Tubing is AMAZING! Amen.

We arrived in Vang Vieng not knowing what to expect. We had seen photos from other people's travels and heard the stories but nothing compares to experiencing it yourself.
We sorted out accomodation from Louang Probang as they had a hostel here too so got dropped off at SpicyLaos - Vang Vieng. Not quite what we were expecting to say the least... it was basically a treehouse, with about 15 beds in it. After much deliberation we decided to go with it and it turned out to be amazing. The owner was so cool and we got free breakfast and internet use and its location was pretty good.

After our first nights sleep in our treehouse we set off for the river. A short tuk tuk ride upstream and you're dropped off at the first bar - strategically named 'Bar One'. This bar had a HUGE rope swing that was a lot of fun. We spent the whole day tasting the alcoholic delights from each bar... shots, buckets, beers. All under the blazing Laos sunshine and alongside the flowing cool river. We later discovered that it gets dark very VERY quickly and the float from the last bar to where you get out the river is a good 1 to 2 hours. Ah. With it now pitch black we fought the currents and beached next a bridge - lost. (the next day we found out that this bridge was a 2 second walk from our hostel - haha) we finally got our tubes back, headed back to the tree for a shower then back out for dinner and more drinks. Was an awesome night out with all our new friends we had made from the days tubing.

A familiar hungover feeling met us when we woke up the next morning. But to our delight it was someone at our hostel's birthday so we felt it only right to join in the festivities - so grabbing our tubes we headed back to the river. The best hangover cure - a 50 ft rope swing into the river and a Beer Laos!!

Today was just as much fun as the first. I got offered a job at Bar III after asking to have a go at chucking the rope to fellow tubers. 10 minutes later I was offered a free beer and a free bucket of whiskey, sprite and red bull and the job was mine. We stayed here for ages making the most of the free drinks that all of Team Ipood recieved and then headed off before it got too dark - having learnt from yesterday.

All tubed out we have now headed back to Loaung Probang to catch a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam on Thursday.. The perfect pick me up after the post tubing blues!!

See you in Vietnam!