goes down the street, turns around and comes back! 6,000 KIP.
