Wat Sok Pa Luang Herbal Sauna
Vientiane (Sisattanak) · Vientiane · Laos
Third places. f.
A wood-fired herbal steam sauna next to the Wat Sok Pa Luang monastery, where the nuns originally massaged the monks. It is the closest thing in Vientiane to a neighbourhood bathhouse: cheap body care and conversation. As early as 2011 the family running it estimated that 60% of its customers were foreigners; a fire destroyed it around 2014 and it was rebuilt outside the temple grounds. A traveller found it open, and empty, in January 2025.
- Led by
- Originally the nuns of Wat Sok Pa Luang monastery; since at least 2011, a family linked to a nun skilled in traditional medicine
- Status
- Active
- Participation
- Vernacular
- Visitable
- Yes, a sauna open to the public next to the monastery
- Contact
- No public contact on record
- Last reviewed
- 1 October 2026
Verification
Partially verified
This place has at least one source on record and awaits a second one for contrast. Full verification will arrive in the review phase of the atlas.
- Verified two sources including a primary one, or first-hand knowledge of the place
- Partial one source on record
- Unverified starting knowledge, sources pending
Sources
- Estudio etnobotánico sobre el baño de vapor de hierbas en el posparto (2011) ↗ · academic source · consulted on 1 October 2026 · BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (en PubMed Central)
- Lao herbal sauna and traditional massage (jul 2011) ↗ · secondary source · consulted on 1 October 2026 · Bohemian Traveler (blog)
- Diario de viaje con la visita a la sauna (18 ene 2025, en japonés) ↗ · secondary source · consulted on 1 October 2026 · 4travel.jp (blog)