Vang Vieng
From Luang Prabang we caught a bus to Vang Vieng, which was (unfortunately) a necessary stopover for the night en route to Vientiane. This is sunset over the Nam Xong river, showing some of the beautiful natural scenery in Vang Vieng. Unfortunately Vang Vieng has been completely taken over with touristy guesthouses, restaurants, and bars - perhaps not surprising that virtually every tourist in Laos ends up passing through this small town. I could imagine that ten years ago this was a beautiful backwater, but these days it's full of backpackers tubing down the river and feeding the emergent pizza-and-banana-pancake restaurant economy. If you go to Laos, by all means give Vang Vieng a miss.