And so to Laos

Lao's capital Vientiane boasts a population of some 450,000, more than 10pc of the country's entire inhabitants. And just like Bangkok it seemed everyone has a water pistol or hosepipe in hand! At every turn we were met with high pitched screams and a right good soaking, making it rather difficult to explore the city's French colonial architecture - which punctuates gilded temples and local markets. In the end we opted for the sanctuary afforded by Vientiane's bars. While our exteriors dried off we made sure our innards got a soaking with the rather tasty local tipple Beer Lao.

Next up was a three hour bus ride north to Vang Vieng, a small town set on the Nam Khan river and flanked by towering limestone rock formations. A little gem of a place, the town attracts backpackers from all over SE Asia wanting to try their hand at "tubing" - and rightly so! The rules are very simple. "Splash out" (excuse pun) three dollars in exchange for an inflated tractor inner tube, and hit the river. This is fun with a capital "F"!

So it was that we set off for a sixth soaking in as many days. Bundled off the back of a tuk-tuk, we launched ourselves into the warm waters. Shit, we'd only been floating for five minutes when we encountered the first bar and, more importantly, rope slide! See, what we didn't know was that on just about every bend travellers are invited to part with their comfy tube and climb teetering bamboo steps to launch themselves into the water from death-defying heights. Cool!

It's difficult to describe how much fun this is. Once again we adopted the demeanour of giggly ten year olds as we hurtled down rapids, stopping only to launch ourselves from rickety wooden frameworks. Unfortunately for Kris, his first couple of attempts to earn a "perfect 10" from fellow tubers failed dismally as awkward looking jumps saw him slap the water belly first - causing severe bruising all over! Marit, with years of gymnastic experience behind her, was far more graceful (or careful, depending how you look at it) with her entries and managed to finish the day injury-free.

Tubing is as good as it gets. The disappointment at finishing one beer is immediately forgotten at the sight of young kids chanting "Beer Lao" and waving chilled bottles in the air. Attempts to avoid rope swings are thwarted by over-exuberant locals who cast bamboo rods into the water to ensure your tube ends up resting alongside their bar. Sound systems pump out dance tunes all afternoon while intoxicated tubers grow in confidence and try new tricks from the swings in an effort to wow the crowds - most ending in bone-shattering "slaps" and hoots of laughter!


After seven hours of incessant drinking and swinging our time was sadly up. Two hours after the 5.30pm deadline and expecting a two dollar fine we were yanked out of the river - alongside fellow straddlers Mike, Kristy and Graham - by disgruntled looking organisers.

But the fun wasn't over yet as we embarked on an evening of "happiness" Lao style! You see, not only is Vang Vieng home to tubing, but it's also renowned for its "happy" menus. Pizzas topped with magic mushrooms, opium based shakes and weed tea, all washed down with more Beer Lao, ensure that every visitor to the town go home with a smile on their face that would rival any Cheshire cat.