Red Lotus at Nongtha Lake, Vientiane Capital, Laos

Hello everyone, welcome back to my channel. Today I’m visiting a beautiful red lotus lake right in downtown Vientiane. It’s early in the morning, around 8:30 AM, and this is actually my second visit. Yesterday, I came here with my mom and my niece, but after seeing the boat situation, I felt it was too risky for them to get on the boat. So today, I decided to come alone — with one main purpose: 👉 to explore the red lotus lake up close by boat. I’ve seen many beautiful red lotus lakes in Thailand, like in Udon Thani, but that one is about two hours away. I never expected that such a peaceful and stunning lotus lake would be so close to my home here in Vientiane. So let’s go and explore this hidden local spot together 🌸 Here at Nongtha Lake, the entrance is completely free. You can ride the boat by yourself for free, but honestly… I’m not brave enough 😅 So I decided to pay a local boatman 50,000 kip to paddle the boat for me. Only one boat is available at a time, and it can fit two people only. The boat ride is about 30 minutes or less, depending on how far you want to go. Today, I’m lucky to have Mr. Lae as my boatman. He’s very gentle and kind, and he keeps asking me where I want to go. To be honest, I’m quite scared because the boat keeps shaking, so I don’t dare to move my legs or arms at all. But Mr. Lae reassured me that the water is only shoulder-deep, which made me feel a little more relaxed. While we were on the boat, Mr. Lae picked fresh red lotus flowers and gave them to me as a souvenir. They are incredibly beautiful — fresh, natural, and full of life. Moments like this really make this experience special. 📍 Location This red lotus lake, Nongtha Lake, is located in downtown Vientiane City, about 20 minutes from Patuxay, depending on traffic. To access the lake, you must enter Hom 15 (Alley 15). It’s very important to note this, because the small alleys here are not connected. I tried entering from Hom 11, thinking it would lead to the lake — but it doesn’t. 🚗 Parking & Access Info If you come by car, you cannot drive all the way to the pond. The road becomes very narrow, rocky, and bumpy. You’ll need to park your car at a certain point and walk for 1–2 minutes to reach the lake. 🌸 Lotus Blooming Season & Local Life The red lotus blooming season starts around October and ends around June every year. However, the best time to visit is from January to May, when the flowers are in full bloom. Local people use lotus roots for cooking — in soups, stir-fried dishes, or even eaten fresh with papaya salad. The lake is also full of local fish, which people catch for daily meals and for selling. What I really love about this place is how kind and generous the locals are. Even if you don’t ride the boat, they will often give you lotus flowers or lotus roots for free. 👕 What to Wear (Very Important!) Before you come here, please pay attention to what you wear. Today, I wore white sneakers, jeans, and a T-shirt, and I also brought a white tote bag. Honestly, I don’t recommend this at all. The possibility of falling into the water is quite high. Even though the water is not deep and probably not dangerous, you will get wet and dirty. 👉 Shoes: It’s actually better not to wear shoes at all, because there’s no space to walk around on the boat. My shoes got wet even though I didn’t fall into the water. 👉 Clothes: Wear a T-shirt with shorts or long pants — something comfortable and easy to dry. I also highly recommend bringing spare clothes to change after the boat ride. After the ride, I was already wet, including my clothes and shoes. 🎒 What NOT to Bring If possible, don’t bring anything onto the boat. I brought a tote bag, and that was a mistake. There was a small water leak in the boat, and my bag got wet. Even if you are careful, it’s still very risky: The boat shakes There’s limited space Water can easily splash in 👉 My advice: ✔️ Leave your bag on land ✔️ Don’t bring valuables ✔️ Bring only what is absolutely necessary It’s much safer and more comfortable to travel light and just enjoy the lotus lake. This red lotus pond has been here for a very long time, and it feels like a hidden treasure in the city. I truly believe that if there were better access roads and safer boats, many more people would come to enjoy this place. I discovered this lake on Facebook, and since it’s so close to my house, I decided to give it a try. And honestly, I’m very happy I did. Thank you so much for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please like, share, and subscribe — and I’ll see you in the next one 🌸 #RedLotus #RedLotusLake #LotusSeason #LaosTravel #VisitLaos #Vientiane #HiddenGemsLaos #LaosNature #LocalExperience #BoatRide #TravelVlog #MorningVibes #SoutheastAsiaTravel #SlowTravel #JapanWithDalivanh