Cold Chillin' in Vang Vieng, Laos

One of the main attractions in Vang Vieng is floating down the river in a tractor tyre inner-tube. For the sum of about 20,000 kip (about £1, or $2ish) one of the many activity and tour operators that line the main road will give you a tube and take you to the top of the river, where you can spend anything from 3-6 hours floating back into town.

On the way are magnificent views of the surrounding cliffs, hills, jungle, and local river life. Some locals have set up small riverside 'bars' that range from small floating bamboo platforms with a man sitting on a coolbox full of canned drinks, Beer Lao and pre-rolled joints, to one with a tree and a rope swing, to one riverbank with a 100-odd foot swing that you sit on and are pulled back by a rope attached to the swing and swung high into the air, landing in the river.

There are a couple of amazing caves to explore on the way down and torches can be rented from the people that charge the very small entry charge to the caves. A torch is pretty much essential if you want to venture into the caves, as the one that we went to was enormous and went far into the cliff and after a while was very hard to navigate and quite worrying at one point.

One of my highlights of Southeast Asia had to be floating down the river with new found mates, a beer and a joint, relaxing and watching the stunning scenery go by for a few hours. And all for the price of one or two pounds...

There are a few more caves to be explored in Vang Vieng, one of the most interesting being one that requires a guide and an inner tube. Just outside of the town is a small lake with a cliff face at the end of it. In this cliff face is a small hole that you can swim through into darkness. This cave consists of a labyrinth of tunnels with flowing water that lead into the cliff for a long way. Attempting to go very far into this cave without a guide would be little less than suicide, as the numerous streams and tunnels that lead off for miles into the cliff all look exactly the same and after a while of being in there you have absolutely no idea where you came in or what direction you're travelling in.

Another highlight is an amazing turquoise-blue lagoon, a tree overhanging it and a nice high jump from a huge branch above. This place is a mini paradise and an ideal place to chills. Once you're chilled you can climb up to a nearby cave and explore. This is another huge cave that contains a reclining Buddha shrine. Again, a headtorch can be rented for a small sum and is essential for cave exploration. Try not to fall down one of the many bottomless holes.