VIENTIANE, LAOS
Dining on the Vientiane riverfront is a hilarious metaphor for traveling in Southeast Asia. You’d love to relax with a beer and some new friends, enjoy a delicious meal and watch the sun go down over the Mekong, but doing so requires that you ignore the gigantic backhoe digging a hole ten feet from your head.

This is a wonderful part of the world to travel through. It never fails to be an eye-opening experience and a hell of a lot of fun, regardless of how long you’ve spent abroad. But when you need a break from the constant bombardment of new sensations, Southeast Asia doesn’t always cooperate. You’re here on its terms. It’s not a theme park – you don’t get to decide when to take it easy.