From Vientiane I caught a local bus (complete with chickens and motorbikes on board) to Vang Vieng - backpackers paradise! The scenery here is amazing and there is plenty of cool things to do other than sit in restaurants watching friends DVDs on loop and getting drunk. And everything is ridiculously cheap!

On the first day I went on a kayaking trip down the river and tubing inside a cave. Sat in big rubber rings and paddled along into the cliff face for about a kilometer into the water cave - freezing cold and dark! Back on the river we got to kayak past all the crazy drunken backpackers tubing and raving along the river, thinking how old we were and wishing we'd gone there 5 years ago!

The next day I actually went tubing down the river with all the drunken backpackers with a girl I met on the kayak tour. We had a few drinks but not too much and made it back before dark! Didn't risk any of the crazy rope swings/slides as heard a couple of people died there recently from stupid drunken stunts! Had an amazing day but ruined at the end when a little b****** kid robbed my friend as she got out of her tube - luckily she did get stuff back a few days later thanks to the cops!

Finally I hired a 'mountain bike' (total crap) for the day and cycled round a few caves and cool swimming holes - very bumpy tracks and hot so took a while. Also got a bit lost and had to cross a river with my bike before giving up and going back the way I came!

Booming music kept me up at night and talking minor birds woke me up at dawn with 'good morning', 'hello', 'sabay dee', wolf whistling etc! Lovely place tho - would have stayed longer but limited time so must keep moving...