Once a tourist town is synonymously known for partying and drunkenness (and an unfortunately high number of tourist deaths due to it), Vang Vieng has cleaned up its act and rebranded itself as an adventure destination for visitors. One look at the looming limestone mountains that surround the town and I was instantly enamored. I had a couple of days to squeeze in as much action as I could, and Vang Vieng has a lot of that!
How to get there:
No international airport in tiny Vang Vieng, so your best option (and only option, really) are buses from other cities in Laos. I came on a brutal 8 hour bus ride from Luang Prabang, winding back and forth through mountains the entire way. There’s also a shorter 4-hour bus ride from Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Tickets for these bus rides can be purchased at nearly any accommodation in Laos, or alternatively at tourist agencies that litter each town. I met a couple adventurous souls that had bought/rented motorbikes to drive through Laos with, and they arrived to Vang Vieng in that fashion.
Where to stay/getting around:
Like virtually every other Southeast Asian city, tuk-tuks await you around every corner to move you around town. It’s not necessary, though, because Vang Vieng is a tiny town. It’s got one main “street” (more of a dirt road) with restaurants and shops, and the entire town from one end to the other is walkable in less than 20 minutes. Likewise, this means that you can’t really go wrong with where you choose to stay. Everything here is pretty much budget accommodation, you can get a hostel dorm for around 40,000 LAK or $5 USD per night. As far as I know, there aren’t any proper luxury hotels here, but I doubt any high-maintenance traveler would come to rugged Vang Vieng or Laos anyway.
What to do:
Vang Vieng has a couple must-dos for your visit. I had never been on a hot air balloon before, so when I heard that they offer those here, I immediately jumped on it. It’s very expensive – 750,000 LAK or $90 USD for about an hour’s ride in the sky – but I had a damn good time and didn’t feel guilty for spending that much at the end of it. You can take either a sunrise or sunset hot air balloon tour, which whisks you up several hundred meters to see the stunning mountain scenery of Vang Vieng from above. I was about to pee my pants from fear the whole time, but it sure was beautiful.
Tubing along the Nam Song River is also wildly popular here. In the past, this activity was dominated by drunk backpackers who unfortunately ended up drowning at an alarming rate. Vang Vieng put new regulations in place to make this a much safer activity today. You can rent a tube for around 55,000 LAK or under $7 USD, get dropped off at the top of the river, and float leisurely back to town. There used to be 10+ bars set up along the river where tubers would get intoxicated, but now there are only 2 allowed to be open at any given time. Not being a huge drinker, I just floated by the bars and enjoyed my tube ride in pure bliss.
Finally, there are several other outdoor activities available in Laos. There are various caves (Water Cave and Golden Cave are the most popular), rock climbing for all with courses from beginner to advanced, or the Blue Lagoon, a blue-green lagoon equipped with rope swings and tons of tourists. All of these activities can be booked through your hostel/accommodation in Vang Vieng, or simply out on the street. You can’t walk down the main street in Vang Vieng without seeing signs for the wide and varied adventure activities that they have available.
Other tips:
Vang Vieng is jam-packed with activities – if you try to do it all, you’ll be a) spending a lot of money and b) packing your time too tight. Pick and choose what interests you the most and dedicate more time to that, rather than spreading yourself too thin trying to fit in every must-do thing. Food is ridiculously cheap here, you can get a full meal for 15,000-35,000 LAK ($2-$5 USD) at virtually any restaurant in town. My other unsolicited advice: don’t party too hard here. You may have heard legends about the crazy party town of years past, but the city is attempting to build a new reputation for itself. 22 tourists died here in 2011 alone due to drinking-related causes, so be smart and conscious of your choices.
Vang Vieng is truly the adventurous backpacker’s heaven. Though the town is really only 3 streets and a bus station, the stunning mountain and river scenery will leave you dreaming about it long after you’ve returned home. I know I am.
