Post Travel Part 1: What's in the Bag?

Before embarking on our travels I read in a lot of places that people tend to take too much stuff with them. A huge rucksack on their backs, a smaller one on their fronts is the common approach.

I didn't want to take too much any way but the decision was made easy for me when I realised how much more flights cost when you have baggage. You basically pay about 10% extra for the privilege of putting your bags in the hold. I looked into the carry on luggage allowance and found out that it varied between 7kg and 10kg. The size was consistent across airlines: 56cm x 36cm x 23cm. Surely that's enough isn't it?

So, now was the time for a practice pack following the simple rule:

"Put everything you think you will need on the bed, then halve it."

You have to be pretty damn strict with yourself at the first stage too. It feels like you haven't got enough but trust me, you've probably got too much. Any way, let's move on...

The Bag:

I used my very old and tatty bag. This was well within the dimensions for carry on luggage which helped limit the total weight. I did have to sew it up a bit whilst on the road but this helped pass the time on the long journeys. Got some funny looks from the locals and fellow westerners but that was part of the fun really.

Here it is:

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The Contents Part 1:

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Here's my list (roughly left to right and roughly in rows). Note that this is how it ended up after the four months of travel so the contents had been fine-tuned.

• A5 Note pad, DVD of diving course*, carrier bags, duck tape, AA batteries, travel towel, phone charger and travel adapter, iPod, iPod wire
• Resealable bag containing: eye mask, beer bottle tops*, travel soap, travel shampoo sachets, nail clippers
• Metal tin containing: needles, strong polyester thread, spare phone batteries, yahtzee dice, headphone socket converter*, post-it page markers, SDHC memory cards, card reader, memory stick, imitation iTrip, lucky travel thing, UK SIM card
• Resealable bag containing: carabinas, minature screwdriver, hooks from coat hangers, 5m length of strong string/cord
• Strong carrier bag**, various papers, wet wipes, napkins, hand sanitizer, maps, various papers, various cards, spare mobile phone, headphones, various papers, playing cards, earplugs, bamboo instrument*, gorilla pod, pain killers and anti-malarials**, mosquito net**, sunglasses pouch, maglite torch, spare torch, 2 small padlocks, 2 transparent resealable bags**
• Resealable bag containing: camera battery charger, shortened AC lead, camera USB lead
• Sick bag*, passports, 2 pens, pencil, notebook, waterproof pouch*, 5 passport photos, 4 photocopies of passport, various papers, plastic cable ties
• Resealable bag containing: tea bags, creamer, sugar, various sauces
• Resealable bag containing: various sizes of elastic bands**
• Wallet.

* These items were collected during the trip

** Items of comment: Strong carrier bag was used as a cover for my bag. It was clipped on via the side straps and worked incredibly well; Pain killers, 1 packet of paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin lasted the two of us easily, we also had Malarone (anti-malarials) which were fine for us; Mosquito net, probably wouldn't take it again as only used it three or four times. It did pack up very small and was nice to know you had it; Transparent resealable bags were used for getting 100ml liquid containers passed security and on to flights; Elastic bands, so useful, just take 20 or so of varying sizes and you'll be laughing.

The Contents Part 2

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• Factor 50 sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrush, strong mosquito repellent, weak mosquito repellent*
• Green t-shirt, dark grey polyester trousers, belt
• Light grey shorts, long sleeved black cotton shirt, sunglasses
• Swimming shorts, Lonely Planet**, orange t-shirt, short sleeved camel cotton shirt, grey t-shirt, black hiking trainers
• Goggles, grey jumper, camel polyester trousers which convert into shorts, silk sleeping sack**, sandals*
• Green cap, 4 pairs of boxers, 4 pairs of socks, red bag.

* These items were collected during the trip
** Lonely Planet was at times useful and at times a waste of time; silk sleeping sack was very light and thin so you didn't get hot in them. They were great to use if you thought the bed may be bug ridden.

Note: The only thing missing from these photos are my camera, for obvious reasons.

If anyone wants details of a particular item or has questions just add a comment.

Benefits

Here are some of the benefits of having carry on luggage only:

1. Speed: No need to hang around the carousels at baggage reclaim - just walk off the plane, get through immigration and passport control and off you go. Same goes for buses - keep your bag at your seat/on your lap rather than having it put on the roof or under the bus.
2. Security: As the bag is always with you, you can be pretty sure that no-one is going through it and stealing valuables. I have heard stories of people having stuff stolen from their bags on night ferry crossings from Ko Phanghan to Surat Thani and also on various night coach journeys.
3. Size: South East Asia is hot. Damn hot. Hotter than the sun. Imagine carrying a huge and heavy bag on your back and a small one up front in a sauna. Not fun. With a small bag it is so much easier to get around, plus you get to laugh at those people who have not only got a huge bag but a big red, angry face and are clearly thinking to themselves "I hate this damn bag!"/"It's so bloody hot!".
4. Freedom: A small bag means no laptop (I suppose you could fit in an iPad but whipping that out in South East Asia will make you look like bit of a knob, and a rich knob at that). No laptop means a) you don't book hotels in advance (a very good thing) and b) you don't miss half of your travels due to spending time glued like a pixel junkie to Facebook and catching up on what colour Sam from Scunthorpe has dyed her hair, etc.
5. Organisation: As you only have a few things, you get to know their place in your bag. Also when it comes to packing up and moving on (and you do this a lot!), it's dead easy.

There are bound to be more benefits but that's all I can think of now.

At the end of our trip I can honestly say that I didn't need anything that I didn't have in the bag. The only two limitations I can think of were that I would have liked my big SLR camera and that I would have liked my Swiss army knife (no scissors, knives, etc allowed in cabin). That's it really.

For completeness, here is Claire's bag. She should have done a girls version but couldn't be bothered! Maybe she'll write up what she had at a later date. Her tip is "Take crap clothes that you don't mind getting rid of because you will buy new clothes out there"

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Bangkok - the Seedy Side.

Arrived into Bangkok and got off at the train station as we didn't really want to stay on Khao San Road again. We only had one night so thought there was little point in heading to that area. Walked around for a few minutes and couldn't find any decent accommodation so just hopped on a tuk tuk and headed to the Khao San Road.
Found a guesthouse which had air conditioning and then headed out for dinner. Ate at the place opposite and then enquired about ping pong shows. Must have got scammed by a tuk tuk driver on this because he told us that they had been made illegal and there are only a few left. Saw his list of 'tricks' and after twenty minutes of travel we arrived at some dodgy looking club. Haggled on the price and got 25% off the ticket. It seemed a bit easy to haggle so no doubt the price was still inflated.
Was quite glad to see plenty of other westerners and back packers in the club as it really did feel a bit dodgy. Got our 'free drink', a tiny little vodka and redbull, and took our seats. The show was fairly amusing but mainly just a bit weird. Whistle blowing, 10 metres of rope pulling, balloon popping and bottle opening were amongst the tricks on display during the 45 minute show which then looped over and over again. They must get bored surely!
Got a lively tuk tuk back to base and went for some drinks. Saw a really good two piece band play many an indie classic and then had a walk up and down the Khao San Road armed with a big bottle of Leo (not Chang this time). Met loads of people and just hung out all night. Got another rigourous Thai massage in the gents but this was more brutal than the one I had in Chiang Mai - they tried to crack my hip joints or something but I managed to wriggle out of it and escape. It was like being in Wrestle-Mania or something. They are very thorough.
It got light so we knew it was late (or early) so went to bed. Decided to pay half room rate so that we good stay until 6pm. Woke up at about 1pm and went through our bags chucking out anything we didn't need so that we made the 7kg hand luggage weight limit.
Checked out but forgot to get back my 200 baht key deposit - gutted! I wonder how many people do the same thing. Enquired about a bus to the airport and were told that due to traffic jams it can take three hours. Hmmm, bit worrying so opted to take the airport train link. Got the same lively tuk tuk driver to the train station and then boarded the train. Very clean and efficient.
Arrived at the airport over four hours before our flight so had lots of time to kill. Had some miso soup and then went to Burger King for dinner - classy I know! Bangkok airport is huge - it takes a lot of time to get to your gate but it's air conditioned so at least you aren't sweating like a pig. Boarded the plane late and took off waving goodbye to the enormous and mad city of Bangkok, then to Thailand, then to the entire region of South East Asia.
Didn't sleep too much on the plane but got more than Claire who wasn't feeling too good. Landed in Melbourne at 10am and got Claire's barking deer teeth that she found on our second trek through customs (the guy even went and gave them a brush for us). Bought a tram pass (Myki). We were immediately stunned by how quiet everything seemed. Quiet and clean. What a contrast to Bangkok.
Got back to Joel and Debs house in Port Melbourne and am currently typing this blog on a laptop. So much easier than using my phone!
Bangkok, our third flying visit, was lots of fun. The ping pong show was pretty crap to be honest but its now ticked off the list of things to do. The night out in the Khao San Road area was really good fun and it was nice to end our South East Asian travels with a big party. The city of Bangkok is huge - it seems to go on forever. Seeing it at night from the sky was really nice but being in the middle of the chaos was quite hard work. We didn't see many sights except those we passed in the many tuk tuks we rode in.
To summarise Thailand the second time round I'd say that it was just as good as our first visit in April. The North of the country is certainly cheaper and friendlier but the Eastern Gulf island of Ko Chang was very nice too. Bangkok doesn't change - it's always busy, always loud and always hot. I'd take it or leave it to be honest.
Next up, a round up of the travels and maybe some photos. Hope you've enjoyed reading this blog.

Ko Chang, our Final Beach.

First of all let me explain the journey. The night train from Chiang Mai was enjoyable. A 2nd class sleeper was nice enough. Had a good meal and drank Hong Thong (whiskey) and coke. Train arrived into Bangkok four hours late.

Next was a public bus to Victory Monument to catch a minibus to Trat. This was kind of painless but slow due to the traffic. Found the minibus stop and about an hour later were on the road to Trat. Driver was yet another wanker. So fast despite the heavy rain. Reached Trat and continued to the ferry terminal.

Missed the car ferry by seconds so had to wait for the next one. Took about half an hour to reach the island of Ko Chang from where we got a sangtheuw to Lonely Beach.

Total journey time: 26 hours. Time flies by.

Found a hut to stay in, went for dinner and slept pretty well. Woke up and couldn't find a beach, just rocks. Had lunch and generally did very little.

The second day we got up late and had lunch. Got back to our hut and had a shower. Mid way through the shower Claire mentioned an ant problem. Got out of shower and realised that the problem was more a crisis. Millions of ants had found our emergency toffee which we'd had for the whole trip. They were everywhere. Pants, socks,etc covered in the little fockers.

Claire was not feeling to good (conveniently) so antageddon was up to me. Took ages to rid the place of them and in the heat of battle I needed to have seven shower breaks to cool down.

Most of the day was lost so we just had some drinks, well actually a lot of drinks, and partied. Had a great night out and woke up feeling rough.

Finally found the beach and it was just brilliant to run into the sea again. The waves were pretty big and it was fun to get wiped out, catch breath and get wiped out again. It was a great beach and an even better sunset. Got a few mossie bites but Tiger balm saved the day. What a great substance Tiger balm is. Works miracles on bites.

It's our last evening here on Ko Chang as I write this (told you I was up to date) and I'm sat in a plush chair on a balcony listening to the waves crash and recede. We've been to the beach again and played in the waves. Had a nice dinner at a beach side restaurant and walked back in the dark narrowly avoiding some buffalos.

We moved lodgings today as Claire was a bit unwell. This new place is very nice. Right on the sea front and has a fridge. My Chang beer has remained cold all day.

Tomorrow we head to Bangkok for one night before flying to Melbourne late on the 24th July.

Ko Chang has been a pleasure. As with most of Thailand the people have been more than friendly, the quality of food has been good and the weather has remained great (too hot at times though). The accomodation is cheap and of decent standard. Lonely Beach is really cool. Shame it took us so long to find the actual beach! Glad we ended on an island as it's just brilliant to be here.

Next up, Bangkok, Ping Pong shows and dirty Ho's

Twice in Chiang Mai and a Healthy Slice of Pai

Chiang Mai Part I

Landed in Chiang Mai and got through immigration very quickly. Having no luggage to collect makes things so much easier. Got a sangtheuw into the old town and as Claire was still not well we grabbed the first guesthouse we saw.

The place had a swimming pool and air conditioning but a bit of a whiff and very scatty staff. Had some crap pasta at the guesthouse and went to bed.

I decided we should move guesthouse as for half the price you can get a decent place. Packed all our stuff up and made the move. Claire thankfully liked the new guesthouse more.

Played doctor again and went on a reconnasance of the old town. It's seemed a really nice and bustling town. Lots of street vendors, smiling faces and generally just a good vibe.

The next day Claire was feeling a bit better so we ventured out and visited some wats. Had a delicious lunch in a cute little cafe which had hummingbirds nesting in one of the trees. Took many photos of the chicks getting fed spiders and the like. Note to self, must upload photos! Walked around the vast Sunday market and got Claire a t-shirt. I tried some local grub but it wasn't too good.

Got back to our neck of the woods and realised the men's wimbledon final was on so watched a bit of that before going back to our guesthouse. A couple of guys were watching it there so I had a few beers with them. Claire had relapsed a bit so went to bed.

After a few whiskey and cokes with Dave and Tom, they asked if I wanted to go out to a Thai disco with them and Eva, the owner of our guesthouse. I succumbed to peer pressure and off we went.

The disco was more a live music venue and the Thai rock band were actually pretty decent. Can't remember their name though. The weirdest thing was paying a visit to the bog. Whilst washing my hands, four Thai guys who work there give you a seriously brutal massage, clicking my shoulders, neck, etc. I had been warned but it was still a bit of a shock. Felt really loosened up afterwards. Maybe Thai massages aint so bad after all.

Got home at about 3am and spoke to Dave for ages before heading to bed. Claire was awake, a bit worried about where I was. Oops.

Had some breakfast at a sushi place and had some awful tempura vegetables including tempura oven chips, undercooked. Got a tuk tuk to the bus station and boarded the minibus up to a place called Pai.

Pai

The road from Chiang Mai to Pai is extremely steep and relentlessly windy. It took four hours to get there. I was starving so we went to a restaurant called the Witching Well. It was delicious food and Claire got a pot of herbal tea which was also good.

Had some beers at Yellow Sun Reggae bar and met Nelson the barman. He was cool as were the other staff who worked there and two kids called Malay and Ban. We spent most evenings here.

Met a couple of Belgian girls and got chatting about doing a trek. Had a bit of a bar crawl with them (Lio and Lena) and spoke to a photographer selling his prints in the street. There are many arty types in Pai. It's hard to walk ten yards without stopping to look at something arty.

Claire arranged with the girls to go to yoga the next morning. I watched James Bond on tv. Much more fun. Whilst Claire was at yoga I hired a moped and drove way out of town to a fishing lake that had big piranhas in it. Got a bit lost on the way but found it eventually and spoke to another Dave, the owner.

Headed back to Pai and picked up Claire so we could go fishing. Had great fun fishing and it was so cute when Claire caught her first fish. Big smile on her face. We caught about seven fish in total.

Claire was hooked (so to speak) and we went fishing at the same place a further two times. Both times Claire kicked my ass and caught loads including a two pound snakehead fish. Ugly thing with teeth.

That night we booked a trek with the enigmatic Mr Chart. The guy is nuts but after reading good reviews decided this trek sounded more interesting than the others. We would live in the jungle for two days and learn survival tricks. We would sleep next to a huge waterfall in a bamboo shelter built that very day. Persuaded Lio and Lena to come too. Got an early night in preparation for the trek.

Met early the next morning and Mr Chart was wearing some crazy clobber but seemed in very good spirits (homemade rice whiskey no doubt). The trek was very long and hard. We walked, climbed, swam, fell, visited ethnic tribes (and their angry dogs) all day long over massive mountains and in the searing heat before finally reaching camp. Such a relief to rest!

We went swimming in the waterfall to cool off before making dinner and playing drinking games with the two other guides and Mr Chart. Had many shots of whiskey from bamboo shot glasses and just chatted until the small hours.

The guides went out hunting (yes, they were armed and dangerous) and in the pitch black of the jungle night we all jumped as a single shot rang out. Soon later we saw the kill. A flying fox. Claire not happy. We ate it for breakfast before another tough trek through the mountains to our lift back to civilisation.

It was an epic trek, hard but ultimately rewarding. I had many cuts and bruises to show for my efforts but more importantly a sincere sense of achievement.

Spent another three nights in Pai (the longest we have stayed in one place for our entire trip). On the last day we went elephant trekking. This was great fun but so painful after a few hours on their backs. We had read reviews on Thom's Elephant farm to make sure the beasts are treated kindly. Some other places are a bit mean but this one was top class. We didn't want to ride them using a seat on their back as this apparently hurts them so bareback it was. Their skin is like sandpaper!

We rode through some jungle to a river and then, still on the back of Taddao (our 19 year old and biggest of the lot elephant) waded out into the water. A few commands from our mahout later and we were thrown off into the water and hosed down by her trunk. Played in the water with the elephants for a while then rode back to the camp for a dip in the hot springs.

Got some elephant hugs and waved goodbye. It was such a fun day and a real joy to ride an elephant. They are magnificent creatures. Our money will go on to help the elephants so it was for a good cause too.

Pai was great. One of my favourite places we visited. There is lots to do and the vibe here is special. It's like Glastonbury really. Could have stayed forever!

Chiang Mai Part II

Did the windy journey in reverse and arrived back into Chiang Mai at about 5pm. Went to the train station to get our tickets for the night train which we would catch to Bangkok the day after.

On the way back to the old town Claire found a place that sold cider so we had a couple before going back to the guesthouse we had stayed at the first time around. Fully booked! Bollocks! No worries as we found an even nicer room opposite.

Went for dinner at a mexican place and got tickets to the Muay Thai boxing. This was fun. Watched seven fights and enjoyed them all, especially a skinny French guy versus a huge American guy. This ended in a draw.

The next day we wandered around town heading for the train station. Stopped at a cafe opposite the station for a few changs in the rain then at 4pm boarded the southbound train.

Chiang Mai is a great place. It's busy but not horribly busy. There is lots to do, it's really cheap and there is a good feeling about the place. Much nicer than Luang Prabang.

Next up, Ko Chang, our final beach.

Up North: Luang Prabang and Nong Khiaw

Luang Prabang Part I

Got a double decker bus for the seven hour journey over some huge mountains to Luang Prabang. We hit a dog along the way. Dog presumed dead. Arrived at about 6pm and got a tuk tuk into town. Had to walk through the ethnic handicraft night market which had a head clearance of about five foot so I had to duck all the through it. Annoying.

Had a look at two guesthouses on the main strip and took the second one as it had air conditioning and it was so bloody hot we needed it. Staff were a bit miserable but room was nice.

Headed out for dinner and a look at the town. It's a pretty place with ornate wats here there and everywhere. There are also a lot of old people around dragging their suitcases. The place caters for all types of people.

I ordered a pizza from the hopeless Coconut restaurant and the waiter dropped it as he was coming out of the kitchen. I clearly saw this act of clumsiness but he brought the pizza over anyway minus one of the six slices.
I told him that I'd seen him drop it and he said ok, he'll give me a discount. Nearly burst out laughing when he offered a measly 10% off. The thing was burnt as well and looked bloody awful. I politely refused the deal of the century and requested a new pizza, less burnt and less dropped. Eventually got my pizza and it was horrid, as was Claire's.

It rained in the night and there was a very annoying and loud dripping right outside our window so neither of us slept. Complained in the morning and moved rooms. Second room was just as bad really but we got a bit more sleep thankfully.

In the morning we went to a posh French cafe and Claire had a really nice quiche. The waiter kept topping our glasses up with water as it was unbearably hot. Must have drank about ten glasses in the half an hour we were in there.

Wandered about the town all day and in the evening went to a fashion show at a trendy bar in the entertainment quarter. Cocktails were really tiny and overpriced. Fashion show was ok, all the clothes were made by the various ethnic tribes so it was quite interesting to watch. Had to endure some unfunny American guys talking utter bollocks in the next bar so left and went to bed.

Decided that Luang Prabang was not for us so tried to get a flight out to Thailand. Found out that you have to book three days in advance which presented us with a bit of a dilemma. We didn't want to stay in Luang Prabang but couldn't get out. As we had been recommended it by Malek and Ulrika (friends who we met in Halong Bay and later in Hoi An), we booked a bus even further North to a small town called Nong Khiaw. Had another disappointing meal and another restless night and were glad to leave early the next morning.

UNESCO world heritage site, Luang Prabang was a massive disappointment. Despite it being quite a pretty place, it feels incredibly fake and contrived. Too many things went wrong for us and we just didn't enjoy it at all. We were a bit gutted that we'd have to spend one more night there in order to make our flight to Chiang Mai in Thailand.

Nong Khiaw

It was a nice drive in a minibus up to Nong Khiaw and we arrived in heavy rain. Fortunately it eased and we quickly realised why the place is recommended. We thought Vang Vieng was scenic but this was on another level altogether. Enormous karsts rising all around the tiny village and the river winding through the middle. Simply stunning.

Decided to stay on the other side of the river from Nong Khiaw as there were nicer bungalows and more restaurants. Our bungalow was gorgeous. Right on the riverfront with a hammock from which the view was spectacular. Bought a couple of changs and just relaxed. Had some local sausage and sticky rice for tea. Not bad at all.

Slept really well but soon had a panic when we found out the only internet place was shut as it was low season. With no laptop and a bipolar phone we didn't have a method of booking our flights. Feared that we'd have to stay in Luang Prabang for more than one more night. Asked around and got pointed to a posh resort which thankfully had a computer. Booked plane tickets and took a deep breath.

Went for a long walk in the countryside taking extra special care not to stray from the footpaths as there are lots of unexploded landmines in the area. Got to a cave but didn't go in as there was a padlocked gate on the entrance stairs. Bit annoyed that it wasn't open but hey, I don't like caves so not that annoyed really!

On the way back we stopped off at a little restaurant and had some spring rolls and a beer. The restaurant was named after the cute baby girl who lived there. Really nice family and good food.

Spent the rest of the day on the balcony watching the butterflies and enjoying the scenery. Also found out how to get back to Luang Prabang from some other travellers. No travel agents in the village so it would be public buses for us.

The next morning we saddled up and walked to the bus station. Waited for a while as usual and the 11am bus finally left at about noon. Lao time is just like this. You get used to it but it does kind of get on your nerves. During the journey we had a man with a rifle sat behind us and a monk to the side. The driver was a maniac and looked like he could have used some sleep.

Nong Khiaw (or more accurately the village on the other side of the river) was unbelievably scenic. Possibly the most scenic place I've ever visited. Gibbon calls through the mountain mist, a myriad of butterfly species and very cheerful and friendly locals made it a welcome break from the circus of Luang Prabang. Shame we couldn't have stayed a bit longer really.

Luang Prabang Part II

Got back to overrated Luang Prabang and grimaced as we realised that we had mixed our dates up. We had returned a day early so had two nights in Luang Prabang instead of just the one. Noooooo! Could have happily stayed in our bungalow in Nong Khiaw. Oh well, let's give Luang Prabang another chance at charming us. To be fair, it was nicer this time round. We stayed in a different part of town and tried to stay away from the touristy part.

Claire had left her earrings in the guesthouse we stayed at on our first visit so we went to try and get them back. No sign of them so clearly the cleaner had swiped them. Claire not happy.

We found a place that did a cheese platter and wine so gorged all evening before finding a happy hour where Claire could get even more wine. Met a couple we'd spoken to after tubing in Vang Vieng and stayed up past the local curfew drinking with them.

Claire got ill with bad stomach cramps in the morning so I had to play doctor. Went on many errands during the day so didn't really get to do that much, not that there was that much to do anyway.

The next day we were finally leaving Laos. Got a tuk tuk to the airport and waited for our flight. The airport is tiny and there is nothing to do after you've gone through the security gate. No shop or anything, not even any water available.

Claire was still in a bad way but did well and made it on to the plane ok. The plane was tiny. Two propellers and many empty seats. Service was excellent and the flight was enjoyable, especially the free beer Lao and sandwiches. Just one hour later we landed in Chiang Mai.

Second time around, Luang Prabang was a bit better. I'm still struggling to see what all the fuss is about though. I'd say there are much better places to visit.

Laos itself was also a bit disappointing. True, it has awesome scenery and a relaxed feel but it seemed expensive for what you get in comparison to the neighbouring countries and the people weren't as welcoming. The time it takes to get around is also a bit tiresome after a while. Its capital city was diabolical and its cultural heart was overrated. Tubing was great though.

Next up, Twice in Chiang Mai, a healthy slice of Pai.

Vang Vieng, tubing, tuna sandwiches and Family Guy.

Boarded perhaps the oldest bus in the world and climbed over many sleeping westerners, some who had already endured 20 hours on the bus already, to reach our seats. The bus had two working gears and soon required roadside assistance. After two hours we had travelled about five miles. This was a VIP bus as well!

Finally reached Vang Vieng about six hours later and caught a free pick up truck to take us into town.

Before our travels I had been sceptical of Vang Vieng as it had received a lot of bad press especially from moronic Australian current affairs tv programmes. Twitter campaigns warning people off visiting were all the rage it seemed. The main draw to the place is tubing which involves sitting in an inner tube for a tractor tyre and floating down the river stopping at various bars along the way. Deaths occur each year due to iffy safety measures but mainly due to people getting wasted and drowning. It's also a place that annoys the locals as it goes way against their customs and modest attitudes. This is instantly obvious as straight away you see groups of chavs walking down the street.

Despite the negative reviews we wanted to see it for ourselves. The scenery is incredible. Huge karsts rising high above the meandering river look truly amazing. Ok, the town is a bit ugly but it was nowhere near as bad as we had expected. The restaurants either had Friends on loop or Family Guy. We watched lots of the latter during our stay.

Found a very nice bungalow right on the river with brilliant views of the mountains and so many varieties of butterfly. The place also had a swimming pool so we took a dip. A storm was brewing but it was nice to be swimming in the rain. Had a few beers in town then went into a Family Guy bar for dinner. We spent lots of time in this bar as the guy working there was really friendly and funny. The tuna sandwiches were exquisite too. We had atleast eight in our four days in Vang Vieng.

The day had come to go tubing so we bought a waterproof bag and some tubing shorts for Claire and soon were on the way upstream in the back of a pick up truck.

The first bar was ok, there was a very high board that you could jump off which looked a bit dodgy but we saw no deaths here. The next bar was better, you have to catch a bottle of water tied to a rope to get to the bars. Hold on to the rope and get pulled in by the staff. Simple, just watch out for flying bottles.

Played some football at the back of the second bar and cracked my big toenail. It hurt and was bleeding so I washed it as well as I could and we headed off to the next bar.

This bar was great fun. We got a bucket to share and watched many an idiot go on the rope swing. You can see things going awry here but fortunately the staff were being quite safety conscious. After laughing at some painful looking belly flops and two buckets later we headed off.

Reached the last bar and had one more bucket and asked how far it was back to the town on the river. We must have got our calculations wrong because we drifted off and soon it started to get dark. It was so peaceful but after a while it was really dark. Fortunately we had done our homework and knew exactly where to get out. Our bungalow had some distinct lights next to it and as the river went right passed it we would just get out there. At one stage the water started to get loud and we soon found out why. We went over some small rapids and got tossed about a bit, nothing too dangerous, just a bit bumpy really.

An hour later we reached our bungalow and a little kid pulled us in. The river was only knee deep in this section but the current was strong. Trying to wrestle a huge rubber ring to the riverbank and stand up was quite a challenge.

We returned our tubes to the hire place two hours and five minutes late so didn't get our full deposit back. Worth it though as the journey down the river was epic.

You can see how it could be deadly but only if you are blind drunk or wasted on something else or both. The same could be said for doing anything in a drunken state but the beer and buckets does flow more erratically here. Any way, we were safe and had a great time. Well recommended, just don't over do it!

The other days in Vang Vieng consisted of chilling out, drinking cheap bottles of Lao Lao and eating tuna sandwiches in front of Family Guy episodes. Not very cultural but we were templed out after Angkor so didn't really care. There are also a couple of open air clubs on the party island. We used these for their free bucket promotions and hammock lazing. Didn't actually spend a single kip in either of them.

Vang Vieng is a really fun place. I imagine in the high season the chavs per square metre might be a bit unbearable but it was ok at this time of year. The surrounding area is incredibly scenic and the tubing is entertaining. There is also caving, rock climbing and mountain biking if you can tear yourself away from the tv. I think you have to make your mind up for yourself really but I for one am very glad to have visited. Great fun.

Next up, Up North, Luang Prabang and Nong Khiaw

The Disappointment of Savannakhet and Vientiane

Arrived in Savannakhet late and got a tuk tuk to a guesthouse. Didn't like it so walked on to another. Didn't like that one either but took it as there wasn't much else about.

Went for dinner at a weird little diner place. My chicken burger was very odd but tasty. Went to sleep and woke up early to hire bicycles from the guesthouse for the day.

Rode to a nice cafe for a posh tuna sandwich and coffee they headed for the Dinosaur museum. Digs in Savannakhet unearthed many big dinosaurs apparently and we may have found out more had the place been open. We asked some tuk tuk drivers what time it was likely to open and they told us that the staff were more than likely having their lunch and would open in three hours time. So lunch at 11am until 2pm? Seems a bit long.

Decided to sack off the museum and rode out of town along the river. On the other side of the river was Thailand which was kind of cool.

We found a guesthouse out of town and inquired with the owner about how much a night was. 130000 kip was much more than we had been paying but it was gorgeous. It was a whole house with three bedrooms, kitchen, massive balcony on the river and two cute pet dogs who we called Goldie and Guinness so, with the chance to do some home cooking for the first time in ages, we splashed out.
Returned the bikes at about 1pm and sneaked out of our first guesthouse in case the guy wanted us to pay for another day. Hopped in a tuk tuk and drove to our new place of residence.

Later that evening the owner came in and told us not to lock the front door at night. We asked why and he told us that someone might visit in the night but don't worry, they won't stay long. Rather confused we asked who would be coming and he said maybe a man with a girl. Sussed out what this meant and were really pissed off. The place was basically being used as a 'rest stop' for truckers and their 'girlfriends'. Had we known this we wouldn't have bothered.

We didn't get any visitors in the night so we decided to stay one more night and no visitors came on the second night either. It did feel a bit weird though as we half expected to be woken up by creaking beds and banging headboards.

The next day we departed Savannakhet and made the five hour bus journey to the capital, Vientiane.

Savannakhet was pretty average really. A big sprawling city with not much to do. The knocking shop guesthouse was mildly amusing but we'd rather have stayed in a conventional place.

We arrived in Vientiane expecting the buzz of a capital city and instead got a drab hum of a provincial town. Found a guesthouse and haggled a bit for a better price. Made sure it had a tv so I could stay up ridiculously late to watch England lose on penalties to Italy.

The next day we wandered around town but found pretty much nothing to do. Went to a horrible mall to buy a memory card for my camera and that's about as exciting as it got. I'm sure there is more to do in Vientiane, just couldn't really find it. There are lots of these huge buildings at the intersections of the main roads that look like they have been made of lego or fell out of an Ikea catalogue. Strange really.

The river front was ugly and boring, the city was big and empty, there just wasn't any point in being there really except... a great Indian restaurant that did very good food. We ate there for breakfast and dinner.

Had some beers in a cute little garden bar and saw a big frog that was catching bugs with its hands. Weird.

Went back to hotel and had to laugh as a seedy looking guy walked in with a young girl. Another knocking shop it seems! Really not what I had expected from a country with such conservative culture. Followed the odd couple upstairs before locking ourselves in our room hoping to avoid any unsavoury sounds from the other rooms. Wifi didn't work either. Crap 'guesthouse' in a disappointing city.

The description on Vientiane in the Lonely Planet ends with the sentence "Capital cities aren't supposed to be this friendly". I'd like to change this to "capital cities aren't supposed to be this average".

We used both Savannakhet and Vientiane as breakpoints in our long journey north. Things in Laos move very very slowly, especially transport so staying in the two places was pretty much necessary. Wouldn't recommend either place really. Kind of uninteresting. I'm sure others would argue that this review is harsh, and certainly this blog entry has been edited several times due to some comments. The truth is that I simply didn't like Vientiane and Savannakhet was limited in what it had to offer. We are all entitled to our opinions so if you are reading this and feel like leaving a damning comment, just think about a place you have been that you didn't like, or had bad experiences in, and then understand that others may hold that very same place close to their hearts. As I say, we are all entitled to our opinion.

Next up Vang Vieng, tubing, tuna sandwiches and Family Guy.