Next stop was Vang Vieng, a backpackery, touristy place which supposedly you either love or hate and we fell more in to the latter unfortunately. Again it was New Year so again you can't move anywhere for getting wet which isn't great when you get off the coach and immediately some drunken or drugged up joker from Milton Keynes or somewhere runs up and pours water over you and your backpack. Not a good start and it didn't really improve mainly because of the Westerners that were there, it was like turning up at a student party halfway through and it kind of made us feel a bit old!

Nor did it help that the place we picked to stay, despite only being about $5 a night, was still not worth the money. We had a day there and decided it wasn't for us. Shame really as the scenery is great and probably it is a really nice place but we didn't like it and left after one night.

There were plus points though, we had a good meal over looking the river in the evening when a massive thunderstorm hit the area. We were under shelter so just watched as lightening illuminated the sky a bright purple every minute or so and thunder rolled in over the hills. It was spectacular and easily the best thing about the town. We also met an American bloke on holiday there with his Thai bride. He looked a bit like Lemme from Motorhead but was actually a nice guy, not only that but his job of International Property Developer is the one that I would love to have. He was based in Phuket and Chicago and said we could have his driver if we made it to Phuket which we might try and take him up on.

So only one night and then to Luang Prabang, reckoned by many to be one of the best places in Asia and we've been there four days right now and it is great, so it was definately the right move to leave when we did.