Naveen’s Travel Blog

Cycling in Vientiane

Vientiane - Feb 13, 2008

Bicycling around the streets of Vientiane, you discover that it wasn’t really a city as it desires to project. It was just a large town or even just a large village.

But why are these slow moving traffic coming up face-to-face with you ? And in empty roads, its strange that the vehicles from the opposite direction are banking so close to the left side. On few occasions, i’m close to be over-run !

As you reach the main thoroughfares of the capital, realisation dawns ! The traffic of this city runs along the right-side, like the French way !!

 Ofcourse it was a former French colony and instead of the “Thanon” (road) and “Silom” (street) of Thailand; its “Boulevard“  and “Rue” in Laos.  Despite the best efforts, my driving nature still pulls me to left side on turns and stops. Much much careful attention was required to stick to the right side of the road.

Many “rue”s are one-way, traffic signals plentiful, no-thoroughfares and diversions liberally sprinkled; what’s this city(eh, town) planners were thinking ? Act like a big Capital city ?? If its so then they have very-well done it !

The traffic police of laos are also very strict; many spots you can see the pillion-drivers being caught for not wearing a helmet and violations into one-ways.

The next day, i take a motorbike, a geared-one to more quickly complete my tour of the city.