A guide to Vang Vieng, Laos

Part One: What To Do

-Tubing-

Thinking about floating down a river in a tube surrounded by limestone cliffs on a sunny, warm day.  Sounds perfect, right?  Now add people from all over the world, good music, tons of booze, tons of FREE booze, rope swings, zip lines, and water slides.  That would be tubing in Vang Vieng.

before i lost my sunglasses

The first time I went to Vang Vieng in 2008, everyone went tubing, period.  It was the thing to do, no questions asked.  More recently, people were taking the easy way out and just going to the bars by tuk tuk or truck instead of actually tubing between them.  Don't let anyone talk you into this.  It's lame.

tubing in 2008

FAQ

1. What time should I start tubing?

Tubing is really hard to time right.  IF you return your tube after 6 PM, they take money out of your deposit.  So theoretically, you'd want to start tubing early.  The river doesn't move fast (at least not in low season), and it takes a long time to tue all the way back to town.  On the other hand, bars will be empty if you start there before noon.  So here are your options:

a. Start early, and tube all the way.  This is a good choice of you're with a group and don't care too much about meeting anyone.  Starting early also conditional on how hungover you are from the previous night, so keep that in mind.  If you go with this choice, start at about 10 or 11 AM.

b.  Start tubing at prime time, and tube all the way.  Start out at about 12:30 or 1, and be at the bars while they're in full swing.  This would ensure that there will be plenty of people to meet, beer pong to play, and dance circles to join led by boys wearing string bracelets and neon paint.  Only downside is you'll have to move quickly from bar to bar to stay on pace.. meaning you may have to leave some places you're having fun, and skip some bars to go to the ones that really stand out.  Chances are, if you want to tube all the way back to town, you still won't get back until after dark, leaving you cold, wet, and depositless (well.. not completely, but they'll dock it).  This choice isn't a bad one, but it's also not for the faint of heart (or for the very hungry).

c. Start at 12 or 1, hang out with people, tube as far as you can, then get out and take a tuk tuk when you're past all the bars and are too cold/ tired/ bored to tube anymore.  There's something liek 3 kilometers between the last bar and town, so the tubing part gets a little old after an hour and a half while you're freezing and want a cheeseburger.  There's tuk tuks waiting for people like you, and it won't be too expensive to get a ride back to town.  You probably still won't make it back before 6 PM, but it's better to lose a dollar from your deposit than to leave tubing early and rush back to town before you're ready.

lost tubers?

2. What do I bring with me?

It's a game of trial and error here, and since I made some mistakes in this area, I'll pass my knowledge on.

Keeping it Dry, man

They sell waterproof necklace bags around town, and you surprisingly won't look lame with one on because everyone uses them.  If you're still too cool to get one (like I was), bring a ziplock back to keep your stuff protected from the river.  Just don't expect anything to say too dry or protected.  But.. don't worry, wet money is still widely accepted.

Money

You can definitely spend nothing if you take free shots of "laolao"* from the bars and drink from other peoples' buckets.  But.. if you don't want mono, or don't want to be a total mooch, bring 10 or 20 bucks to buy yourself some beers and to take a tuk tuk back if you need to.

*Lao Lao is the Laotian whiskey.  It's super cheap and it's free almost anywhere.  The price should tell you something about it's quality.

Your camera

Plenty of people brought theirs.  If you have a waterpoof bag, go for it.  If you're a ditz like me, leave it at home.

Sunglasses

Plenty of people bring theirs.  It's hot and sunny.  My boyfriend lost his about the 3rd bar, and I lost my brand new ones around the 4th... just to give you some sunglass retention statistics.

Shoes

See "sunglasses."  I got a brand new pair of flip flops for the occassion, and they were gone by bar 3.  You're swimming, going on rope swings, and running around.  I guess there's a chance you'll catch some weird foot disease, you'll probably be fine without any foot coverings.

Sunscreen

Yes. Yes. Yes.  You will need it if you don't want to return looking like a lobster/peeling lobster.

What should I wear?

Girls: Not too many people are walking around in just their bikinis.  It offends the locals to see too much unmodesty, so it is a sign of respect to  cover up a little.  A sarong, a little dress, or shorts and a tank are perfect.  Just make sure you don't mind if it gets wet or ruined.

Boys:  To shirt or not to shirt?  If you don't mind sitting around in a sopping wet t-shirt, you should bring one.  But if your'e planning on taking it off to get some sun or dry it out, leave it at home.  If you're anything like my boyfriend, you'll lose it.

What should I drink?

Beer Lao, buckets of laolao, coke and redbull, shots, and WATER.  It's hot, and it's daytime.  Hydrate. 

Is it safe to drink free shots?

Who cares.

I heard Vang Vieng is full of obnoxious tourists. Is that true?

Lonely Planet really takes a stab at tubing.  They stick their noses up at it because it's "unauthentic" and has "transformed Vang Vieng."  Is tubing a good, authentic, Laotian experience?  Absolutely not.  It's filled with foreigners, shitty food, and very few temples.  But if you take it for what it is- a bizarre melting pot where you can let loose, meet other travelers, and take in the beautiful scenery, you'll have a good time.  It's a beautiful town surrounded by lime stone karsts and rice padis.  With the right addditude, you'll have a lot of fun and enjoy your time in Vang Vieng.

-Non-tubing activities-

Since tubing seems to be the main attraction in Vang Vieng, a lot of people forget to notice that the scenery around town is stunningly beautiful.  If you need a day away from the crazy crowds of the river, there is a lot of natural beauty to explore.  There are karsts to climb, caves to explore, grottos to find and lagoons to swim in.  Rent a bike or an ATV, grab a map, your swim suit and a flashlight, and you're good to go.  You can spend two or three days exploring like this, depending on how fast you move.  Here is probably a good time to say this: Do not (I repeat) Do not rent a motorbike.  It is terrifying and nauseating.  I learned this the hard way. All the bikes are manual, and even worse, the roads are unpaved, rocky, dusty and full of potholes.  It may seem like a fun, romantic way to get around, but it. is. not. A bike would be more fun, and an ATV would be perfect if you don't feel like having to use your legs.  Stick with one of those, and you'll get good.

a lagoon

locals on bikes

bumpy, rocky roads, tiny narrow bridge

attempt to drive across it... unsuccessful

exploring the river on foot

grotto; 2008

What to eat

The sad fact is, no matter what you eat in Vang Vang, it will probably suck.  The food is some of the worst in Southeast Asia.  Every restaurant has similar, if not identical, menus.  Horrible burgers, tacky pasta dishes, and lame sandwiches are the norm.  If you do go out to eat in town, the Laotian menu is probably your best bet, even though it is still subpar.  There are street vendors selling all sorts of grilled sandwiches, and those aren't bad if you go to the right stand.

Aside the usual shit, there is one redeeming place to eat that makes Vang Vieng worth going to on it's own.  The place is a bit out of town, but well worth the ride.  It is called Organic Farm, and also has opportunities for volunteering and long-term stay.  The restaurant has an unbelievably kick-ass vegetarian menu that even my carnivorous boyfriend drooled over.  If you can get there, I recommend going  for every meal.  There is a spectacular breakfast menu with perfect, fresh, fluffy-but-not-too-fluffy pancakes.  They also have organic fruit shakes made from the freshest, most delicious fruit I've ever tasted.  Their specialty is mulberries, so they incorporate them into a lot of their dishes, shakes, and teas.  From the lunch menu, Matt and I chose a toasted goat cheese plate (best thing I've ever tasted), a pumpkin soup and a Laotian eggplant dip with fresh vegetables.  Go to the organic farm, and go to it as many times as you possibly can.

an organic mulberry patch

our table at the organic farm restaurant

relaxing at the farm

Where to stay

I honestly can't comment on this too much, because I stayed in the same place both times I went!  The guesthouses and bungalows down by the river and beautiful and not too expensive if you're in a couple/group.  Here's the view we got.