Lao'd and clear.

For the vast majority of Asian city dwellers, the first thought that springs to mind when planning a quick weekend away is the beach.

The lure of tropical island life, white sand and the regular sound of the waves gently coming to a halt on the shore is something that few people will ever tire of, no matter how many times they repeat the experience.

And if sun and sea don't appeal, then an equally enjoyable choice is a short hop to a nearby big city for doing familiar things in an unfamiliar environment.

But we have a whole continent to play with here, and it pays to think of somewhere different to spend the all-important two days out of seven.

The People’s Democratic Republic of Laos is not a country that needs introduction to most inhabitants of this region. The World Heritage Organisation-listed city of Luang Prabang has featured in many travel sections in the past few years, and is by all accounts a lovely place to wind down for a couple of days.

But in succumbing to the understandable desire to gush about the temples and the mesmerising serenity of the ancient citadel, travel writers have sometimes been guilty of overlooking the modest charms of Laos’s other city: Vientiane, the capital.

Late last week, with the weekend looming, the prospect of two full days in Bangkok with no particular obligations to fulfil, and a severe case of itchy feet, I pulled out a map of Asia and weighed up my options.

As my eyes alighted on Vientiane, I noticed for the first time how close the capital was to the Lao-Thai border, and resolved to make it my destination. I decided to indulge my need for a little adventure and booked train tickets to the Thai frontier town of Nong Khai.

A day later, pulling away from the station on Friday evening at a civilised 8:45pm, installed in a first class private double sleeping berth and sipping cold Chang beer as the scenery rolled past, I congratulated myself on my excellent choice of transport.

At the appropriate time, the couch was transformed into a comfortable bed and I retired to a deep sleep, rocked gently by the slow progress of the train through the moonlit province of Isaan.

Waking to breakfast in the couchette, there was time to brush my teeth, freshen up and change out of my pyjamas just in time to arrive at the border. A short cab ride from Laotian border control to the hotel, a simple check-in and a quick shower saw me installed by the pool by 10 o’clock on Saturday morning.

The first sign that the stay was going to be successful was the sight of the hotel itself. The Villa Manoly is a beautiful 1950s affair built around a small pool and surrounded by lush tropical trees. A quirky international clientele adds to the ambience and gives the place an unmistakable Cold War spy novel appeal.

Not wishing to be subject to the whims of taxi drivers or tuk tuk operators, I hired a motorbike for the duration of the stay, an investment which paid off within a couple of hours when my first two-wheeled reconnaissance mission unearthed somewhere suitable for lunch.

The Full Moon proved to be a good choice, its credentials well established by the fact that it was packed to the gills with long-lunching development agency workers, a breed not known for their spartan lifestyles.

After lunch, when the last Landcruiser had pulled away, I weighed up my leisure options. A couple of hours at the luxurious Papaya Spa was a good way to get through the most severe heat of the day; after which I spent a few hours back in the saddle, travelling the suburbs of the town marvelling at the mouthwatering number of slowly decaying late French colonial villas and wondering what it would take to buy one and restore it to its former glory.

A highlight was the old Soviet Union embassy, a hilariously inappropriate Stalinist concrete block surrounded by lush rice paddies.

That evening, after watching the sunset with the obligatory Beer Lao at one of the stalls overlooking the Mekong River, dinner was at Le Vendome, an atmospheric French restaurant set in a beautiful old house. I sat on the terrace and ate what has to have been the best value French meal I have ever had. After dinner there was still time before the midnight curfew, so I made my way to Kob Jai Deu, a lively and stylish outdoor bar packed with the cream of Vientiane hipsters.

Early Sunday morning seemed an appropriate time to explore the more spiritual side of Laos; with the vast number of beautiful Buddhist wats being enough to satisfy the most ardent templegoer. Laotian temples are happy places, with bright primary colours and lush plant life everywhere you look. Breakfast afterwards was at the Scandinavian Bakery, clearly the centre of expatriate life on Sundays, followed by a superb drip coffee at Miss Saigon, which in turn functions as a hub of Vientiane’s Vietnamese activity.

A swim back at the hotel and a slow perusal of the newly air-freighted Bangkok Post left time for a superb paté and salad lunch baguette at PVO Vietnamese café, before the late afternoon flight back to Bangkok.

Vientiane is one of those places just made for weekends. Easy access from Bangkok and by extension Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, with just enough to choose from in the way of dining and drinking, and the added advantage of an interesting history. A superb use of two days and highly recommended.