Vang Vieng, Laos – A Mini Guide


One of the advantages of living in Asia is easy access to exotic destinations. I can just choose a place and get there quickly and cheaply. This month the time came for my border run and I thought hard where to go. Finally, after checking ticket prices and thinking of places I hadn’t been before, I decided to go to Vang Vieng in Laos. It was close enough to get there by bus from Chiang Mai, tickets were cheap and the town was a great place to relax and unwind – perfect!

I fell in love with Vang Vieng and really didn’t want to leave. It could easily become a place, where I go whenever I have a few days off. I loved everything about it: the scenery, food, bars and even the uneven, dusty streets. I’m looking forward to my next visit there.

About Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng is a small town, located around 2 hours north of the capital of Laos, Vientiane. It’s surrounded by picturesque, green mountains and the The Nam Song river, which slowly flows through the town.

Vang Vieng was once famous for crazy, drug and alcohol – fuelled parties. Backpackers from all around the globe used to come here to indulge in all sorts of shenanigans. They would drink some beers for breakfast, go to the river and tube down, drinking more, taking drugs, swimming and drinking some more as they went along.

Tubing, floating on a huge tube down the river, was (and still is) one of the things to do when you’re in Vang Vieng. The waters here are shallow and slow enough to provide you with a very relaxing experience.

But, as it happens when there is alcohol, drugs and swimming involved, every year a couple of people drowned or broke their necks. A few years ago the local government decided to close down some of the bars that lined the shores of Mekong and the notorious parties stopped.

Today, backpackers still come to Vang Vieng in search for drugs, alcohol, fun and relaxation. They find all of those, but the town is much quieter and calmer. It now attracts a lot of Korean and Japanese tourists, who prefer different kinds of activities and have more money to spend than an average backpacker from England or Sweden.

However, I would say that Vang Vieng offers something for everyone: young people will find places to party, nature lovers won’t be disappointed with the surroundings, those looking for relaxation will be happy with laying by the river and catching some sun while families with kids will also have lots of fun.

Source: Maptrotting.com
Read more: https://maptrotting.com/vang-vieng-laos-mini-guide/
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