Laos 4: Vientiane

We arrived at around 1:30pm and spent about half an hour checking out hostels before settling on Sport Guesthouse near Chou Anouvong Park for 80,000 kip (£8) per night for a double room with fan. We spent the afternoon and evening wandering round the area and getting our bearings and stopped in nearby coffee shop (the Influence of the French colony has resulted in many cafes and bakeries here in Vientiane) Comma Coffee, where I had an amazing Caesar salad.

We later took a Tuk Tuk to Wat Sok Pa Louang as there was a free meditation session conducted by Monks. First we spoke to the monks to help them with their English, and then we were led into an hour meditation session including both sitting and walking meditation. I am so bad at a) sitting still b) pushing away my thoughts (berating myself for not being any good at it, at least that is a thought about the present rather than the past or the future!), but I had moments where I managed to shut off from my mind and got lost in the present moment.

We then headed Later we headed to the busy and long night market in the park. The park itself is just along the Mekong River, and at around 6pm each evening there are outdoor fitness classes going on that finish around the same time as he sun sets. There definitely seems to be a life to this city.

The following day we hired bicycles for 10,000 kip (£1) each and headed out a bit further – although it was ridiculously hot and the traffic in Vientiane adds a thickness and stillness to the hot air – taking ourselves to the Patuxai Monument for views across Vientiane for 3,000 kip (30p) each.

Afterwards we cycled to COPE visitor centre; a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the victims of UXO (unexplored ordinance) left over from the bombings carried out on Laos by the US during the Vietnam war. Bombs (and “bobbies”, or cluster bombs) were redirected to Laos either to prevent those moving across from Vietnam, or purely because they hadn’t been able to bomb in Vietnam and they didn’t want to land their plan back in their Thailand base with ammunition still on board. An estimated 260 million bombers were dropped between the years of 1964 and 1973 and 78 million failed to explode. Since the war ended, unexplored bombs have caused serious injury (loss of limbs) or death to more than 20,000 people (40% children) due to pure accident, searching for scrap metal of the bombs to then sell on, or because children mistook them for household objects (as many exploded bombs and the remaining metal were used to make appliances, so they would appear familiar and safe). This was an incredibly harrowing, emotional and enlightening place to visit and I would highly recommend it.

 

Late afternoon we then headed down towards the park so we could cycle across the Mekong river as the sun was beginning to set. A lovely, chilled way to end quite an intense day.

The following day we headed to the Vietnamese embassy to obtain our visa for Vietnam but it didn’t quite go as planned. Due to varied research indicating different things and the heat maybe going to our heads, we arrived expecting to be able to obtain a same day 30 visa (up until 39 June 2016, at least, Brits can enter Vietnam with no visa for up to 15 days but we felt we needed more time than that) but were told it would take at least 2 working days as they had to apply for an invite to immigration. We paid 55 USD for his visa and then, feeling a bit despondent and sorry for ourselves, we decided to spend the day relaxing at Vientiane Swimming pool; an outdoor pool that costs 15,000 kip (£1.50) to enter and one that you can actually do laps in!

That evening we went to Bor Pennyang, a third floor bar along the Mekong River where we watched one of the most vibrant sunsets I have ever seen – I swear to actively watch more sunsets during my travels and once again when I am home. There is nothing quite like watching the setting of the same sun no matter where you are in the world to remind you of how big the world is and how small you are.

On our last full day we took it slow (the heat is seriously thick here!) and took the number 14 bus from opposite the morning market for 6,000 kip (60p) each to Buddha Park. It took about an hour to get there but was on an air conditioned bus, and the cost to enter the park was 5,000 kip (50p) – you have to pay more if you have a camera with you. It wasn’t the biggest park but there was something quite grand about it, and once again I felt “stilled” by my surroundings. Some of the statues were incredible, and being able to climb into the mouth of the biggest and climb to the top for views over the park was sweaty but so worth it.

That evening we went to Centre Culturel et de Cooperation Linguistique where they exhibit dance, art exhibitions, literary discussions and live music throughout the year. As it is low season not as much is going on, but at 7pm there was a free outside performance of “A Midmonsoon Night’s Dream” (no prizes for guessing what this is an adaption of) which was performed in a mixture of French, English and Laotian, and also included dance. Any attempts to explain a performance are futile, but it was such a diverse and beautiful performance that moved me to tears. Culture is such a wonderful thing.

On our last morning in Vientiane we headed back to the embassy to pick up our passports (complete with visa, thank goodness!) and I booked at 14:40 flight from Vientiane to Hanoi airport in Vietnam. It was quite expensive on a backpackers budget (£115 for the flight plus a fiver for transport to the airport) but the alternative of a 22 hour bus (even if it was only 180,000 kip, or £18) was too much for me physically and emotionally by this point and I just wanted to get to Vietnam. To cut a long and difficult story short, this is where Jason and I sadly went our separate ways, and it isn’t really something I want to go into detail about. However I will say that being sat in the back of a minivan on the way to the airport with tears streaming down my face, for the Laotian driver to immediately switch the track on his stereo to “Take a Bow” by Rihanna, was certainly a different grieving experience for me.

LS.

Laos 3: Vang Vieng

So our minivan journey from Luang Prabang was an eventful one; there we were, driving through the picturesque mountains, when all of a sudden we were surrounded by thick, white mist. All you could see in front if you were the white and black striped bollards that curve every bend (of which there are many) and you had to squint to see those. Yet the driver kept in going. My head was screaming “west are you doing?! Just stop!” but I think I was stunned into silence. This continued for about 15 minutes and I feared for my life, oh I dunno, around five hundred billion times, but we made it through the mist to clearer skies once more!

We arrived in Vang Vieng around 1:30 but were once again dropped at a bus station 3km from the centre rather than actually in the centre so we had to catch a Tuk Tuk in. The more time I spend in Laos the more I feel they are trying to scam us and get more money out if us wherever they can – the Tuk Tuk driver quoted us 20,000 kip each for this 3km journey despite us paying the same for a 10k journey in LPB and despite the guy inside saying we could easily get transport for 10,000 kip each. The 6 of us sharing a Tuk Tuk were resolute and eventually he took our money at 10,000 each.

Once in the centre, J sat with our heavy bags while I went for a walk to scout nearby hostels and their prices (it was far too hot for both if us to be lugging our massive bags around). A lot of places were quoting 70-80,000 per night for a double room with fan but I managed to locate Mexaiphon Guesthouse down a side road that charged only 55,000 (a fiver a night). Plus it was surrounded by the homes of locals, with teenagers playing guitar and singing and younger kids playing in their yard. They seemed delighted by our arrival, especially the little ones who kept asking my name to then only giggle with delight when I told them my name and asked for theirs.

We spent the afternoon wandering around the centre, getting our bearings and figuring out what we might want to do during our time here,  before heading to Smile Bar along Nam Song river to lay in the hammocks and watch the sun set.

That evening we went for dinner and ended up joining 3 guys, one of whom we met on our slow boat and the other two at the LPB bus station that morning. Afterwards we headed to Sakura bar as they offer free whiskey and mixer from 8-9pm. Now we had already heard of Sakura as so many tourists were wearing their vests in LPB, which were emblazoned with the intelligent caption “Drink Triple, See Double, Act Single”. You get one of these “free” tshirts when you buy two vodka drinks (totalling 50,000 kip, or £4.50). Whilst I happily enjoyed drinking copious amounts of free whiskey and pineapple juice, whilst the atmosphere if the place was actually pretty cool (offering beer pong, a dance floor and an outside area) and whilst we met a great group of people all whom were adorning these tshirts, I just couldn’t bring myself to get one. Plus I hate vodka, and I’m far too old to drink alcohol I don’t enjoy.

The following day, feeling a little bit fragile, we headed out in a Tuk Tuk for a day of caving, tubing and kayaking. First we went to Tham Nam cave (or the Water Cave); a 500m long cave that has the Nam Song flowing out if it that we got to tube inside. With head torches on so we could see where we were going, it was such a different and cool experience. I would definitely recommend. We then had some lunch if chicken kebabs, veg rice and baguette before heading to Tham Sang, the Elephant Cave, which I found disappointing. It contains a few Buddha images and an elephant-shaped stone, but that’s about it.

Tubing in Tham Nom Cave

We then spent the afternoon kayaking the Nam Song – I’ve never kayaked before (only canoed, and I was a bit of a fearful squealer age 11 for some reason so I didn’t enjoy this as much as I would have thought) and, while my hands got a bit sore and we had to negotiate ourselves over some rocks after becoming wedged, it was so much fun and with Vang Vieng being surrounded by the most stunning mountains it wasn’t a bad view either!

I’m not sure I really want to mention the way we finished the tour, by heading to a nearby “lagoon”. The quotation marks are because I feel they use the word quite loosely, as it was nothing like other lagoons I have seen – it almost looked man-made, as though they had just dug into the ground, and with the hanging tyres and rope swings it felt more like a park. For 10,000 kip to enter, I wouldn’t bother going.

On our final day in Vang Vieng I headed out around midday to partake in the infamous Tubing down the Nam Song. Vang Vieng is renowned for tubing and not exactly in the best way; in its heyday the Nam Song would literally be lined with bars, where tubers would float from one to the next playing drinking games and getting themselves into a bit of a stupor (there may or may not have been drugs involved…). The number of tourist deaths by drowning hit the media and Laos were forced to crack down on this activity, so now there are only 2 bars open each day and they alternate.

I arrived at the Tubing Station just before 1 after lining my stomach with a chicken baguette and paid the 55,000 kip (fiver) fee and the 60,000 kip (£5.40) deposit (you lose 20,000 of it if you bring the tube back after 6, and you don’t get a refund if you lose your tube) and then jumped on a the Tuk Tuk with other tubers to be taken to the starting point. The starting point was right opposite the bar in our case so we headed there first to get in the swing of things with beer pong and flip cup, which was a great way to socialise with fellow tubers. We then head out on the river for about 15 minutes before we hit the next bar, where we enjoyed a game of basketball with Koreans (whom naturally beat us).

 

I should mention that to get to the bars from the river there are men standing on the banks who throw a rope out to you that has an empty water bottle at the end for you to grab onto and pull yourself in. They are literally fishing for humans.

Around 3:30 and about 2.5 hours in we went back into the water for our final leg of tubing, which, as it was low season, only took about 45 minutes to an hour (apparently in high season, when it’s dryer, it can take at least 2 hours). Tubing along the river, surrounded by misty, grand mountains and with the sun beating down in us, was one of the most relaxing yet awe-inspiring experiences; you get to take it all in much more than you could on a kayak. Plus, with Asian people in kayaks zooming past all saying “hello” as they pass you by, you spend the whole time with this warm, buzzy feeling inside.

That evening we booked our minivan to Vientiane for 9am the following day for 35,000 kip each (£3.25)…

LS

Laos 2: Luang Prabang

After arriving at the slow boat pier, 10k away from the city centre, and getting a Tuk Tuk to the centre (where we were just dropped off and gas to figure out exactly where we were) we went on a hunt for accommodation. Knowing you could get dorm rooms for 30-40,000 kip and double rooms for around 80,000 we didn’t settle for any more than this and after checking out a few rooms we finally picked Nittaya Guesthouse – just by the Mekong River and about 5 minutes walk from the post office/tourist information centre. 80,000 kip (7 quid) between us for a double room with a fan and en suite (which is always a shower over the floor) isn’t bad when most dorms were after 30,000 per person anyway.

Despite being exhausted we headed out to grab some food and have a bit of a nose around, and pretty much as soon as we hit Th Sisavangvong road we saw a street on the left that was lined with food stalls and quickly stumbled across a couple that offered Vegetarian Buffets – quite big bowls that you could fill up with various veggie dishes (from noodles to rich to pumpkin to spring rolls to fried egg) for 15,000 kip (£1.30). You could add barbecued meat for an extra cost but the food was quite fresh, tasty and filling and it was quick and easy, which did the job after a long day travelling. We soon headed back to our hostel to put on some laundry (10,000 kip – 90p – per kilo) and get a good night’s sleep (we hope!)

Vegetarian Buffet

On our first full day in Luang Prabang we decided to rent bicycles from our hostel for 15,000 kip each (£1.40), which come equipped with bell, basket and lock (but unfortunately not helmet!) so we could explore the city. Due to it being a French colony there is noticeable French influence in the style of cafes and restaurants and in the food they sell (there are various bakeries and tonnes of stalls selling fresh baguettes from chicken to avocado for 10-15,000 kip each) and some of the streets are beautiful to cycle down.

It was a pretty hot day (35 degrees) and at times unbearable, so around midday we headed to the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre (TAEC) for 25,000 kip each (£2.30) to learn about the different tribes found in Laos and also be educated on the women in Laos; the amount t the contribute to their family and to their society, and having it recognised and appreciated in such a way, was really enlightening and moving – I now feel very differently about seeing women riding a moped with a baby balanced on their laps.

Women at Work Museum

Afterwards we cycled the loop round the Mekong river until we found a spot overlooking a bamboo bridge to sit and tuck into our baguettes from the stall, before paying 5,000 kip (45p) to cross the bamboo bridge (the cost of which goes towards maintaining the bridge) and look out across the river and the kids cooling off in the water!

Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang

We then cycled to Lao Red Cross to have an hour Laos massage;there are various places offering these around Luang Prabang from 40-80,000 kip, however as Lao Red Cross help improve the lives of the poorest villages in Laos we decided to spend our money here, and it was still a very reasonable 50,000 kip (£4.50) each. You have the massage on a mattress on the floor in traditional wooden surroundings, this time with oil being used so it felt more relaxing than the Thai one we had but it still worked muscles (bum and thigh) I never knew I had, followed by free herbal tea afterwards. Lovely.

At 5pm we headed to Big Brother Mouse (BBM), a home-grown initiative where you can turn up between 9am and 11am or 5pm and 7pm and volunteer to help local kids and students practice their English. I ended up speaking to a 17 year old male whom had become paralysed in his right arm 4 years ago after eating too much of a string chilli and it giving him brain damage; he had been really good st English previously and now was trying to rebuild his skill through asking me questions and acting out a waiter/customer scenario! I later spoke to an 18 year old whom wanted to know about religion in the UK and my own religious tendencies (as well as what I earned in the UK – they are not shy about asking personal questions!) It was fascinating, enlightening and incredibly educational for me, and almost bizarre when they thanked us at the end – no, thank YOU.

On our second full day we headed out at 8am to the Living Land Company; a local rice farm whom have opened their doors to teach visitors (mainly tourists) about the 13 steps involved in producing rice (step 14 being eating the rice!) over the course of 3 months, allowing us to really get involved and attempt the various steps. Our guide was knowledgable, warm and funny and the process so fascinating – especially knowing that the process we were involved in was 10 times more mild than what they do and they spend all day everyday doing it! At the end we were presented with rice snacks and rice wine, and for 30,000 kip each (£27) it was well worth it for us.

Rice Fields

It was another scorching day and we were tired after an early start so we decided to head La Pistoche, to an outdoor swimming pool that is about 10 minutes drive by Tuk Tuk (costing 20,000 kip – or £1.80 – each). The fee to get into the swimming pool us 30,000 kip each (£2.70) and you also have to hand over a 50,000 kip deposit in case you purchase food or drink (I bought two fruit ice shakes as it was so damn stifling). We spent about 4 hours lazing on sun loungers and dipping in the pool, offering much needed rest and relaxation.

We were dropped off by a Tuk Tuk in the centre of town and were amazed to bump into our friend Eve from our China tour, who is doing the Indochina loop in the opposite direction as part of a tour. Crazy how you start bumping into fellow travellers again and again. To celebrate, we later met for dinner in the Mekong river to have a good catch up before saying goodbye, which was lovely. Prior to that, at around 5:30pm, we paid 20,000 kip each to walk up Phusi Mountain and watch the sun set over the Mekong river – beautiful, but not necessarily peaceful, as everyone heads up at this time and the tourists behind us spent the whole time talking about their iPhones. Apparently you can’t escape douchebags no matter how far you travel.

Luang Prabang

On our final day in Luang Prabang we paid 50,000 kip each (£4.50) to take the 11:30 minivan to Kuang Si Waterfall – no matter which agency you book through, it will cost this much and they will offer either 11:30am or 1:30pm. We arrived at midday, paid our 20,000 entrance fee (£1.80) and wandered past the bear enclosure before reaching the foot of the waterfall, which had a lagoon-esque area for swimming. There are about 4 different “platforms” to the Waterfall, and as you get closer to the top you are unable to swim in them. We set off walking to the top first, where water beautifully cascades down the cliff into a lagoon, but then also hiked/climbed for about 15 minutes (it could be done in 10 but the heat makes it difficult) to the very top of the cliff. The views aren’t the best but it certainly made swimming in the waterfall afterwards even more worth it!

We got back into town around 3:30pm and headed to our hostel for a nap – we started taking malarone about 4 days beforehand and were both experiencing side effects from feeling exhausted quickly to suffering with sudden diarrhoea (sorry guys but if I am going to blog about my experience travelling it has got to be honest!), the later of which makes you feel hot, dizzy and even more tired, so we needed some time out of the sun and to be near a toilet! We felt rested enough to head out that evening to grab some street food (fish in banana leaf and a buffalo sausage, both of which were tasty but the fish was my fave!) before making our way to Utopia; a chilled but lively bar along the Mekong river that is popular with backpackers. We had a few drinks (we finally hit somewhere that serves cider so I went for a Somersby followed by a Campari soda), watched the England vs Slovakia Euro game on the projector where the joy I get from learning prevailed over my disinterest in football resulting in me asking (or grilling) Jason all about football.

The following morning we checked out of our hostel at 9am before taking a Tuk Tuk to the bus station and then a Minivan from there to Vang Vieng for 110,000 (a tenner) each. Let’s hope the malarone side effects decide to take a break for this journey…

LS

Laos 1: Mekong River

To venture over to Laos from Pai we had to first get the minivan back to Chiang Mai (there are only two main roads out of Pai and the other roads are far too dangerous), which we managed to get for 150 baht each (3 quid) directly to Chiang Mai bus station. So we left at 10am and arrived at 1:30pm, with a female passenger throwing up into a plastic bag for a good part of the journey as that’s how winding the roads are. Once at the bus station we found the Green Bus Thailand ticket office and booked seats on the 2:30pm air conditioned bus to Chiang Khong for 254 baht each (just over a fiver) – as it’s low season we didn’t have any trouble getting seats an hour before and the bus wasn’t full when we left (AND we got a bottle of water and packet of biscuits each for free!), however if in high season it might be worth booking the day before or booking the minivan and bus from an agency in Pai (which would have cost 480 baht each in total, so 76 baht more each).

The classic way for backpackers to get from Thailand to Laos is to do a 3 day/2 night slow boat option where you get a bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong, cross the border over to Huay Xai in Laos (usually after spending a night in Chiang Khong as the border closes at 6pm and the slow bots go during the day, but you could cross the border in the evening and stay at Huay Xai instead so you don’t have a rush of crossing the border in the morning before the slow boat departs), getting the slow boat to Pakbeng the next day and then spending the night in Pakbeng before getting the second leg of the slow boat to Luang Prabang on the 3rd day. There is also a direct bus from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang but it goes at night on dodgy roads and isn’t comfortable to sleep on, and the speedboat/airport options cost a lot more.

Anyway, for the 3D/2N slow boat option there are numerous agencies in Chiang Mai offering a package deal from CM and ending in LP for between 1,700 and 1,900 baht whereas in Pai you could get it for 1,750 baht which also included transport back to CM at the beginning, however in both cases the inclusions would vary and most did not include accommodation in Pakbeng (more expensive than CK) and some did not include pick up from your hotel to the border/pier. Due to it being in low season for us and things therefore not selling out (plus us not wanting to always go for the “easy” option with a tour where our hostel would be dictated and instead have a bit of fun with it) we decided to not book a package but do it all independently.

First we had to get a minivan back to Chiang Mai (there are only two main roads out of Pai and the other roads are far too dangerous), which we managed to get for 150 baht each (3 quid) directly to Chiang Mai bus station. We left at 10am and arrived at 1:30pm, with a female passenger throwing up into a plastic bag for a good part of the journey (that’s how winding the roads are!) Once at the bus station we found the Green Bus Thailand ticket office and booked seats on the 2:30pm air conditioned bus to Chiang Khong for 254 baht each (just over a fiver) – as it’s low season we didn’t have any trouble getting seats an hour before and the bus wasn’t even full when we left (PLUS we got a bottle of water and packet of biscuits each for free!), however if in high season it might be worth booking the day before or booking the minivan and bus as a package deal from an agency in Pai (which would have cost 480 baht each in total, so 76 baht more each).

We arrived in Chiang Khong at about 8:15, roughly 40 minutes later than scheduled (we’re not in China anymore!) and paid 30 baht each (60p) to get a Tuk Tuk to Funky Box Hostel, which is 100 baht (2 quid) each a night for a bunk bed in a dorm room with a fan – as it was only one night and we were basically just sleeping this didn’t phase us. We woke up at 7:45 and got a Tuk Tuk to the border crossing at 8:15 for 40 baht (80p) each, although he was after 50 baht each, arriving at the border crossing at around 8:30. We had to show our passport and departure card, which was stamped and kept, and then paid 20 baht each (40p) to get on a coach to cross over the water (and therefore the border). Upon arriving at Laos we had to complete an arrival card and a visa application, for which we had to pay 35 USD for. We then went through passport control and, at the other side, took a Tuk Tuk to the slow boat pier for 100 baht (2 quid) each. You can also pay in Laos kip at this point. At the pier there are shops and a restaurant that sell drinks, shakes and sandwiches (ranging between 40 and 60 baht) and it is a good idea to purchase here as it is a lot more expensive on the slow boat. You purchase boat tickets just opposite where the boats are – prices are listed in kip but you can also pay in baht so we paid 1000 baht (20 quid) each for the boat all the way to Luang Prabang (or 210,000 kip). We have therefore paid a total of 1,670 baht each including all transfers – less than the 1,750 which didn’t include the Tuk Tuk journeys, nor potentially the bus a across the border, and certainly cheaper than the package options from Chiang Mai would have been.

The boat was supposed to leave at 11:30am but naturally left late (about 15 minutes) and not far into our journey it started to pour down with rain – these boats aren’t particularly well-equipped and basically have a bit of cloth you can open out and tie up, which doesn’t really keep out the rain when the wind is also blowing. Not the most comfortable journey, but they have replaced the previous wooden seats with old coach seats on most of the boats and the discomfort level is definitely not as bad as the minivan to/from Pai, plus the surroundings make it more bearable…

We arrived in Pakbeng at 6:15pm (45 minutes behind schedule). We had ignored the offer of a hotel room including transfer from the pier (and back again the next morning) for 50,000 kip each as we had read beforehand that there are many places just as you come off the pier and we didn’t want to pay for somewhere we hadn’t seen or researched yet. We also ignored the many touts as you come off the boat trying to sell you their hostels, instead walking 5 minutes up the small hill and popping into Monsavan Guesthouse on the left as we had read good reviews about it prior to our trip and they had a double room with air con and en suite available for 400 baht (10,000 kip or 9 quid) – this is at the higher end and the most you should expect to pay but after a long day on a boat and in need of sleep and a shower (and some peace) we were happy to pay this, but I heard lots of offers for a room with a fan for 200 baht per person on our way up.

We wandered down the road for something to eat (but it doesn’t stretch very far and we only found two ATMs next to each other at the end) and ended up joining a group of individuals whom had all met over the last few days – one from Germany, one from Spain, one from France, one from Australia and one from the US. It was great to spend some time chatting to people about where they’re from and what there travel journey has thus far been.

We woke at 7:30 the following morning so we could head to the boat at 8 to get our seats before stocking up on food and departing at 9am. So far the cost of food and drink is higher than in Thailand (and a fruit shake cost the equivalent of 90p rather than 40p) but this may be purely because we are right by the pier. I also picked up a banana muffin and a chicken sandwich (both 10,000 kip, so 90p each), plus a Coke and a big can of Beerlao (the Thailand equivalent of Chang, but in my opinion not as good). The journey, again, wasn’t the best – it’s literally impossible to sleep so your options are eating, drinking, reading, listening to music or plating cards. I went for a combination of all of these in a bid to keep myself from feeling restless or fed up in any way – plus remembering where you are and taking some time to sit by the edge of the boat and absorb the stunning views can help ground you and bring you some peace amongst the cabin fever!

This journey was supposed to be 9 hours, arriving at 6pm, however we didn’t leave until 9:30 this time yet somehow arrived at 5pm. Apparently the boat used to dock right by the city centre but over the last few years they have started docking 10k away from the centre so you then have to get a Tuk Tuk for 2,000 kip (£1.80) each – a shame that they feel the need to do that and take more money from you unnecessarily as well as add another leg to an already tiring journey. I’d rather they increased the price of the slow boat if they needed to rather than feel you are being conned out of your money. Not the most positive start to Luang Prabang and our first proper base in Laos, but let’s give it time…

LS