First port of call for many visitors, the capital of Laos, Vientiane, is a bustling riverside city set on northern bank of the muddy waters of the Mekong River. For many years Vientiane was a sleepy backwater capital of an equally backwater state, but, as the country has slowly opened up to foreign investment and tourism, Vientiane has gone through vast changes.
While the Lao capital is now home to a vibrant wealth of hotels, bars and restaurants, Vientiane still retains its sleepy tree-lined dirt roads and somnolent temples -- and people. The pace of life, as with all of Laos, is best described as slow -- bordering on glacial.
Although Vientiane lacks the overwhelming charm of Luang Prabang, it still has enough sights and attractions to garner interest for a day or two, and with an international airport, this remains one of the primary gateways into Laos. Many choose to brush through, spending little more than a night in town, but as with most Lao destinations, a longer stay can be rewarding.
North of Vientiane lies the backpacker and independent traveller magnet of Vang Vieng -- a village that became a tourist town in way too short a period of time. The state of the place is such a debacle that other regions in Laos now use Vang Vieng as a model of exactly how they don't want their locales to develop.
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