VIENTIANE

With French style boulevards lined with bougainvillea, frangipani and tamarind trees, the capital city of Vientiane is becoming noted for its fusion of old and new, French and Lao. Established by the Mekong River near the border of Thailand, the old city streets are being transformed into something special with revitalised old French villas now home to fancy restaurants, bakeries, cafes and boutique hotels.