Sleepless Nights, Great Food, and Locking Myself Out of the Apartment After nearly 20 years, it’s time to revisit Laos, and was excited to see if it still has the peaceful charm, stunning beauty, and food that left me dreaming about it. Spoiler alert: it does. The journey from Bangkok to Vientiane was a breeze, thanks to the shiny new China-Laos Railway. This railway has been a game changer for trade and tourism, though it's come with a hefty price tag—debt to China, that is.