Patuxai, Vientiane

Great view from the top. The inner stairwells are nothing special and you end up looking at bare concrete walls the whole way up. The landing stages are full of cheap souvenir shops. These shops also sell a wide variety of coins which may be useful for coin collectors. Overall it looks better from the outside than inside.

It's a pretty sight, and that's why you should visit when in town. Take some pictures (don't forget to look up when you are standing underneath), climb to the top and stroll through the little park around it. It will take you 39 minutes tops, but they are worth it. This place is best visited on the way to Wat That Luang

It's cool to see but nothing really to do there. Has a but of a European feel to it and the area around it. Besides that, wouldn't spend longer than 10 minutes. You can go up the monument as well and take pictures from the top.

Interesting place. Cheap to climb up and gives you a nice view over the city. Made out of concrete donated by the US to make a runaway thus having the name "vertical landing stripe". Very great to see how even in a monument like this they manage to make tourist shops to ruin the authenticity. Gives you a touch of France in Laos ;)

You get a cool view of the surrounding area, it's super cheap, but it also leeches completely off the tourism that comes through there every day. Inside the monument are stalls selling fake goods and rip off items. A little disappointing for a monument. If I wanted shopping I'd go to the night market!