Luang Prabang (Laos)

At the top of Phu Si (Luang Prabang)

Luang Prabang sits, surrounded by mountains, on a small riverine peninsular between the Mekong and the Nam Khan River. It has a unique atmosphere, like most of Laos - very relaxed. The pace of life in Laos is much slower than in Thailand - noticably so. People are extremely friendly, always smiling and far less aggressive than their Thai neighbours. However, Laos is poor - it is still a communist country and because of it - there are implications. You have to be in your room at midnight (or there abouts) and most shops, bars and clubs start to close by 11.30pm. Laos also has security issues, with frequent bomb attempts - many successful.

The food in laos is similar to that in thailand - but with a slight twist. They have specific Laos dishes (e.g. Laap - a sort of meat salad - nice though) and many of their restuarants also have a French influence - in fact, Laos in general has strong historical ties to France and you can see that around Luang Prabang in building designs and the number of French travellers and tourists who settle here.

In the town of Luang Prabang itself - it's worth climbing the Phu Si - a large hill at the town's centre with spectacular views and some important temples. The night market is popular too - you can't miss it, it engulfs every street. However, if shopping isn't your thing then eating out at a restuarant for about 2 pounds on the Mekong River is never a bad way to spend an evening.

A short tuk tuk ride away and you can reach the Kuang Si Falls. They are more visually impressive than those seen at Kanchanburi (Thailand) and they have a rope swing for hurling yourself into the icy waters. There are no fish though, but nearby is an oddly placed bear sanctuary - which I had a quick gaze at. I also took a trip to the Pak Ou caves. You can only reach it by boat. They have two small caves with thousands of buddah figures in each. While the caves are extremely important for the local people (the king makes an annual trip to the caves) - the religious value of the whole scene is somewhat lost on the average tourist - including myself.

After a few days, I head south to a place of madness, river bars, the Simpsons and most importantly - of tubing. Surrounded by mountains, this small Laos town has quickly become backpacker famous. I would soon find out why, for the place.....was Vang Vieng.