Not wanting to stick with the crew I had been traveling with in Luang Prabang, I decided to skip past the popular stop of Vang Vieng and headed as far South in Laos as I could.

Wat Phu, near the city of Champasak, is an old Khmer temple built on the side of a mountain for the worship of a natural lingna devoted to the Hindu deity Shiva.

Worst idea:  Walking a couple of miles through the Laotian afternoon without sunscreen or water.

Best Moment: Hitching a ride on the way back to Champasak with three kids in a tractor.