Arrived at 9pm into Oh La La bar where 23 people (yes 23!) were playing killer pool. The rules were clearly designed to get patrons drunk: miss a shot and down a whisky; pot a ball and down a whisky; win the game for a crate of beer and whisky!! Vang Vieng is all about drinking and partying.

The main reason, probably the only reason, to take the trouble to get to Vang Vieng, is actually for a day time event and not a night time one. The town is infamous for riding down river on an inner tube and popping into the riverside bars along the way. See a bar you like, tube in, have some drinks and enjoy the music and dancing, tube out. As the day progresses and alcohol consumption increases, tubers start using the high diving boards, death slides and rope swings to enter the water in spectacular fashion. Just be careful of the unmarked underwater rocks!

Despite there being more than 10 bars down the river, it seems that 90% of all revellers stick to just the first three bars. This being in part due to the fact that an inner tube is not needed to visit them and because the other bars are not being promoted effectively. It’s a shame that tubing is going out of the window in favour of the first 3 bars and I hope that the downstream bars up their game to bring tubing back into fashion.

At the end of the tubing day, Vang Vieng’s nightlife comes alive. The order of play seemed to be Oh La La Bar, Q Bar and then Sunset Bar. These places have established themselves as the best circuit and are promoted during the day at bars 1, 2 and 3 on the river. I imagine they are all owned by the same person.

As with all bars in Laos, 11.30pm is closing time so it is not advisable to sleep after a hard days tubing as you don’t have time to get back out before everything closes down. This results in days merging into nights and drinking sessions lasting from 1pm ish to 11pm ish every day. There is little else to do in Vang Vieng and that is what the majority of people are there for. It’s a great place if you are mad for it.

When the sun went down 3 hours into our journey, the scenery disappeared and the winding roads became arduous and slow going. Bizarrely our driver only put his foot down when he was aggressively overtaking vehicles with his hand on the horn and bumper inches away from his target. In one case he harrassed a motorbike over-flowing with products from a roadside market for 3 minutes before the biker accepted that she couldn’t outrun him. I would have let him past after 10  seconds.

It was impossible to sleep in the minivan as all seats were occupied and the twisting roads had your head bouncing from side to side every few seconds. Our journey finally ended at Vang Vieng bus station at 8pm, some 7 hours after our 1pm departure. It should have taken 5 hours but our full van and slow driver killed time. I would advise anyone taking the trip to catch an earlier service to travel in daylight and travel faster. The temperature will of course be a trade-off.

1. 5 hour minibus from Chiang Mai guesthouse to Thailand / Laos border area.
2. Overnight stay at guesthouse (included in price).
3. 10 minute minibus to border crossing at Chiang Khong, Thailand.
4. Cross Mekong River to Huay Xai in Laos and go through chaotic immigration and passport control. Process, if you can call it that, takes approx 90 minutes. Enter the immigration office and don’t be too alarmed when a random Laos ‘official’ (who is not wearing a uniform) takes your passport from you – he should hand it to the immigration desk with your completed arrival paperwork to get your visa. Visa on arrival costs $35 USD; you can pay in Thai Baht or Laos Kip but USD is preferred. Once you have a visa, hand your passport to passport control and get your inbound stamp. Now walk 20 yards and show your passport to another passport desk, before another 20 yards where you hand your passport to the slow boat check-in desk. The check-in desk keeps your passport.
5. 5 minute tuk-tuk ride to a restaurant near the slow boat. Here you get your passport back and will be presented with a sales pitch by a well-spoken Laos chap who will tell you that the slow boat journey takes a lot longer than your Thai travel agent told you and that it is in arduous trip. It’s a good job that he is able to help you by selling you over-priced accommodation in Pak Beng the slow boat overnight stop. Most people accepted his ‘help’ and paid 300 baht for a room (this is 50% or so over the odds).
6. 6 hour slow boat ride to Pak Beng for overnight stay. If the boat is packed it’s pretty uncomfortable unless you get one of the car seats that look like they came from a Ford Transit van. We were unlucky to have a packed boat but lucky that we joined a big group of Kiwi’s who had bought 6 bottles of whisky (1 GBP each!!!) and a pack of cards for the journey. The journey flew by!
7. Overnight stay in a guesthouse at Pak Beng. We declined the sales pitch before the boat journey and followed a sales girl when the boat docked to a great place which cost only 200 baht per night (4 GBP) for a new looking twin room with ensuite bathroom. Pak Beng is remote and small and everything shuts early so eat on arrival.
8. 8 hour slow boat from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang. Not easy with a hangover but at least the boat was not as packed as the first day and I managed to secure a Transit van seat.

On arrival in Luang Prabang we didn’t have any accommodation pre-booked and after some aimless wondering took a tuk-tuk to the Lonely Planet recommendations. They were all full. Fortunately there was a good one across the road and we booked in for the night. Our host provided a delicious free evening meal for us all too. I wish I could remember the name - when I do I will add it. 

Luang Prabang is a developed town with good roads, fully functioning sewage systems and Western style toilets, a meandering river and some good restaurants and bars. Worth particular mention is Utopia a river side bar over two levels filled with plants, meandering walkways and a young crowd. A well kept volleyball court and game is usually in full swing and anyone can join in – the standard isn’t great! Utopia, like all other bars in Laos, closes at 11.30pm in accordance with Laos laws. Fortunately there is a bowling alley a short tuk-tuk ride away which somehow has an extended license until 3am ish (I lost track of time). We had to wait 2 hours to get a lane as the place was packed with about 150 revellers. Recommended for a visit.

Luang Prabang has numerous temples that were worth seeing and is geared up for visitors with various activities and tours available at good prices. As a stop off point before Vang Vieng, Luang is certainly worth 3 or so days. Next stop for me is Vang Vieng…

Chiang Mai airport is only 3 km from the city and taxi are cheap at 120 baht (approx 2.5 GBP). To bring the cost down (2.50 is a lot in Thailand!) I shared a taxi with 3 other new arrivals and by coincidence we were all headed to the same place – Julie’s Guesthouse – because we had all read Lonely Planet. Once a bar, restaurant, accommodation or activity makes it into Lonely Planet or Rough Guides, it is financially made!!

Julie’s Guesthouse rocked! The rooms were small and simple with basic beds and brightly coloured hostel decor which I wouldn’t normally go for but the unique selling point at Julie’s is the social aspect. As you walk through the door you enter a large common room with pool table, dining tables, bar and lounging beds. There are always people hanging around and a lot of traffic as people try to get a room – it’s best to book in advance in high season (Dec / Jan). The food is good and the drinks are cheap too. The room itself (a triple with one single bed and two bunk beds, basic ensuite) was ony 270 baht (5 GBP)!!

My new roommate and I spent the afternoon looking at a couple of wats (Thai temples) and hitting some golf balls down a driving range! Whilst at the wats we were tempted into a “Monk Chat” – monks make themselves available to tourists for a chat about anything you fancy. We spoke about Buddhism, the 5 main precepts (monks do not lie, steal, drink, kill or have sex), the other 227 precepts and our monks career which already spanned 8 years of his 25 years of age. Being a monk is quite a commitment but is seen as a rite of passage for Thai men and they can call it a day if they choose to raise a family (and lying, drinking, stealing, killing)  instead.

Chiang Mai is very popular destination for hill-tribe trekking so I booked myself on a 2 day, 1 night trek (25 GBP). I wasn’t planning on doing any trekking when I packed my bag in England and this was obvious from my trekking attire – clubbing trainers instead of hiking boots and a laptop style bag instead of a rucksack!

The first day we rode elephants (I balanced on the head/neck which apparently doesn’t bother the elephant at all), trekked through the jungle for 3 hours and bathed in a small waterfall. The trek was tiring and I would not recommend for anyone who is unfit or has a bad heart. After 3 hours of sweat we made it to our hill-tribe village. The hill-tribe lived at approx 900 metres above sea level and were quite cut off from civilisation raising their families and growing rice amongst hens, cockerels and pigs. It was interesting to see their remote way of life away from TV and entertaining themselves with a nightly sing-song. That evening we dined on a bamboo platform above the jungle and entertained by our guides Tong and Weelow who had numerous games lined up. With no polution and a clouldless night the stars lit up the sky and we were very lucky to see an amazing shooting star scorch the entire sky from West to East! Even more amazing was the fact that the hill-tribe were able to provide us with Chang beer… they are not that cut off then!

On the second day of our trek we had to make the descent back to sea level which was tricky oin trainers with no grip. I was slipping and sliding all over the place but thankfully none of them resulted in injury. We passed by a beautiful 20 metre waterfall and took a dip before hitting the water again for white water rafting and bamboo rafting. Unfortunately, the white water rafting was better described as just ‘rafting’ because the water levels were very low and therefore the rapids were not very rapid. To round the day off we had a delicious Pad Thai and a dessert of pineapple before our lift back to town. Overall a great 2 days, fantastic group (no complainers and we all got along well) and good guides in Tony and Weelow. My outfit also held up although my trainersand bag  have now seen better days.

Our trekking group hit the town that night and followed a recommendation to visit the Roof Top Bar near the city’s East Gate. Roof Top is a great place if you like dance music and a young, party crowd. People were dancing from the start to the end and enjoying the usual Thai cocktail buckets – approx 1 litre of cocktail served in a bucket handy for sharing.

With hangover in full swing, it was time to check out of Chiang Mai and head to Laos, more precisely Vang Vieng for the infamous tubing experience. Vang Vieng is a long way from Chiang Mai (maybe 400 km) and transport choices are 24 hour bus ride, flight then 3 hour bus ride, 24 hours of bus and speed boat down the Mekong River, 48 hours of bus and Mekong slow boat with 2 overnight stays along the way. The latter was described as an experience and so I booked myself a place (33 GBP).

I visited Phuket in 2002 and found it to be a very seedy place full of go-go bars, prostitutes and older Western men arm in arm with very young Thai girls. I didn’t want to visit again but opening my mind in 2009 I decided to see how it had changed in 7 years. It has got a lot worse!

I stayed in M&K Guesthouse in a private ensuite double with good decor for 800 baht, approx 16 GBP. M&K is in Patong Beach which I knew would be the centre of Phuket’s night scene and therefore seedy aspects. When I arrived in the main strip I was surprised by the extent of Phuket’s demise over the last 7  years. If you are looking for bars full of young Thai girls / lady boys, prostitution, blaring music and no semblance of taste go to Patong Beach in Phuket. Otherwise avoid.

I opted for the LD Beach bungalows for 600 baht per night (approx 12 GBP) and having dropped my gear in the concrete bungalow, set off to find out what night-time shenanigans Long Beach had to offer. I quickly found out… Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Koh Lanta’s Long Beach is a very long and beautiful beach of near white sand. Restaurants are dotted along the beach edge together with other restaurants and more restaurants. For every 5 restaurants there is a bar. My accommodation guide considered this array of eateries to be nightlife – I think he and I have different criteria! To compliment the restaurants there was an abundance of older couples and families. I was the only English speaking person in the 20 to 40 age bracket. This was will sound like heaven for some but for me, especially having come from Phi Phi and Railay, this was hell.

I jumped on the internet and searched and searched for information on Koh Lanta’s best spots for ‘young and lively’ individuals like myself. There wasn’t much info. I asked friends on Facebook and the few that had been to Lanta advised that I should leave for Koh Tao immediately.

Instead of booknig ferry I picked up all the trip brochures – elephants, snorkeling and waterfalls all sounded appealing so I decided to stick with Lanta for 24 hours. The next day I hired a moped and buzzed around the island. As I jetted along I noticed a barbers shop and stopped for a trim. The trim didn’t go well s the barber spoke not a word of English. I was alarmed to see the finished product – he had taken a razor to remove all hair within an inch of the ear and also had shaved my facial hair leaving me with a goatee. I looked less than my best!

The plus of spotting the barbers though was that it was located next to Klong Khong beach. I walked through for a commiseration beer and the sunset and found myself on a beach with some life!! There were beach bars, bars and Thai massage offerings… there was a laid back vibe and the old people and families were replaced by backpackers. Yee hah, this was the place for me.

I found the Lanta Emerald bungalows and booked myself into a brand new concrete bungalow with two double beds, great bathroom, good furniture and loads of space. All for only 700 baht (14 GBP). The Emerald is a great place. Very chilled out, nice clientele, friendly staff (except an old chap who was miserable as sin) and something happening in the bar each night. The Emerald also had a swimming pool which was useful because Klong Khong beach is rocky and swimming is not great when the tide is out.

With time on my hands I chilled by the pool and took the 4 islands snorkel trip by speedboat. This was a full day trip with a visit to a cave (Emerald Cave) in the middle of a limestone cliff accessible only by swimming down a pitch black 40 yard twisting tunnel. The swim is not for the faint-hearted but the result is worth it.

Overall Koh Lanta is a chilled out island that does not compare in anyway to the nightlife of Phi Phi and Railay. In hindsight the 4 nights I spent there were ideal to recouperate from the previous week of excess. Go to Koh Lanta to relax, read a book and get a suntan. If you want to party, look elsewhere.

After Phuket and Phi Phi I expected the ferry to draw alongside a pier to disembark… this is not the case at Railay. Instead several longtail boats approached from the shore to transfer passengers and their luggage to the beach. As the longtails got closer, the scenery unfolded further and became even more impressive.

In Phi Phi you are met at the pier by hawkers trying to sell you their accommodation… this is not the case at Railay. There was nobody selling anything and we therefore had to wonder off into the small town in search. Luckily we only looked at one bad place before finding the Phurit Resort set 5 minutes from the beach at the side of a cliff face and climbing centre (Railay is great for climbers). At 650 baht (13 GBP) for a nice twin bed bungalow it was a no-brainer so I moved in with fellow travellers from my longtail boat.

Railay is a very small place formed of East and West beaches – West is best (as the saying goes in London) with a fine sand beach, whereas East is almost sandless with lots of mangroves. Only around 10 places to stay in the entire Railay area and I counted only 5 bars with only two of those worth a serious look.

Aside from taking serious looks at the bars, I hiked to the viewpoint with a couple of friends to take in the view of both East and West beaches from a cliff-side spot with only a thin rope protecting the wary climber from a fall to the death. UK health and safety would have a field day on this one; in fact the pen-pushing bureauprats  would have a field day on 90% of Thailand’s activities! After the viewpoint, we hiked down into the lagoon that is set inside the limestone cliffs. The hike / clamber involves a bit of abseiling and is not recommended for anyone who cannot support their own body weight on a rope without any harnesses. There were a couple of points where I had to adopt a blind faith attitude and even spoke to some climbers who had bailed out during their descent. Do not try the hike with flip-flops – I did so and found that I was losing my footing all over the place. The lagoon itself is worth the 45 minute effort as you do get the sense of an almost prehistoric world that few have witnessed (even though 100+ visit every day!). Take a swim in the lagoon to wash off the sweat of the climb.

Railay restaurants are hit and miss. I sent food back in the Diamond Cave Resort restaurant when a burger was pink and also sent a pizza back when the base was simply dough. This may sound like I was dining on Western food only but let me assure you that this was a brak from my norm of delicious Thai cuisine. BTW, prices were approx half of current UK prices for meals; wine though was the same price as UK.

After 4 nights in Railay’s Phurit Resort, it was time to move on. I was torn between learning to dive in Koh Tao or Koh Lanta. At 10 hours by ferry, bus and ferry Koh Tao lost out to Koh Lanta which is just 2 hours away. Aboard the ferry to Lanta I felt again a great sense of being lucky to be doing what I am doing. Travelling, particularly by boat, is an exciting experience… one does not know what is coming next and is excited to find out. ..

Stayed in a very cheap hostel up a very steep hill – the Golden Hill Bungalows were booked through HostelBookers and cost only 6 pounds per night to stay in a 4 bed room (2 bunk beds). My room-mates were friendly and good for a beer and  the Golden Hill had a good bar. The downside though was the bed – my back almost gave out and I had to eventually upgrade to a double room with a real bed and good mattress. Cost… a whopping 13 pounds per night. Got a great nights sleep in there after being awake with back painin the dorm. You always get what you pay for!

As I mentioned, The Golden Hill are up a steep hill and the trek up and don each day combined with the 300+ steps to the viewpoint over the island left my calve mussels killing me. Great view from the top and a beautiful garden to admire so it was worth it. Do not try it with a hang over though… I only just survived without one!!

PhiPhi itself has changed dramatically since I was last here in 2002. Development is rife and unstructured to the point where I don’t believe there is an architect or a  spirit level on the island! Maybe it was the rush to get things going again after the Tsunami but they should have taken a little time in planning.

There are lots and lots of bars, dive shops, restaurants, boats, day trips and tourists. Loads of them! Bar prices are expensive if you choose anything than a Thai beer or a bucket of cocktail (yes I did say bucket, a bit like a fishbowl in Greece!) which are both relatively cheap at 1 pound for a beer and average 5 pounds for a bucket. Corona on the other hand was 2 pounds per bottle. 

You have to get out of the main strip to get away from the hordes and sadly the boat trips to Maya Bay (where the film The Beach was filmed) and ever other ’secluded’ spot are overrun with visitors. If you are looking for a good night spot with loads of young people (average age around 25) then Phi Phi is perfect. If you want deserted island paradise look elsewhere.

Now I am on my way to the ferry to visit Railay bay and paddle through the mangroves and explore the hidden karst lagoons…

First stop Kuala Lumpur… I was going to make this a one night stay and get out as a few people had told me it was rubbish. However, at the last minute I was promised a delightful time if I found my way to Bukit Bintang and the Batu Caves. I booked a hostel in Bukit Bintang (the Paradiso bed and breakfast) and went out to explore KL when I arrived at 11pm.

The Petronas Towers are amazing! They look spectacular from every angle, particularly from directly underneath them! I made my way to the Sky Bar at the Traders Hotel to view them from the heavens but couldn’t get near the windows as all tables were reserved. Usually I could see over the top of other people being 6′ 2″ but at the Sky Bar a swimming pool separates the window seats from the riff-raff (me) in the rest of the bar! Sky Bar was impressive but ridiculously expensive at 6 quid for a Heineken!

I did some more walking as every tourist should. Kuala Lumpur seems a very safe place to be. There are hundreds of people milling everywhere all the time and not one hint of aggression or altercation as you would find in London. It’s very impressive in that sense. Impressed I called it a night.

Day two – I woke up deciding that I after one more day here I would be bored so I booked my next destination – Phi Phi in Thailand. Still had to fill the day so went to the Batu Caves. The 272 step climb wasn’t so bad and the monkeys running around the steps were funny. The cave itself is geologically impressive but the statues and other artifacts look like they were put their yesterday so I didn’t know whether I was looking at something I should be impressed by. I know the caves were discovered 150 years ago but when were the statues added and when was all the concrete and fairground like stalls and lighting dropped in?

I did get to see some good Kabadi being played on leaving the caves which made the trip worthwhile.

Had a look round Chinatown and a bite to eat – cheap as chips and delicious!! Approx 1.50 pounds for a chicked and fried rice meal !!

Now it’s bed time in readiness for flight to Phuket, boat to Phi Phi and hopefully learning to dive…

In a straw poll of the audience only 1 delegate owned up to liking the name. Most seemed to believe that a keyword based name would be better. We are not going to change the name but we are going to improve the logo to help people see the meaning of sletoh.

The current logo mentions our slogan “hotels back to front” but the font is clearly too small as nobody could see it, even with the site displayed on a massive screen during the exhibition.

sletoh.com Original Logo

We have therefore started the process of a logo re-design. The main aims are:

1. Better recognition of ’sletoh’ being ‘hotels’ backwards.
2. Larger font for the slogan ‘hotels back to front’.
3. Clarity of web address.

Here are the designs that we have been looking at. Which do you prefer or should we start again from scratch?