Bites of Vietnam by the lake

In many ways, Vientiane offers the best of both worlds, as far as being an Asian capital city goes, there are few traffic jams so there is the joy of just kicking back and enjoying life in its markets, food stalls, cafes, good restaurants and slightly seedy bars.

The best you could do is to start your first morning in Vientiane by reading a copy of the English-language Vientiane Times in a cafe, such as Le Banneton or the Scandinavian Bakery both famous for their Lao coffee, excellent breakfasts and delicious baguette sandwiches.

After taking in a few of the local sites, head back to the city centre for a traditional Lao cuisine lunch at the Khambang Lao Food Restaurant. Later on, at the end of a hard day's sightseeing, have a refreshing cocktail on the banks of the Mekong at the classy and exotically wooden Spirit House. This is one of the most chic places in which to hang out in Vientiane and gaze at the mighty Mekong flowing past on its way down from its source in Tibet. There's a happy hour for cocktails until 8pm, too.

Then, of course, there is the nightlife. Whilst Vientiane may not be quite the same den of iniquity that it once was in the American era and when Paul Theroux was last here in the mid-1970s—brothels are now prohibited. Beerlao has overwhelming replaced opium and most bars tend to close at 11:30pm at the latest—but Vientiane still has plenty of evening hangouts and nightclubs.

After dinner, an excellent early evening place to head out to, to catch the setting sun if you're not too late, is the rooftop bar in the four-storey Bor Pennyang, great views across the Mekong combined with cheap Beerlao, hardy Vientiane expats, and a sprinkling of local Lao bargirls. Life could be a great deal worse.

After a few glasses of Beerlao in Bor Pennyang, head out to one of the half dozen or more nightclubs in town, where they say they are supposed to close at midnight. But don't tell the Lao authorities.

Last but not least, if time permits don't leave Vientiane without trying out a self-indulgent massage.

Traditional Lao massages can feel a little like visiting an osteopath, so the best option is probably to opt for an herbal sauna followed by a Swedish oil massage. One of the best places in town is the Papaya Spa, located in an old French villa to the west of the town centre.

The article was first published in The Jakarta Post on Nov 11, 2012.