Wat Sisaket — Attraction in Vientiane Capital

Having visited over 200 temples and 10 historical sites across Thailand and Laos this is the first amd only temple that has signs saying no photograph inside the temple. Also this is the first temple other than Bangkok that I have paid to enter. Its 30,000 kip for westerners which considering you are not aloud to take photos it seems to be a con. You pay to enter the square which houses hundreds of mixture Buddha but the main temple complex no photos aloud. The person inside the temple explains to me as I was clearly not happy not being able to take photos that this site has some extremely old and valuable Buddha which apparently they don't want people making videos and posting them online for fear of the temple being broken into. I'm sorry but that sounds like utter lies. I have seen many old artifacts in museums and other sites and this rule doesn't appear to exist anywhere other than this place. I wanted to see and film inside as my home in Thailand is named the same Si sa ket so I wanted to show all my friends I had been to a temple with the same name so I was very disappointed to learn about this silly rule. Very disappointing having been to so many temples this one makes no sense. Don't bother paying to go inside just walk around the outer grounds and keep your money...

Possibly the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane, Wat Si Saket was once used as a headquarters by the invading Siam. Today, it houses more than 2000 Buddha statues of clay and silver. It also houses a small museum, despite still being an active temple.

After visiting the Ho Phrakeo Museum, we came across this small temple and decided to take a look inside. Inside we found several Buddha statues lining the walls outside. Several of them were life-sized, but most were miniatures carefully placed in small alcoves behind the larger statues.

Seeing so many Buddha statues in one place makes this temple worth a visit. Each one is unique in terms of detail and state of preservation, so you could spend a long time if you wanted to take it all in.

This temple acts, in part, as a temple. What descriptions of artefacts there are focus on the preserved supports and roof decorations there are, many of them hanging from the modern day roof of the temple.

Of course, the Sim still acts as a place of worship, and you need to remove your shoes to go inside. No pictures are allowed in this part of the temple so, as with Ho Phrakeo, you'll need to journey to Vientiane to see it...

Vientiane is a charming city, but Wat Sisaket was the real highlight for me. It wasn't the most grand or imposing temple I visited, but it had a certain peacefulness that drew me in. Maybe it was the quiet courtyard, or the locals murmuring prayers as they spun the prayer wheels. It felt like a place of genuine devotion, not just a tourist stop.

The collection of Buddha statues lining the cloister walls was incredible. Thousands of them, in all shapes, sizes, and materials. It wasn't just the sheer number that impressed me, but the variety. Each one seemed to tell a story, a testament to the different styles and interpretations of Buddhism over the centuries.

I spent ages just wandering around, soaking it all in. There were these little alcoves with colorful murals depicting stories from the Buddha's life. I even spotted a couple leaving offerings of flowers and rice at a small shrine – a simple act that spoke volumes about the faith that permeates this place.

Wat Sisaket left a lasting impression on me. It wasn't just about the architecture or the artifacts, but the sense of tranquility and the glimpse it offered into Lao culture. If you're ever in Vientiane,...