So we never got round to leaving Nong Khiaw after Tash picked up an impressive bug.... Three days later she's made it out of our room for the first time since we tried to get the bus. Hoping now to get the day bus back to Luang Prabang tomorrow and with any luck straight through to Vientiane the same day. There are definitely worse places to be stuck for a few days!

Friday morning (16th) we got the morning bus up to Nong Khiaw, a bumpy, windy and beautifully stunning 3 hour drive from Luang Prabang. The 75000 kip (£6) fare seemed rather steep after the cheap travel prices we got used to in Thailand, however when we arrived we realised it was worth every penny. Nong Khiaw is a tiny town, with two roads nestled in between stunning mountains. I may have had a *slight* strop when we arrived at the guest house we had booked aft...