We're are meeting up with another family who are already out in SE Asia and spending 2 weeks in Laos in Aoril. We and our kids (3.4, 5) are used to back packing. I'm trying to minimise long bus journeys (ie. all day), which I know from experience is not that easy (I was in Laos 10 years ago) and trying to avoid flying if possible (given how costs mount up x4)
We're flying into Bangkok and am looking at crossing Nong Khai to Vientiane as that looks rarely straight forward. We've done overnight train journeys before. Anyway we could look at not going back to Vientiane would be good - may have to bite the bullet and fly out of Luang Prabang (last time I went in via Pakse then out via Houay Xai to Chiang Rai, but I remember a fairly lengthy and bumpy overnight bus journey up north)
The current plan is to do Vientaine, Vang Vieng (yes I've read the reviews but also that we can find somewhere off the main drag and enjoy the scenery), Luang Prabang. (staying up north as, if I remember correctly, and the infrastructure hasn't changed significantly the roads were a bit better - I'm happy to be corrected!)
I would really like to go to Phonsavan as I never made it last time but from the research I've done its 10 hours by bus which wouldn't be fair on our kids or the other people on the bus - given there is 7 of us, would it be viable to hire a minivan and given it's a private hire, how long would it take?
Any recommendations for accomodation would be great as I'm struggling to find places with rooms with enough beds - mattresses on the floor for the boys is fine, but sometimes hard to work that out from website/reviews. Nothing too flashy - we've found that with kids that guest houses are much better option, bungalows with an outside, where we can sit in an evening much better than being in a hotel room with the kids asleep.
plus suggestions of what to do with kids which we might not get from websites/travel guides e.g., anyway near a play park/ or lake/river to swim in!
Thanks very much
