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Laos Guide

Vientiane

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Hugging a bend of the Mekong River, the low-rise capital of Laos is a quaint and easygoing place, looking more like a rambling collection of villages than a city. However, in the mere decade and a half since Laos reopened its doors to foreign visitors, VIENTIANE has changed with dizzying rapidity. Happily, most of the changes have been for the better: there's an excellent selection of restaurants and accommodation to chose from, and the city still retains much of its placid charm.

Highlights

1 Lao National Museum Lao history meets Marx in Vientiane's funky relic of the class struggle.

2 Wat Sisaket Vientiane's oldest wat, the only temple spared by the invading Siamese in their 1828 sack of the city.

3 That Louang Laos's most important religious site, the golden stupa is also the national symbol.

4 Riverside bars Kick back with a drink and watch the sun sink over the Mekong.

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