Vang Vieng – Maxin’ Relaxin’
Vang Vieng
In a true non-nomadic way, I did a little research on Vang Vieng before we left the UK. An attempt to pick up on what the ‘vibe’ was like and whether I thought it was somewhere we would stay for a while or just pass through.
All of the blog posts I read had me pining for the old Vang Vieng – before I’d ever visited. Apparently, it just ain’t what it used to be. Something I’m sure a lot of people would agree is a good thing.
That’s not to say there is no partying left in Vang Vieng. Far from it. Sakura and Viva both offer loud music, a place to dance, as well as free drinks during their (consecutive) happy hours. There are also a few bars with a somewhat more liberal feel to them – in case that’s your thing. If it is your thing, then you are not going to want to miss the jungle party that happens every Friday night.
Tubing
Obviously, we had to try out the infamous tubing. I have heard endless stories from friends who have been tubing in Vang Vieng. The craziness of it all, the copious bars that pull you in from the river, the free-flowing booze… Just a few things that we did not experience.
Our group of 5 were the only group tubing that day. There were only 2 bars, with an extremely long tubing stint between them both… Thank God we brought the watermelon vodka to keep us going! When we did finally reach the final bar, we were the only people there. What we’d all expected to be a crazy party turned into beer pong, zip lining into the river and Volleyball against some local kids. In short, we had an awesome day, just not in the way we had expected.
We met so many people who went tubing the following day and said it was heaving, so I would recommend either making sure there’s a big group of you going or find out if there are any special events that are likely to be busier. For example, the day after we tubed, there was a special Valentine’s Day event which sounded cray-zay. Unless bobbing quietly down the river in peace is your thing of course…
What Else?
Partying aside, there is more to Vang Vieng. We stayed for a total of one week and honestly, I could have stayed longer. Nothing had prepared me for how beautiful the backdrop to this town is. There are some great places to chill out, hotels that will let you use their pool for a fee (I paid 100,000 kip for a morning yoga class at the Silver Naga Hotel and gained free access to the pool for the day – 50,000 if you just want to use the pool). Smile beach bar offers both sunny and shady spots for those wanting to laze by the river and enjoy the beautiful sunsets this little town has to offer.
Sunrise / Sunset hot air balloon rides are $90– if you manage to negotiate a significant discount then I will eat my fedora. Hire a scooter or buggy for the day and there are a plethora of lagoons waiting to be explored. I might be stating the obvious, but make sure you wear your sunglasses if you do this – the roads are d-u-s-t-y. Take a hike to the viewpoint, or you could rent a kayak to appreciate the panoramic views from a different angle.
If you’re planning a trip to Laos and thinking of paying a visit to Vang Vieng, it is a great place to while away your time (if you have it). Beautiful views, lots of chill out places to soak up some sun, many lagoons to be explored and of course… Lots of fun to be had.
Come on the backpacker circuit for the tubing and stay for the relaxed lifestyle that will inevitably draw you in.
“Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times”
– Asian Proverb
See It With Your Own Eyes [yasr_overall_rating]