The journey to Luang Prabang was about 5.5 hours along a bumpy, windy road up through the mountains. I particularly notived it being bumpy as I had a great big steel bar running under my seat which would lodge itself deeper into my behind with every bump and grimd of the minibus. However, the journey was worth it when we got there as Luang Prabang appeared to be lovely. Set on the Mekong River, Luamg Prabang is a small town with a quaint French colonial fe...

The journey to Vang Vieng was fairly uneventful. Just read a bit more of my book, listened to music and gazed at the beautiful scenery to pass the 3.5 hours away. On arrival, it was dark, so very difficult to get your bearings and work out where you are. Rob and Carla from Vientiane had given me a lead on where to stay,which was helpful as it was only around the corner from where the bus dropped us off. Once I had checked into what must be the best value ...

I arrived in Laos early in the morning after a very early wake up call from the taxi at 05:30 to take me to the airport. I wasn't flying until 08:30, so I ended up getting to the airport far too early, so much so the checking desks were not even open. Fortunately, this gave me some time to grab breakfast as I suspected it would be along day ahead. Arriving in a country with absolutely no currency would have scared the living daylights out of me several mon...

It was a really nice flight from Nha Trang to Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines and we sailed through customs and baggage collection, in record time. Stanstead Airport could really learn something from these guys! I knew that the airport was quite some distance from the town centre, so had to negotiate adeal in a minibus packed full of people for about a pound (30,000 Dong). Along the way, I witnessed the usual hustle and bustle of city life, similar to Ho Chi M...

Before getting to the train station I was nervous about who I would have to share a carriage with on the train. I knew that there would only be two others, but they could have been axe murderers or something - and I was supposed to sleep? On arrival my dorm buddies were present and I was relieved immediately. They introduced themselves politely (who's names I forgot immediately) in a slight Australian accent. I was carrying a bottle of water, they were carryi...