Travel again

So, I am going on another trip in a couple weeks. I wanted to go visit a friend in Laos, but as I tried to find a means to get there, I realized that it is nearly impossible to do in under 2 days (each way), unless I wanted to pay about $1000US, which is too much over here. First, you need to fly into Hanoi. From there, you need to pick up a "bus" to Luang Prabang. These supposedly take anywhere from 26 to 40 hours, depending on your driver and how much they try to scam you. N-E-WAY, I am still thinking about where to go...