The region around Phonsavan in Laos was one of the most heavily bombed during the secret war. Bomb shells and war scrap can be seen in shops and homes in Phonsavan.

It’s official. I’m old. 38 years old. Ancient really. I was born at a young age, but I’ve got to say that in all of my life I have never been this old before.

I was reflecting on my age while staying in Vang Vieng, Laos.

Vang Vieng is set in an incredibly beautiful location. The river is of the crystal clean mountain variety, and imposing limestone karsts make for an impressive backdrop.

Vang Vieng

The town itself feels more like a resort than a town. A backpackers resort. I have heard it be described as Khao San Rd in the jungle (the famous backpacker road in Bangkok). If you had to build a Club Med type place exclusively for backpackers, you would use Vang Vieng as a model. Apart from government administrative buildings it’s hard to find a business here that isn’t given to tourism.

There are bars, restaurants, guest houses, internet cafes, banana pancake street vendors, travel agents and souvenier shops everywhere. There are sports bars playing Australian cricket and English football, serving up Australian steaks and English breakfasts.

Pancakes in Paradise

Then there’s the Friends Bars. when I arrived in town one of the first bars I saw had “No Friends” on the front sign. I couldn’t work out why you would sell a bar to someone who has no friends. I soon worked it out after doing a lap of the main street. Every second bar was playing Friends on repeat. It’s a surreal sound hearing Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross, and the sound of canned laughter everywhere you go.

Bars that weren’t playing Friends were playing Family Guy. I haven’t discovered the delights of Family Guy yet, but seeing I like the Simpsons I’m sure I’ll like this show.

Vang Vieng is a base for activities such as kayaking, caving and rock climbing. The number one activity in Vang Vieng by far is tubing. Here you rent out an old tractor tube and then you are driven to a launch spot a few kilometres upstream. The float will take 1 to 3 hours, depending on the season. Being the dry season I got stuck in the river navigators version of the doldrums, and had to paddle my way downstream by hand for a while.

While tubing down a lovely river with stunning scenery is a nice way to spend a day, the real attraction for “tubing in the Vang Vieng” for most people is the bars that line the river. Some bars throw ropes out to you to try and reel you in. Some bars have attractions that are a lure enough in itself, such as mud volleyball, flywires and even a giant slide.

Tubing Slide – Vang Vieng

Judging by all the “Tubing in the Vang Vieng” T-shirts that you see on sunburnt Scandinavians all over Southeast Asia, Vang Vieng has become one of the premier stop-off points on the banana pancake trail.

Tubing in the Vang Vieng Singlets

If you are a twenty-something backpacker, you will probably love this place. At 38 though I was feeling my age here. I am now twice the age of a 19 year old, which this town had in abundance.

When I was 19 the Seattle grunge scene was the soundtrack to my life. Now I’m meeting kids – adults actually – who haven’t heard of Kurt Cobain. It will only be a matter of time before I meet adults who weren’t born when he was alive.

I turned 38 in Luang Prabang. I had timed my travels to make sure I spend my birthday there rather than in a bus. It turned to be an ideal place to have a birthday. In hindsight I now see that Luang Prabang is a flashpackers paradise, with all those funky cafes and bakeries with wi-fi and trendy villas. And I, for want of a better word, have become a flashpacker.

Plain Of Jars Site 1, near Phonsavan on the Xiangkhoang Plateau – Laos.

It didn’t occur to me before I arrived that Laos has great coffee. You don’t really see it marketed well outside of Laos. It’s quite common to see the Sumatran or even Sulawesi blend at a Starbucks, but Lao blend, I don’t recall. Anyway the coffee here is great. Local beans brewed in a coffee sock and the usual sweetened condensed milk as is the go around this part of the world.

Coffee Lao by the Mekong River – Luang Prabang

Food market at Wat Mungmuang, Chiang Rai – Thailand.

Of all the cities I have visited in Asia, I am hard pressed to think of another place that blends east and west as well as Luang Prabang.

Luang Prabang is one of the best preserved colonial cities in Asia. I may not have appreciated this fact had I not already seen other once grand cities that have since been concreted over.

Restaurant La Cave Des

Luang Prabang is located at the junction of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. The Nam Khan flows to form a peninsular of land, which adds to the amount of river frontage. There are no buses allowed in the old town and as the historic section of town is on a peninsular there is no through traffic.

Mekong and Nam Khan rivers

In the centre of town is Phu Si, a hill crowned by That Chomsi (a Buddhist temple). The view from the top gives you a better idea of how well located Luang Prabang is. From here you see the river valley and surrounding mountains.

Luang Prabang from Phu Si

If you are not flying to Luang Prabang it is a bit of a trek getting here. You can arrive by a 2 day boat from the Thai border or by bus on winding mountainous roads.

Despite the relative trek to get here, Luang Prabang has definitely been “found”. There are upmarket villas, boutiques and restaurants everywhere. I found myself in an air conditioned cafe using its free wi-fi while having a Cappucino Freeze.

I took the overnight bus from the border, which was a tortuous 13 hours on a winding potholed road. I found myself never wanting to get on a bus again (actually buses are kind of sucky at the best of times). Being in Luang Prabang is the perfect place to be if you’re not in a hurry to get to the next place.

Tuk-Tuk’s in China Town, Bangkok – Thailand

Buddhas at Phra Borom That, Nakhon Si Thammarat – Thailand.

Country: Laos
Date: 30 Jan 2010

I love New Country Day. New currency, new flags, new languages, new people.

Laos has been on my radar for a few years but I have never managed to fit it into my schedule. I was in Cambodia and Vietnam in 2005 and heard passing travellers tales of Laos, and I knew I would have to go as well.

I arrived in Laos from Chiang Khong in Thailand. From Chiang Khong it’s a short boat ride across the Mekong to Huay Xai, Laos. I figured this would be the best place to enter by land as it would involve the least amount of backtracking.

For a border town Huay Xai is not so bad. Border towns are usually unremarkable places of hustle. Maybe it was the lack of hustle and “New Country Day” that made it enjoyable. Lao people are known for their laid back attitude. Here I wasn’t asked once if I wanted a tuk-tuk or any other commercial offer.

Wat Chome Hhaou Manirain Mekong View – Huay Xai

There are loads of guesthouses and tourist related shops in Huay Xai. The town is handy launching pad into Laos with riverboats and buses. It’s from here I go to Luang Prabang.

A row of Songthaew outside the train station at Hat Yai, Thailand. Songthaew are pick-up trucks with two benches in the back. They are used as buses or taxis in towns across Thailand.