The Queen Bee is a
nightclub located in
Vientiane,
Laos. The two-story building can't be missed what with its large neon bee (I'm guessing she's the queen) on the side. Situated just four
kilometers from the city center (on Thadeua Road), it seems quite
popular. Most visitors arrive on
motorbike; the area in front of the building quickly fills with what must be hundreds of them parked in neat, orderly rows.
Inside there is a relatively small dance floor surrounded by a dozen or so booths and scores of tables. The one time I visited, dancing didn't seem to be so much the point as was watching people dance. And it wasn't like people were being wall-flowers — too shy to get up — but more that they enjoyed sitting at their tables, drinking sodas and watching the dancing. The one time I ventured out on the floor it was quite crowded so perhaps this was part of the reason.
I haven't been to many nightclubs but I know enough that the men's room at dance places are nothing less than the fifth realm of hell. The men's room at the Queen Bee wasn't too bad. Sure there was the inevitable smell of urine, but there were doors on both stalls and no one mistaking the sink for a bidet. Something I hadn't seen before: customers using the urinals would receive a shoulder massage by a man who apparently worked for tips.
If you should get bored of dancing, or perhaps too hot, the Queen Bee is located just next door from one of Vientiane's two (that I know of) bowling alleys.
The next time your travel plans call for a trip to Vientiane, be sure to drop on by.
Queen Bee Nightclub
Thadeua Rd,
P.O. Box 5532
Vientiane, Lao P.D.R.
Tel: (856) 21 313 867
Fax: (856) 21 314 789
Special thanks to the staff of Vientiane's "Healthy & Fresh Bakery" (now called "JoMa") for showing me the place.