We arrived in Vang Vieng via minivan from Luang Prabang. The 4-5 hour ride takes you through mountainous terrain that is filled with hairpin turns and potholes. However the bumpy ride is made up for with some of the most beautiful scenery in Laos. Similar to Nong Khiaw, this region down to Vang Vieng is filled with massive jagged limestone karsts that appear to be out of a fictional story.
Our initial impressions of Vang Vieng itself, were less romantic than we had pictured during our trip planning. We knew that Vang Vieng, once a sleepy town, had a phase of being a backpacker’s party capital. It was self proclaimed “the tubing capital of the world”. Makeshift restaurants lined the river where alcohol and drugs flowed openly. In 2012, after dozens of tourists had died, (mostly from being drunk or high on the river) the Lao government stepped in and shut down the establishments letting the nefarious acts fly by. According to Rough Guides, when word got out of the crackdown, tourist arrivals fell by as much as 70% and locals who’d taken out loans to build guest houses and hotels during the boom years were left indebted, with little hopes of paying their bills. These days, the town is finding its focus again with more safety focused outdoor activities and excursions. It is true that Vang Vieng is much more laid back than it used to be, but it still offers tons of river focused opportunities so the streets are lined with bikini clad tourists, which is a bit distasteful as being scantily dressed in public if frowned upon by the local Buddhist culture. It became quickly clear that Vang Vieng is still sustained by tourism. While Luang Prabang is similar in this way, it has an undeniable allure and charm. We were hoping present day Vang Vieng would be a bit more cleaned up back to it’s sleepier days, but it is still a bit rough around the edges and has an overall feeling of a ‘morning after a party’.
All of this being said, there was obviously more to Vang Vieng than drugs and alcohol that flocked tourists here to begin with. The close surrounding areas contain many gems accessible via short day trips. As we did in Nong Khiaw, we greatly enjoyed renting mountain bikes for a few dollars per day to explore the surrounding areas. On our first excursion we rode 6 km west of town to the Phou Kham caves and the Blue Lagoon. The cave has a tiny entrance but once inside the ceiling rises to +/- 150 feet which was super epic. The Blue Lagoon by contrast is much smaller and surrounded by more establishments. Being in the high 80’s, we swam and jumped off the tall tree branches overhanging the water.
On our next ride we went 6 km east of town down bumpy roads to the Kaeng Yui waterfalls. It was lush and tropical with few tourists so it is very peaceful. We also headed south of town a bit to the Chang Cave. The cave, up a huge steep staircase, was lit and had a concrete path through it so it was pretty touristy but it was still neat to see.
Spending our afternoons biking in the hot sun proved to be exhausting each day so we found ourselves frequently retreating to our stay at the Champa Lao Villa, to rest. This Villa was the silver lining of our stay in Vang Vieng, as it is quite the peaceful sanctuary. Located at the North end of town, it is just far enough away from the noisy center to get some peace and quiet, yet easily walkable to everything. We are convinced we found the best affordable place to stay in Vang Vieng. When we wanted some relief from the heat while in town, we went to a couple riverside restaurants where you sit on elevated platforms on pads around a coffee table. They have old Friends episodes constantly on repeat, and you can get just about anything to eat. The food is just ok. Another fun spot was the riverfront Smile Restaurant where we’d lounge in hammocks with amazing coconut smoothies. We’d take breaks to swim in the water where tons of local Laotion boys were beating the heat as well.
After spending a few days in Vang Vieng we came to appreciate many things about it. It was hard not to compare it to Luang Prabang which is a World Heritage site for good reason. Vang Vieng still has a number of beautiful Wats, delicious restaurants (try Whopping Burger), and as we experienced everywhere in Laos, some of the friendliest locals. If you are passing through from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, it is worth a day or two of your time.
