We fell in love with Nong Kiew

After a very scenic 6 hour boat ride down the Ou river we arrived at Nong Kiew. Maybe it was because it was our first exposure to Laos culture, the friendliness, great food or stunning landscape, but we both agreed that we could have spent far more than the 5 days we stayed there.

We had a cheap bungalow with balcony over looking the river and the view would be enough to keep you entertained for weeks, we however are the active sort.

Blissfully unaware how averse the Laos' are to flat roads, we rented 2 bicycles to go in search of some nearby caves....for anyone considering the tour de France, I can't imagine a more rigorous warm up. We found the caves after walking through rice paddies, past buffalo and small children, this was caving in the true sense and once inside we discovered relics of the Pathet Laos, who used the caves along with the local village during America's secret war.

By the time we got back to our village we'd decided any more cycling was out of the question, but with a desire to see more, naively booked ourselves on a trek called 100 waterfalls, which we were told was the most scenic choice.

The following day we discovered (slightly to Jo's consternation) that the trek comprised of climbing up a cascade of.....100 waterfalls. Once we got to the top the view was worth the effort.

One of the other cool things about Laos were the insects, one night this flew into the side of my head;

It was hard to leave this sleepy remote corner of Laos, but time was pressing so once more we took to the river ( which was to become a theme) and after a 7 hour boat ride found ourselves in the equally laid back city of Luang Prabang.