The capital city of Vientiane is nothing special, but it's pleasant and mellow. I like the Lao-style wats; they are similar to Thai ones, but less flashy. It is definitely worth visiting some of the ones in Vientiane. One contained 6000 little Buddha figures. Just outside of the city is a forest wat where you can take an intense, amazing herbal sauna.

The Laos are the mellowest people. Even their 1975 communist revolution was mellow. It was bloodless; people who didn't like communists just got up and walked into Thailand. About half of the people left! (The Cambodians and VietNamese didn't have that option since they had to go by boat or over high mountains to leave. Anyway it was really easy for the Laos to assimilate into Thailand since the they speak basically the same language.) Still there were re-education camps, and the government seized private property. When they banned religion this was too much for people so the government eased back. Now, privatization is back, and conditions for foreign investment are good. The government seems totally hands-off although to their credit they are limiting tourism because of the effect it has on culture--at least they aren't rushing headlong into the development race without considering the consequences.