Just about getting to grips with the money here; I feel like a human bureau du change. There are 12,000 kip to a pound; you go out feeling flush with 200,000 kip and find you have spent it all and need to change a $20 for the next day. You can pay in kip, baht or dollars everywhere and get change in a different currency than you paid, sooo confusing. You question a couple of thousand kip on a bill only to remember its 15p! Today is Christmas day and we wanted to...

Woke up early due to the hammering from the silvermiths next door (they started at about 6am) but stayed in bed until 6.30am then up, a quick cold shower and out to discover the jewel of Northern Laos that is Luang Prabang. Let me set the scene, we are staying ten minutes from the old town in the Silversmiths Quarter where artisan crafts are still made thanks to help from Unesco. We are staying with a lovely Lao lady (Mrs Vandara) and our room is at the back of M...

Woke up early due to the hammering from the silvermiths next door (they started at about 6am) but stayed in bed until 6.30am then up, a quick cold shower and out to discover the jewel of Northern Laos that is Luang Prabang. Let me set the scene, we are staying ten minutes from the old town in the Silversmiths Quarter where artisan crafts are still made thanks to help from Unesco. We are staying with a lovely Lao lady (Mrs Vandara) and our room is at the back of M...

Up early and off to Luang Prapang ( a world heritage city) in a minivan. A 7hr bumpy journey through mountains and dusty remote villages, what a spectacular sight. After a somewhat hair raising ride through a million hairpins, past land slides and breakdowns with a billion pot holes with several pee stops for the driver and one or two for us we got to the top of the world for lunch. Lunch here you might think has little choice but check out the menu very closely....

A bumpy journey along a dusty road through villages and riverside landscapes then up and over mountain passes we arrive at the infamous Viang Veng. Will it be a hell hole full of loud mouthed faux back packers getting away from it all but all doing tubing and buying the tee shirt or will it be wonderfull scenery and a chilled out vibe? It's both - the tubing is pretty cool and its far enough away not to spoil the village completely. Fair enough there are loads of...