We take a local bus from Phongsali to Laung Prabang. Of course it's the obligatory 50minutes late and as it rocks up I just start laughing. This bus looks like a hand-me-down from rural India. The entire back window is missing and has been boarded up with MFD attached by ropes leaving large gaps all the way around the sides. Our bags are lifted and tide onto the roof and we hop on board. Speeding along a dirt track cut out of the mountain in a mining region, in t...

Our initial experience of Phongsali was not a great - the tuk tuk drivers drops us off in a random place outside the city - literally within 30 seconds of stopping the tuk tuk, they hop on a motorbike and driving away before we can ask them anything. We resisted paying the additional tuk tuk that was conveniently waiting for us and walked the few kilometres into town with our big packs. After checking into a hotel, I ate one of the worst meals I have had since ...