Patuxai, Vientiane, Laos

Patuxai or Victory Gate

If you have been to Paris, you'll certainly exclaim "Hey, this looks like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris!" But the embellishments on the monument are Buddhist.

Climb up seven storeys, and like the locals here you'll be rewarded with a bird's eye view of Vientiane. The other levels are chockful with souvenir stalls. The monument is popular with the locals, and I could see that they found it very impressive and awe-inspiring.

A bird's eye view of Vientiane. Impressive boulevard reminds you of Paris as well. I had no problem cycling around in exploring the city as traffic was light and the roads flat.