Vientiane

Vientiane is a capital city on a human scale, its low-rise streets a mix of ageing French colonial villas and gilded Buddhist temples. Pha That Luang, a gold-covered stupa, is the country’s most important religious monument and a genuine national symbol, while the Patuxai Monument, loosely modelled on the Arc de Triomphe, offers rooftop views over the city below. It makes a quiet, easy place to begin or end a longer Laos itinerary.