Sunset and the Mekong Night Market

The city’s favourite evening ritual: a walk along the Mekong as the sun sinks over Thailand, then red-roofed market stalls, grilled fish and a cold drink by the water.

Area

Vientiane evenings & food

Start from

Chao Anouvong Park, Fa Ngum Road

Distance

about 2 km of riverside strolling

Time needed

an evening

Best season

Year-round; the dry season brings the best sunsets and the widest riverbank

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

On foot from the centre

Tickets & rules

None

Why go

Every evening, Vientiane turns towards the river. As the heat eases, people come out to the long promenade along Fa Ngum Road: joggers, families with small children, monks in saffron, teenagers on scooters and groups doing open-air aerobics to loud pop music. It is the most sociable hour in the city, and the easiest way to feel part of it.

The sunset itself is the reason to come early. The Mekong is wide here, and in the dry season it shrinks to reveal broad sandbanks. The sun drops behind the low Thai shore on the far side, turning the water pink and copper, and fishing boats move slowly across it.

After dark the night market lights up: a long row of red-roofed tents selling clothes, phone cases, bags, souvenirs and handicrafts. It is not a place for rare treasures, but it is cheerful, relaxed and full of local shoppers, and the food stalls nearby are excellent.

The story

The riverside promenade was rebuilt in the 2010s with embankments to protect the city from floods, and Chao Anouvong Park was laid out along it. At its heart stands a large bronze statue of King Anouvong, the ruler who rose against Siam in the 1820s. He faces the river, one hand stretched out across the water towards the Thai shore.

For centuries the Mekong here was less a border than a highway. Vientiane, Nong Khai and the villages on both banks shared language, food and family ties, and you will notice that Lao and the dialect of northeastern Thailand are very close. People still cross daily for work and shopping.

Before the embankment, the riverbank was a strip of simple wooden restaurants on stilts, where people drank Beerlao and watched the sunset from plastic chairs. Some of that spirit lives on in the barbecue stalls and riverside beer gardens that appear further along the bank in the evenings.

The level of the Mekong changes dramatically through the year. In the rainy season it can rise many metres and flow brown and fast right up to the embankment; by March it is a lazy channel with islands of sand where people walk out to fly kites and play football.

Getting there

The promenade runs along Fa Ngum Road on the southern edge of the old centre, a few minutes’ walk from almost any guesthouse. Start near the Chao Anouvong statue and walk in either direction.

The market usually sets up in the late afternoon and runs until about 10 pm. No transport is needed; walking is half the pleasure.

A suggested plan

1. 17:00Walk to the river and find a spot on the embankment steps or a sandbank while the light is golden.
2. 17:45Watch the sunset over Thailand and the outdoor aerobics classes in the park.
3. 18:30Browse the night market stalls as the lamps come on.
4. 19:30Eat grilled fish with lemongrass, sticky rice and papaya salad at one of the riverside food stalls.
5. 21:00Finish with a fruit shake or a Beerlao at a riverside bar.

Where to stay

Guesthouses near Fa Ngum Road and Nam Phou fountain are ideal; you can walk back in minutes after dinner.

Good to know

• Bargaining is normal at the clothing stalls but keep it light-hearted; prices are already low.
• Look for ping pa, whole fish grilled with salt and lemongrass, to share with friends.
• Bring mosquito repellent; the river attracts them at dusk.
• In the dry season walk out onto the sandbanks for a different view of the city.