S.E.A Faces & Places: Interview with Vang Vieng Entrepreneurs, Greg & Owen

Undoubtedly the star attraction of Vang Vieng, a town on highway 13 between Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos, is the Nam Song River lined with rope swings, zip wires and a multitude of cool bars - a veritable playground for backpackers! Karen Farini catches up with Greg and Owen, 27 year old UK twins, who own the coolest and quirkiest entertainment space in town to get the low down on running a business on a river bank prone to annual flooding, the locals' view of the abrupt change in culture and of course the crazy and controversial phenomenon known as tubing...

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Joma Fair Trade Coffee: Helping Communities & The Environment in Laos

Joma Bakery is leading the way in Fair Trade, organic coffee in Laos and Vietnam. Working with the Jhai Coffee Farmers Co-operative (JCFC) to cultivate the unique 'arabica' coffee bean, Joma is able to serve coffee that is delicious, ethical and environmentally conscious. The local ethnic groups who work in the Bolaven Plateau coffee growing area are ensured a fair sale price and the plants are grown in an eco-friendly way. Learn more about where coffee comes from in Laos and why it is important to be aware of where your food and drink comes from!

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7 Epic Journeys in South East Asia

Some involve arduous days on a hot, cramped bus, some consist of a five minute breezy ride on the turquoise sea... no matter how long or short, there are some journeys from your backpacking adventure that you will never forget! We spoke to backpackers to find out the most memorable trips in South East Asia. From the famous 27 hour Laos-Vietnam bus, to the infamous tuk tuks of Bangkok, how many journeys can you tick off?

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Tubing! Vang Vieng, Laos: What’s all the Fuss?

Up there with the Full Moon Party in terms of a backpacking ‘rites of passage’, Tubing in Vang Vieng, (Laos) is known as the best party in South East Asia! A startling claim for a place described by the Lonely Planet just fifteen years ago as ‘far removed from the Western world.’ With backpackers flocking there in the thousands; it’s clear the excitement isn’t about to slow down soon! But can it really be as good as they all say it is? One backpacker tells his tale…

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