Vientiane (wee-en-chan) has to be one of the world's most unique capitals. Like many cities in developing countries, on arrival it's a bit of a shock; the main roads in town were only recently paved, and it's a place where the 3-month overdue repairs on a traffic light on one of the main intersections are the stuff of news in the local English-language paper. A short ride in any direction from Lane Xang, the main north-south avenue, will quickly carry you into the beginnings of rural Laos. Vientiane's population of 280,000 in a country of just under 6 million reflects the nation's rural makeup, and despite the infusion of foreign aid and steady local growth, the infrastructure even here in the capital is basic.

Vientiane's small scale means you'll be constantly confronted by startling incongruities. The town is peopled with monks in vermilion or mustard-color robes attending to their business at temples, but you might wonder at seeing those very pious figures hard at work on their website or playing games online at the local Internet cafe. The recent cellphone boom in Vientiane has urbanites well connected, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a public phone even in the city center. Crumbling French colonial mansions house the likes of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and every UN agency known to man. The airport still uses the grab-your-bag-off-the-cart method of dispensing luggage, and you can ride to town in a motorized cart. At the same time, the city has advertising agencies, embassies, and investment advisors. There are luxury business hotels with swimming pools and gourmet restaurants with fine wines, and the streets are crowded with big, gleaming sport utility vehicles.

As far as tourism goes, the city was ransacked by the Vietnamese in 1828, so it lacks some of the ancient history you find in the former capital of Luang Prabang. But its temples have been beautifully reconstructed, and some good examples of colonial buildings are still standing: That Luang is the pre-eminent temple in the country and the scene of a huge festival every November, the Patuxay victory monument is a peculiarly Lao version of the Arc de Triomphe, the Morning Market has a full city block of goods to explore, and the Mekong glows pink at sunset. It is worth a stay of several days to take it all in and enjoy Vientiane's laid-back atmosphere while it lasts.