Central Laos Travel Guide

Central Laos is dominated by its capital, Vientiane. Compared to the hectic, bustling capitals in other Southeast Asia countries, Vientiane's relaxing atmosphere makes it feel like the small town it is. After you've done the round of temples, the best thing to do here has always been to wander down to one of the riverside beer gardens, kick back with a cold Beerlao, the Lao national beer, and watch the sun set over the Mekong. However, a long stretch of the Mekong river bank is presently a construction site as the authorities are building a flood management levee system and a riverside park. The project is the result of a grant from the government of South Korea. Work should be complete by October 2010, so hopefully the beer bars will be back in business soon.