The Best Mid-Range Hotels in Laos

Inter City Hotel, Vientiane (tel. 021/242-843): Wacky, weird, and wonderful, the Intercity combines an excellent riverside location with some of the oddest decor in Southeast Asia. It's a place where dotty eccentricity oozes from the woodwork.

The Elephant Crossing Hotel, Vang Vieng (tel. 023/511-232; www.theelephantcrossinghotel.com). Away from the buzz of the backpacker center of Vang Vieng, the Elephant Crossing has a fantastic riverside location with wonderful views of the nearby limestone mountains. It is artfully furnished and the staff is charming.