Waterfalls and Rice Fields

After Luang Prabang most backpackers head south to Vang Vieng for Opium Shakes and Happy Pancakes. I instead went off the beaten route and went North. Only a handful of people make it up here, which makes this place that much more special. No motorbikes, no internet, no phones - this is what travelling is about.

We hiked to remote villages where everyone came out and greeted us - so friendly beyond anything I have ever experienced. We hit waterfalls, went deep into caves, wondered past rice fields, and looked up at the stunning, jagged limestone jungle cliffs that surrounded the area. I only hope that the 21st Century, even the 20th Century, never catches up to them. They have nothing and they have everything. These people live off the land, catch there own food, and even make their own 'Lao Lao' - rice whiskey, which gets you quite messed up. The fact that the village stayed with us all night partying, playing, singing, drinking and eating - even though nobody spoke a lick of English, made the experience that much more special. Wicked.