Our first impressions of Vientiane weren't good. After the beautiful and tranquil Luang Prabang it seemed to have very little to commend it - a ramshackle city without much of a discernible centre or character. Second impressions were a little better but it remains one of our less favourite spots. We spent some time visiting the sights - the Sisaket Wat which is the oldest and only one to survive the Siamese occupation was quite distinctive and lovely: the ol...

We flew from Hanoi to Luang Prabang in Laos. At the airport Roger was somewhat bemused and gratified when a little Vietnamese boy asked to have his photo taken with him. I'm not sure whether he mistook him for David Beckham, Daniel Craig or maybe John Candy or whether he just found the sight of a six foot two genial giant with his happy Buddha tummy (although not much of that remains) an inspiring photo opportunity! Luang Prabang is lovely - such a culture ...