Tha Ngon: Floating Restaurants on the Mekong

Tha Ngon is a destination for anyone who wants to combine a meal with a trip on the river. At the eastern end of the Tha Ngon Bridge on Route 10, floating barges of various sizes line both banks. The floating restaurants give your stay a special connection to the Mekong.

Dine aboard a boat and travel upriver

You can order a meal on an unoccupied barge and travel upriver. At the floating restaurants in Tha Ngon, you can also rent a fully staffed private houseboat. This includes a traditional meal, which may be spicy. If you want to plan carefully around the heat, ask about the spice level when ordering.

The boats can accommodate up to 10 people; larger boats can accommodate up to 16. This gives families or groups travelling together a concrete figure to plan around. Karaoke and BeerLao are also mentioned in connection with a stay on the Mekong. If a trip or the private houseboat is an essential part of your plans, check in advance whether the option you want is available for your dates.

When choosing where to stay, what matters most is which focus appeals to you: Tha Ngon combines dining on the water with the possibility of travelling upriver. If you would rather centre your stay on museums, city history or historic buildings, the wider destination of Vientiane offers its own points of interest.

Vientiane: History, Museums and Culture

Vientiane offers a distinct urban focus on culture and history. Wat Sisaket was built in 1818 by King Anouvong. The original That Luang Stupa was built at this site in 1566 under King Saysetthathirath. Patuxay was built in 1957. These building histories highlight different periods and give you several concrete points of reference for planning.

The Lao National Museum features exhibitions on the revolution and the present day. It was established in 1980 as the Lao Revolutionary Exhibition Hall in the former residence of the French governor in Vientiane Capital. At the COPE Visitor Centre, prosthetics exhibitions, sculptures made from bomb materials and the stories of people affected explain the UXO conflict in Laos. The centre is on Khouvieng Road, on the grounds of the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, opposite the Green Park Hotel.

The Vientiane Heritage Route also offers a way to explore historical and cultural themes together: it covers 59 important buildings in the city and is accompanied by a map, an interactive website and an electronic brochure. These materials may be helpful for finding your way; before planning, check whether the current route information suits your plans.

If you want to plan your trip around specific dates, recurring events are another way the seasons differ. Boun Pha That Luang takes place in Vientiane Capital each year around mid-November. The annual boat races draw spectators to the riverbank in mid-October. Exact dates and event details may vary, so it is worth checking before you travel.

Discover more destinations: Ban Chèng, Xang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Ban Nam Phuong, Toulakhom, Kenue Kang, Thalat.

Back to the main travel overview: Vientiane.