Laos was lovely- and warm! We only saw the capital, Vientiane, and Luang Prabang, famous for it's temples and beautiful French colonial architecture. Both are how Westerns would like all Asian cities to be- quiet, cleanish, and without people giving you much hassle wherever you go. Would love to go back. We did a 3 day biking/elephant ride/trek/kayaking which turned out to be far better than we expected. Despite being so close to Luang Prabang, the trekk...

Relaxing in the capital of Laos, and it is a welcome oasis of calm after the frenetic pace of Vietnam, especially Hanoi. We have hardly heard a car horn and crossing the road is no great adventure. Also, we are appreciating the warmth and glad to see the sun again after so long in cold grey climates - I don't think any of us travellers had expected it to be so cold in northern Vietnam. And the fog and mud in the mountains was something else (photos to follow)....