Vang Vienne

Vang Vieng is the main attraction in Laos for many travellers. It’s home to the phenomenon of ‘tubing’, involving floating down the Nam Song River in a large tube, stopping at the many bars along the way and playing on zip lines. It is huge fun – especially if you like a drink or two – and highly recommended!

To read more about the fun I had tubing in Laos and my other adventures in this fantastic country, check out MyTravelBug.co.uk.

Bizarre

It’s like, in the middle of this beautifully small and humble country, there’s this bizarre backpacker heaven. Small enough to walk/ride around, hard enough to access that there are basically only backpackers, cheap enough to spend months on end. The area is so beautiful and there is so much to do in the way of walking/ riding/ kayaking/ tubing/ spelunking and a tonne more. One of my favourite places in the world.

Cringe points include the friends bars (which can be a good or bad thing, but you’d be better off getting some real local food). And the array of what I like to call “Boozepackers” that aren’t really in it for the culture or the experience, but more just to get drunk in other countries.

Truely worth it. Bring travel sick tablets for the bus ride. But stay awake… the views of the towns and villages are AMAZING.

despite having gone way too much into the backpacker’s way of life, vang vieng is lovely. life on the river makes it for a very chilled out place – sadly i didn’t have enough time to go tubing down the river but looked like a lot of fun. i did get a boat up to the organic farm though which was a truly interesting culinary experience (and lovely ride to get there)… ever tried crispy fried mulberry leaves? you should, they’re much better than crisps. :) a nice place to stop if you want to chill out, that’s for sure, and like the rest of laos it’s cheap, food is good and people are overall very nice…! would like to go back, just to spend some more time on the river song…!

Vang Vieng itself is not interesting, except the stunning market place (i’ve seen most laos’ wildlife there, ready to be cooked!) What is worthwhile there is the surroundings of that tiny village, everywhere around is so beautiful…

Love this place. Quiter and lovely scenery. You can do flying fox-jumping from a tower to the river. See pictures here :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aboutasia/sets/1741697/