Expecting ancient ruins that match the scale of Ayutthaya in Thailand will leave you sorely disappointed. Buddha Park in Vientiane (Sala Xieng Khoan) on the outskirts of Vientiane, 25 km from the city center, located along the Mekong river.
The park contains over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues, but is no bigger than a over sized backyard.
The concept itself is interesting, and if you have a spare hour to make the journey by scooter you could do worse with your time.
The fact that most of the structures are made from concrete and rio, go to show that expecting figures from some ancient civilization is far from the truth.
Finding your way out there is part of the adventure, with no signs along the way and roads riddled with potholes, livestock and mud.
The park was built by Bunleua Sulilat, who fled to Thailand in the 70s where he built another Buddha Park known as Sala Keoku.
Buddha Park was built as a place to meditate and recover, and the park is used by many local monks for reflection, reading and studying.
Walking through the park, you’ll come across some truly interesting statues of demons, gods, animals and an enormous reclining Buddha. One notable sculpture in the park resembles a giant pumpkin of sorts.
Take the opportunity to challenge your mortality by climbing inside and to the top of the main structure.
It consists of three stories representing hell, earth and heaven. You can crouch and enter through an opening which is a mouth of a demon head and scale up a staircases from hell to heaven where you’ll have an birds eye view of the park.
Tread carefully as safety concerns are low in Laos, and one false step could see you plummet to the ground.
Google GPS Location for Buddha Park Laos
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