As Vang Vieng wasn't quite what we'd hoped for, we left a day early. It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision so we arrived at the bus terminal just after one bus had left, with the other leaving 3 hours later. There were sawngthaews (converted pick-up trucks with wooden benches in the back for seats) leaving every half an hour which apparently took the same time to get there so we made possibly one of our most rash decisions to date and caught one of them. ...

We decided to go to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang as the alternative destination of Phonsavan was an expensive 11 hour bus journey away (on Laos buses this would seem like a lifetime) and we weren't too sure if we really wanted to go visit there anyways. Instead, the shorter journey to scenic Vang Vieng seemed like a better option. I had read about the town before coming away on this trip and wasn't really sure if we should go there. It was described as a place...

Luang Prabang is a pretty town, located beside the Mekong River. The French history of the country was evident in the colonial style buildings, as well as the endless amount of baguettes and pastries on sale! A welcome relief from sticky rice :) Our first day there was spent strolling around the town and soaking up the atmosphere. We found a lovely little bakery called Joma and had bagels with cream cheese!! A-mazing! In the evening we met some friends we'd...

Nong Khiaow was a bit of a suprise package in the best way possible. It was easily one of the most beautiful places we've been to in Asia, possibly on this whole trip. The small town, surrounded by towering limestone cliff faces and mountainous peaks creates a really special atmosphere, we were definitely glad to make the journey there. The road from Luang Nam Tha was winding but not too bad. We had to stop in this town in the middle of nowhere to catch a sangthe...

The border crossing from Chiang Khong to Huay Xai in Laos went pretty smoothly. The Thai official at the border charged us 5 Baht "commission" for something...pennies towards his drinking fund i think! We could tell we were being charged for nothing and that he was just trying his luck, but it was such a small amount of money (8p!) that it didnt seem worth kicking up a fuss over. A short ferry crossing later and we reached Laos! Entering there was no pr...