Laos update

:: Beautiful Luang Prabang ::

We caught an early bus from Luang Namtha to Pakmeng intending to connect with a tuk tuk to take us to our final riverside destination of Nong Khiaw that evening. After spending an hour watching locals load goods and a motorbike onto the roof of the bus we were all set to go. At 9am (an hour later than we'd been informed the bus would depart) the entire tourist population of the town suddenly appeared and boarded the same bus. It very weird to see so many westerners around, almost out numbering locals, and strange to actually understand what everyone is saying. It was also annoying that everyone else had the correct information and an hour extra in bed.

Having a big group of backpackers on the bus turned out to be a stroke of luck when we reached Pakmeng when the only tuk tuk driver in town wanted over a hundred thousand kip per truckload of foreigners he ferried on to the next destination Nong Khiaw. Without a group you're forced to pay big or simply wait for people to randomly turn up.

We stopped for a night in Nong Khiaw before taking a small long boat up river one hour to the village of Muang Ngoi. Each expedition on these long boats feels like a Guinness World Record attempt for most amount of tourists ever squashed into a small space. Sitting knee to knee opposite someone else your forced into the foetal position. Not matter how uncomfortable you look there is always a guy motioning you to squeeze along a little further so he can make room for 5 more tourists with gigantic backpacks. When everyone is wedged in tight the ticket collection begins causing uproar as people desperately try and elbow their way into their own pockets.

:: Our View ::

The squashing, squeezing and loss of feeling to the rear end was more than worth it though. Arriving up the river to the small town of Muang Ngoi we could see lots of little wooden bungalows with hammocks perched high above the river. 20 minutes later and less than 2 euros a night the worse off we were swinging in our hammocks enjoying the scenery.

:: Ours is the one with the biggest roof ::

Mong Ngoi village can only be reached by boat making it a sleepy isolated little town. Limited electricity (6pm to 10pm) adds to the appeal; after 10pm the village is lit by candles and torch lights. From a tourists perspective it's a fantastic place, lots of trekking, lovely beaches, clear river water to swim in, kayaking, tours and many riverside restaurants to eat in. We did all of the above but our favourite activity was walking up river before sunset and floating back down with the current to our bungalow.


We're in Luang Prabang city now... we got here a few days ago after a taking a slow boat down river. This 6 hour trip (made all the more pleasant by lots of leg room and cushions) took us past numerous small villages and through the beautiful Laos countryside. A couple of times we had to disembark so the boat could be navigated through rapids or shallow waters. In one such village all the kids rushed into the river to push the boat along past the shallows. Obviously the highlight of their day ... and a source of some pocket money.

Arriving in Luang Prabang late in the afternoon we started the usual search for accommodation. We soon realised how complacent we've become, we've always had a choice of places to stay no matter how late we've arrived into a new place. Finding accommodation in LP is a full on foot race where no one takes any prisoners. I've never seen such a squeeze for accommodation. Scores of backpackers were roaming the streets with their bags all getting a "no room in the inn" response. It was impossible to get away from the crowd. In the end I stuck with the bags and Marcus went off in search .. he ended up running into places ahead of people with bags trying to pip them. Eventually he found a hotel who only had a room because they had mislaid the key. There's a big turnover every morning but come 6pm in the evening you have to feel sorry for today's new arrivals forced to wander around in heat.

:: Monks passing a Papadum maker ::

Luang Prabang is the same beautiful charming city that I passed through 6 years ago. Thankfully the no high rises or department stores muscled they way in over the years. The old quarter is particularly attractive with it's leafy streets, funky restaurants and cafes and decorative wats. Hundreds of orange clad monks with black umbrellas fill the streets adding to the uniqueness of this city.

We're waiting for our Vietnam visas at the moment, once we have them in hand we'll depart south for Vang Vieng. This place has long been known as a backpacker hangout, over the years it's become more western and touristy and these days people either love it or despise it. We're going in with an open mind, to be honest, gently tubing down the Mekong and watching some reruns of "Friends" doesn't sound like the worst way to while away an hour or two. Who knows... we'll let you know how we get on!