Muang Kua, Lao wedding and a bus that never came

My boat got to Muang Kua in the late evening. The views changed a little in the last 2 hours of the boat ride from Nong Kiaw. There were less and less trees, the mountains were ripped apart by diggers, and trucks passed through the narrow roads all the time. 
Muang Kua wasn't as inviting as Nong Kiaw. People there seemed not to be too happy about the new visitors.

Nong Kiaw - a chilled out town in the northern Laos

Nong Kiaw is a tiny, sleepy town in the North of Laos. I spend there a couple of days, trying to get some rest and chill out. After taking a small boat from Luang Prabang and sailing for 10 hours I thought I needed some peace and quiet, at least for a day or two. 

Trekking to the Kuang Xi Waterfall with the Tiger Trails

There are more than enough of tourist offices in Luang Prabang. I think there might more of them than cafes and restaurants.
Everywhere you go you see banners advertising tours, walks, hiking, you are hassled by the tuk-tuk drivers, willing to take you to the caves, or waterfalls.
But there is one company that truly wants to make a difference and promotes responsible tourism.

Mount Phu Si - another 'sunset disaster'

There are places in almost every city, which are must sees for any tourist, like Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Taj Mahal. You have great expectations before you see it, imagining how great it would be to visit the place, how special the experience will be, only to arrive there with thousands of other people, squeezed in a lift or standing in a queue for hours, pushed and shoved. After you finally reach your dream point, you don't actually think of it as special anymore.
This was my exact experience with Mount Phu Si in Luang Prabang.

Luang Prabang - a real Asian gem

Luang Prabang is one of the most beautiful places in South East Asia. Surrounded by mountains and two rivers, Mekong and Tam Khan, it has spectacular views and lots of trekking routes to explore.
The whole town is the UNESCO Heritage site, which itself is an extraordinary fact.
To me the houses of Luang Prabang were the biggest attraction and I just couldn't stop and admire them every few steps.

Vientiane and first impressions of Laos

When I got to the capital of Laos it seemed like the Asia suddenly stood still. There were almost no people on the streets, the car drivers didn't horn at each other...it was quiet. After Myanmar I found this new peace a little unnerving, but started appreciating it as soon as I checked into my hostel. 

Getting to Laos overland from Thailand

The easiest way to get to Laos is to hop on a plane to Vientaine. I honestly don't remember why I chose a longer, more complicated route. Maybe it was because I lacked a challenge. Who knows! Anyway, I decided to take a flight from Bangkok to Udon Thani (Northern Thailand) and a bus to Laos from there. The journey was exhausting and gave me a slight idea of what I can expect from Laotians.

The Blond is going away: Why I won't go to Van Vieng

I have two simple answers to that: