Tubing down the river....

April 22-25: Vangvien

Vangvien is one of the most popular places in Laos for tourists, and you either love it or hate it. We loved it, but it could possibly be hated if you visited during peak season when it's packed.

Reasons you would hate it.

Vangvien is known for its Friends cafes, where for 16hrs non-stop all day they play all the Friends episodes, backtoback. You lounge around on cushions eat food, drink beer and watch Friends. Actually there's nothing to hate about that... nothing like watchin Joey and Pheebs and the gang after a hard days tubing down the river... at all. We're still humming the Friends theme tune. Except that everyone in town thought it was a winning business formula... and theres about 15 of these cafes scattered around. Of course this means you get to pick your season...and the cafes are diversifying.. you can also watch Family guy and the Simpsons. Hey if it's raining theres not alot else to do... and it did rain an awful lot oneday.

Reasons you will love it.

The amazing scenery.

Tubing! Floating down a river in a tractor inner tube, an organic mulberry mojhito from the amzingly cool organic farm where you start your tubing adventure in hand (in a plastic bag). You float from bamboo bar to bamboo bar along the river, listening to some cool tunes, drifting along beer in hand, jumping from rope swing to ropeswing, with all the stopping and drinking and jumping we didnt even get to the end of the river. The video is of Jon on one of the rope swings, possibly the highest on we saw. It was amazing scenery aswell, with these soaring cliffs right next to you and steamy jungle on the other.

The locals. Very sweet, kids very cute and cheeky. And the fact they all ride bicycles and hold an umbrella to shade their faces at the same time.