We spent almost two wonderfully peaceful weeks in laid-back Laos, where things seemed to run at a much slower pace than any place we'd ever been before. One of SE Asia's least populated countries, Laos had quite a different feel to it than did Thailand. Local people didn't look at tourists as an immediate source of income, there were relatively few tourists around as it was, and although it was evident that Laos was not a wealthy country, there were no obvious signs of malnutrition, begging, or abject poverty. It was a special place for us to make new friends in our Intrepid tourmates, and to spend a very peaceful and relaxing Christmas and New Year.

Go back to Thailand here.