On Sunday 23rd we travelled for five hours by road across the mountains to the village of Vang Vieng. This village has become a backpackers haven situated on the Nam Song River and surrounded by spectacular limestone karst scenery. This place is wild - we went kayaking and joined hundreds of western backpackers floating in tyre tubes downstream, partying at the makeshift bars that have popped up on the river bank. There's plenty of loud music and buckets of beer and cocktails on offer. It's more like Ibiza than Laos!