Bus Trips Through Laos

OK- let's get you all up to speed. Yes, I'm sure you've figured out I havent been blogging. The leisurely pace of Laos got to my head. If you've been following Danny's blog you know we are in Luang Prabang, Laos but for those of you who aren't here's a map!


View Laos in a larger map

Street side view from out place in Vientiane

We spent a few days exploring the capital of Vientiane and then headed north to Vang Vieng to take in the beautiful limestone setting and the famous tubing experience. After 2 days of techno beats, westerners without clothes, and a tubing experience down the Nam Khan River, we decided to head even farther north to Luang Prabang.

Hotel balcony view in Vang Vieng

If you look on the map it seems that there is equal distance between all 3 cities. WRONG. Journey #1 from Vientiane to Vang Vieng was advertised as a 3 hour journey. Wrong again. Our "3 hour" journey was actually a 4 hour journey. Not too bad, right? Wrong again. The roads weren't paved. Would you like me to repeat that? A 4 hour journey on unpaved roads with a bus driver who thought he was running from the cops. I am a go with the flow kind of person, but I thought I was either going to puke all over our friends on the bus or have to spend the rest of my life in jail because I killed our bus driver. It was an agonizing trip that left us off in the blistering heat of a unknown city to find a guesthouse.

unpaved roads through Laos

More views from the busride

 

Now onto our journey to Luang Prabang! We knew it was going to be a long hilly journey so we tried to prepare ourselves. We got the VIP big bus, had plastic bags (use your imagination), and had empty stomachs. We were successful!!!! However, we dont want to ever have to do it again. So $160 flight later- we will be heading to Hanoi, Vietnam February 1st, but not before we take in all the beauty Luang Prabang has to offer.

Beautiful sunsets in Luang Prabang, Laos