Vang Vieng

Like a rural scene from an old Asian silk painting, Vang Vieng (ວັງວຽງ) crouches low over the Nam Song (Song River) with a backdrop of serene cliffs and a tapestry of vivid green paddy fields. Thanks to the Lao government closing the river rave bars in 2012, the formerly toxic party scene has been driven to the fringes and the community is rebooting itself as an adrenaline-fuelled adventure destination. The town itself is no gem, as concrete hotels build ever higher in search of the quintessential view. But across the Nam Song lies a rural idyll; spend a few days here – hire a bike, zipline, climb a cliff, go tubing or trekking – and soak up one of the country's most stunningly picturesque spots.