I’m sure everyone has had a friend like Steve Gibson. He’s the kid in junior high and high school that just doesn’t seem to fit in. But because his parents are relaxed with rules, you find yourself hanging out at his house all the time. That’s what Vang Viang, Lao is rather like. It’s a little dirty, it’s a little cluttered, but the most part is just a cool little place to relax and watch the world go by.

Oh, how I love Bangkok. Her smell, her counterfeit goods, her street markets and her crazy tuk-tuk drivers. There is no more wonderful city than Bangkok. She is my home away from home. She is my mistress. And if I keep on this current pace visiting her so frequently, the Thai people might make me a permanent citizen.

Laos' isolation from foreign influence offers travellers an unparalleled glimpse of traditional South-East Asian life. From the fertile lowlands of the Mekong River valley to the rugged Annamite highlands, Laos is the highlight of South-East Asia.