Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng, the book says is a place that you either love or hate. Whilst it is in a beautiful setting, and there's plenty to do there, its also a touristy party town and every cafe is showing constant repeats of Friends (I'm not a fan anyway) to hungover young backpackers stuffing themselves with burger and chips. Yesterday to contrast my tubing experience, I went on a long mountain trek with a couple of lao guides, getting right away from "Friends"...... after climbing up one mountain and down into a rice farming valley, we had a swim at a waterfall which descended into a cave where we had a barbecue lunch, then it was up another "mountain" and down to another cave to swim in and explore. The lao guys then invited me to their house for a dinner of snails, laap (spicy beef salad) and bamboo soup....a contrast to burger and chips infront of Friends! So I kind of quite like Vang Vieng after all.....