The 5 hour mini-van journey from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng reveals Laos’ mountainous terrain. Slowly climbing the winding mountain roads gives breathtaking views of rolling countryside and untouched lands. Roadside villages appear every 15 or so miles giving you a passing insight into their happy lives of near poverty – they bathe with hose pipes, live in shacks and are surrounded by their livestock of hens and cockerels. To a Western eye this seems disadvantageous but the Laos people laugh almost as much as their Thai neighbours and seem to find fun in everything they do.

When the sun went down 3 hours into our journey, the scenery disappeared and the winding roads became arduous and More >