Vang Vieng is a fun place to hang out for awhile. It's the adventure tourism capital of Laos. It features dozens of caves to explore, beautiful lagoons to visit, mountains to climb, a natural lazy river to float down, and the best nightlife in the country. For these reasons and more Vang Vieng offers up a good slice of backpacker paradise and rates well on my World Travel Scale from 1-5.
Travel Score= 4
Affordability= 4
Food= 3.5
Culture = 4
Safety = 4
Hotel Value= 4.5
Activities = 5
Transportation = 4.5
Vang Vieng is very affordable. You can get a decent meal at a restaurant between two and four dollars. However, they're not serving up 25 cent beer like they do in Cambodia or endless street food in Thailand for under a dollar. Regardless, everything is still a good deal especially when you compare it to western prices.
Accommodations are a very good value as well. You can find some great deals like this river front hotel from where I took this photo or this nicer more modern hotel I stayed at for over a week. Both places were negotiated down to 12 dollars a night. Air conditioned, clean, good wifi, daily maid service, hot shower, and friendly staff. If you're on a tight budget there are grungy dorms available for as little as three dollars!
The town is speckled with restaurants serving traditional Lao and Thai food. It's decent quality and meets most travelers expectations. There are some great street stalls roasting pork belly over an open flame. They are located on the abandoned US military air strip behind the town. Many locals buy from them, it's cheap and delicious!
Laos in general is a very culturally rich Buddhist country. That being said Vang Vieng is not a place to witness the culture at it's best. For that you want to go to Luang Prabang. Vang Vieng has been watered down with a party backpacker crowed. It's had a negative influence on the culture. However you're still in Laos. There are monks and temples all around and for the most part the people of Vang Vieng still hold close to their traditions, beliefs, and way of life.
People come here for the adventure activities. There are seemingly endless guided tours to caves, lagoons, kayaking, mountain climbing, zip lining, you can even ride in a hot air balloon! A popular activity is to rent a dune buggy and haul ass all over the country side, but it will set you back about fifty dollars for the day.
For a more leisurely and affordable activity people go tubing for five dollars including drop off and pick up. You float down the Nam Song River which the locals have dotted with little make shift floating bars. They serve cocktails to the party going backpackers who get smashed as they tube down the river. In recent years the government has cracked down on this type of activity. Young backpackers started drowning as they got wasted. Some even died diving head first into shallow water.
Vang Vieng is as safe as you want it be. You can stay conservative and not do many adventure activities or you can get drunk and drown in the river! Making wise decisions is of up-most importance. As far as crime, you're more likely to get robbed by a fellow traveler in a dorm than a Lao on the street. Regardless, you should always be mindful of your belongings especially when going out to the bars at night.
Getting around Vang Vieng is as simple as walking down the street. You can walk from one side of town to the other in 5-10 minutes. There are plenty of tuk-tuks with set prices always ready to take you to a lagoon or other destination as you wish. There are also motor bike and bicycle rentals for cheap.
Vang Vieng is four hours south of Luang Prabang and four hours north of the capital of Vientiane. These are two destinations in Laos you don't want to miss. The ride to or from either of these destinations costs about ten dollars and is best done by mini-van in the morning with a fresh clear-headed driver. The roads can be a bit shabby especially on the rout north to Luang Prabang in the rainy season.
Overall Vang Vieng is one of the best and most popular destinations in Laos. The country side is stunningly beautiful. I came for a week but stayed for two! It was affordable, comfortable, I had decent food, and lots of things to do to keep busy day after day. For these reasons alone, I give Vang Vieng two big thumbs up and I highly recommend a visit!
Not To be Missed!
Travel Pro Hang-Out Hotspot #1: La Pistoche Swimming Pool and Bar. Luang Prabang, Laos!
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