Beer Gardens, Bars and Clubs
Vientiane's location along an east-west stretch of the Mekong positions it for spectacular sunsets, and makeshift stalls selling bottles of Beer Lao and fruit shakes line the riverbank from Nokeo Koummane Road to Khoun Boulom Road; 2km upriver along Fa Ngum Road, a long row of beer gardens with wooden terraces hang over the riverbank in the vicinity of the Riverview Hotel. Many of Vientiane's nightclubs feature live music, $2 cans of beer, dim lighting, deep couches and absurdly overdressed hostesses; the Anou Cabaret at the Anou Hotel is the long-time favourite. A newer set of dance clubs playing Thai pop and international dance mixes, catering to well-heeled teenagers, has cropped up along Louang Phabang Avenue, just beyond the Novotel. They don't usually get hopping until after 9pm, and are unplugged by midnight at the latest. There's no cover charge, but you'll have to fork out more than $2 for a can of Beer Lao. Sadly, Vientiane's live music scene is largely derivative, with popular taste being bullied into submission by the barrage of bland pop ballads churned out in Thailand.
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