In a sudden change of plans ive decided to head south first instead. Currently Vang Vieng is the furthest south you can get. Its 160 km and a 6 hour bus ride from here, and requires going down the infamous Route 13. Banditry is common in Laos, especially on this route, but Ive been told not to worry due the current heightened national security. Great.

Vang Vieng is situated in a limestone karst valley and should offer the opportunity for a couple of days decent trekking. I’m slightly frustrated I won’t be able to make it to the far south as this is home to “The Four Thousand Islands”. Not a salad dressing but a place where the Mekong splits into a series of rivulets and has created a vast scattering of islets. Maybe next time.