http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Laos , West , Vang Vieng en-us Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:41:41 BST Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:41:41 BST Arrived in Vang Vieng after a 6 hour bus trip that of course took 7 hours. It's a small town on the Nam Song river that's famous for it's karst mountain scenery and for being a bit of a backpacker party town. The scenery here is quite similar to Guilin in China. The land between the mountains is very flat so we did a bit of cycling and I did a bit of falling off of my bike as a stick got stu http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-331841.html Thanks everyone for all the nice comments And yes Sue I've gotten yours from Minnesota as well. Glad you guys are keeping up. I am so tired of rain. Too bad I came to SE Asia during the rainy season. I was going to go tubing today with the two Dutch girls I've been traveling with but it will have to wait. May not happen at all if this rain doesn't let up. I loved Luang Prabang. The night mar http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-329251.html On the way to Vang Vieng we got our first taste of real Laos. People were showering in the river as we passed we had a lot of near misses between the bus and bikescows strolling across the road and the potholes. Vang Vieng itself has three main streets where you can watch reruns of Friends Family guy or any movie you want all day.The main attraction to Vang Vieng is Tubing. Tubing is going do http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-328403.html So after spending about a week in Cambodia we were off for Laos. Now every traveler that we have met along the way ranted and raved about how awesome Laos was so we were pretty excited to get there albeit bummed to leave Cambodia. We made our way to the Siem Reap International Airport where we would board our plane for the two hour flight to Vientiane the capital of Laos. Upon arrival I took on http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-326293.html We decided to make a tough decision in Cambodia to pay the extra money and fly into Laos. We had planned on doing the south of Laos but time was not allowing it. We have to meet my friend Megan in Bangkok on October 5th. Plus we had talked to a few people that didn't really rave about the south of Laos as much as the north so we decided to suck it up and fly from Siem Reap to Vientiane. It was a http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-325464.html P.A.R.T.....Y... Because we gottaWell technically we dont have to but.... Being in Vang Vieng it's hard not to.Vang Vieng started out as a sleepy town set along the Nam Song river surrounded by a beautiful limestone Karst terrain but as tourism developed here so did the party scene most people come here for the Tubing and the party atmosphere. We knew exactly how it would be so all y http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-325133.html After long hot and tiring but a very very fun day of bike riding in the countryside and local markets of Luang Prubang talking with local teenagers to improve their English at the Big Brother Mouse book publishing place and waking up at 5am to give alms to the young monks basically we kneel before the precession and place breakfasts of balls of sticky rice and bananas in their baskets as they http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-322575.html On to Vang vieng and a crazy few days tubing on the river rope swings zip wires mud baths cycling tuk tuks caving and swimming in the blue lagoon this country is so remote beautiful its mountains and rivers and peaceful countryside and crazy locals and tourists everyone is so happy and kind to each other. I truelly love Laos.... Laos an amazing country still very much unspoilt by tourists http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-321287.html soheres the crack. been in vang vieng since tuesday after 2 days in luang prabang LOOMPABANG and 2 days before that on the sloooooooow boat. after a couple of days greeting about a dodgy tummy excuse to lie in bedfeel sorry for myself... somethings never change we decided to tube it yesterday. we being meali rachjodie lovely irish couple we met on our way to lao martin but i love http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-320353.html Alarm didn't wake me up again this morning but that might have had something to do with the terrible nights sleep I got. There was a big storm that kept me awake and scared me. The lightening was very bright and frequent thunder was very loud and rain also heavy. It went on and on. Then I could not sleep because I was too hot I put the air con on but woke up again to be freezingToday we went on http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-317562.html The alarm was set for 6 this morning. Rach was shattered though and didnrsquot hear it and slept for a further 30 mins. Dom was up and nearly ready by this point. We packed up and were picked up by tuk tuk at 7 to take us to the bus station. We got some breakfast and boarded the VIP bus ready for it to leave at 0800hrs. It was a brightly colored reasonable standard coach with air con an absolut http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-317558.html I sit here batteredruised sore cut and unable to fully lift my arms above my shoulders Have i been in a fight Have i been in a carbus crash Did i fall down a drain ... Nope none of those things I went tubing in Laos Whats is tubing it is sitting in an inflatable ring floating down a river from bar to bar Best pub crawl EVER by the way Beats the crap out of walking and at e http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-317084.html My chinese sherpas will be very glad that they didn't follow me to Laos. This is a country to be outdoors and active And boy but would I have worked them to the bone. The barefoot trekking in Mueng Ngoi Neua would only have been a taster I spent three days in Vang Viang...the adventure capital of Laos. Most people that land here spend their time tubing sitting in tractor tubes and floating do http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-315282.html Decided to stay a few days here so moved into a bungalow down by the river. a 10 min walk from the centre of town but the walking will do us good. A beautiful setting looking out on the river and a good spot to watch the sun setting on the tower kaarst.Yesterday afternoon a Tuktuk passed and a couple started waving to us. Was a Kiwi couple that we had met in Mui Ne in Vietnam last year. They are http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-314839.html Moving up north to Vang ViengSabaaiDiiI took the bus from Vientiane Lao's capital to Vang Vieng 30000 kip 4 about 6 hours on Sunday morning after i ran around on a tuktuk to try to exchange some money to catch the 9am bus to Luang Prabang it didn't happen and the bus left me so i decided to go to Vang Vieng which was just on my wayhttpwww.thaiflyingclub.comimageslinkGAfilesLaosM http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-314091.html Hi all.Don Det to Pakse by bus was easy enough this time. No messing around with droping folks off at the border to Cambodia or anything. Pakse itself was also more fun. We went to the same guesthouse as last time and on the second day rented a motorbike. It wasn't a Harley or Kawasaki 1000 or whatever but it was still a bit nerve racking edging out into the traffic. The man who rented it told me http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-313379.html Wat heb je nodig om uit te groeien tot de tofste backpackerslocatie van Azieen snelstromende riviereen paar honderd opblaasbare binnenbanden van een traktorgoed weer en een locatie tussen de bergenBeerlaoSamen noemen ze dit Tubing. De beste reistips staan niet in een reisgids. Het lijkt een paradoxaal gegeven maar dat komt er van als je de reisgidsen door buitenlanders laat schrijven en nie http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-312465.html Tubing everybody hires a large rubber ring a dry bag and a life jacket if they're cool and sits on a river. People working at bars on either side try to pull them in. Everyone gets very drunkwetmuddy.Approaching the shop where we hire our equipment who should we bump into but the Whoaaay guys from bowling It's funny. It seems everyone on this side of the world knows what kind of perso http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-310364.html Vang Vieng 28032008.I decided for a fruitshake with two big black Lao coffee for breakfast this morning. I couldn039t have a big hearty breakfast after the weedshake I consumed yesterday at a bar while tubing down the Nam Song river. Once I got myself together I hired a bike and cycled out to Phayang a small village 15 km. north of Vang Vieng. Only 15 km. but by the time I got to Phayang I http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-309459.html Vang Vieng 27032008. I remember this guy and his friends from yesterday when I had dinner with Mr. German and his ladyfriend I met him and his lady in Bangkok a few weeks ago I remember they were all drunk and stoned and high and god knows what else I remember how he fell down the stairs of the restaurant and that it looked back. Today they he and his friends are with us in the TukTuk http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-309057.html Vang Vieng late at night. Just As I had planned I have positioned myself on the balcony outside my room enjoying the tranquility of a typical Lao night. a small candle burning to add to the admosphere and a few big Beer Lao for my palate. I can smell the aroma of Lao weed the African Scotsman is smoking outside his hut lying in his hammock. The bloke joined me for dinner together with two finnish http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-309055.html Vang Vieng 25032008. I opted for a room at the other side of the river instead of staying in the village itself. My present room has a balcony where I can sit at night burn a candle drink cold Beer Lao and listen to the sounds of the Lao country night. Even now late afternoon sitting in the family039s restaurant I can see the cattle returning from their grazing grounds listen to the rest http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-309054.html Vang Vieng 19032008. Having breakfast at one of the restaurants facing the Nam Song river I meet this this really gorgeous Thai lady her english is excelent she tells me she is a tourguide for Russian tourist groups and that she lives in Bangkok. I tell her a bit about my own life the twentyodd times I039ve come to Thailand I practise my nit noi Thai on her and tell her about my life http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-308711.html Vang Vieng same day. The village is just a small typical Southeast Asia sort of affair but with the influx of farangs has evolved it into the number one Lao drug scene as well as adventure place. Adventure One can do the infamous tubing kayaking caving and hilltribe trekking as well as rock climbing. For those less active and more inclined to the other pleasures of life well their is obviou http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-308710.html Vang Vieng 18032008. One of the main attractions in Vang Vieng apart from enjoying typical Lao tranquil village life and admiring the strangely shaped karst stone formations all around Vang Vieng is tubing down the Nam Song river. The deal goes like this you pay 40.000 Kip down at the old market you get a tractor tyre tube they bring you by Tuk Tuk some distance up river and down river http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-308708.html Vang Vieng 17032008. Trying to avoid the skinny cows that seem to have taken permanent residence on the roads around Vang Vieng I swerve to the right to the left or straight between them. These stupid animals however seem determined to undermine my efforts. The road is their territory and I039ll have to wait for a passing bus or truck to chase them off the road. Even in Laos might is rig http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-308707.html OK so Vang ViengI had heard so many things about this place before we got there and I still wasn't sure what to expect Some people hate it and say it's like the Ibiza of Laos but most people say it's an awesome place Still like the Ibiza of Laos but awesomeThe main attraction is tubing. I'd never even heard of this before I came to S.E.A but everyone who comes to Laos talks about this. Most http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-308226.html Tuben is da bomb http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-305451.html Vang ViengArrived in this total backpacker designation famous for Tubing and ldquoHappyrdquo shakes pizza's and anything else Opium can be mixed withOnly stayed 1 day 2 nights in the morning we headed into some massive Limestone caves we hiked into them with our guide for about 30 mins when you turned the torches off it really did mean we had pitch black.Then in the afternoon we headed fo http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-305037.html