http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Laos , West , Vang Vieng en-us Sat, 25 May 2013 16:17:55 +0000 Sat, 25 May 2013 16:17:55 +0000 It was indeed a very long journey from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng as mentioned in the previous blog it was only 240k but with stops it actually took us just under 9 hours. It was not long before the pretty rough mountain road started to twist and turn and this continued hour after hour. We stopped for a happy house break in a small hamlet where we were surprised to find a block of western l http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-782020.html Na ranajky som spravil zasadnu zmenuuz ziadna kuracia bageta ale pre istotu tuniakova. Ta je uplne najlepsia. Tunika je z konzervy. Potom len odchod na izbuzobratie batohu a smer tubing.Pre pozicovnu dusi som dosol 945ziadny iny ludia okrem mna tam neboli. mam pockat abo zacvakat 20kk za vyvezenie hornemu toku rieky. Tak som pockal. O 5 minut prisiel irsky par a hned za nimi sa valilo 5 thajek http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-779366.html Na ranajky opat bageta s kur.masomdostal som gratis banan.Motorka pozicana ale bohuzial inasom si nepamatal cislo mojej.No nistopat pumpadoplnenie paliva15l a smer zapad.Na druhu stranu rieky som sa dostal cez bezplatny most pri Full Moon baru. Je tu este jeden ale ten je plateny ale zas to je pan mosttoto bola len taka lavka. Po prejdeny mosta som zamieril smerom na juh popri rieke. Sled http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-779270.html Rano som si dal bagetu s kur.masom. Tie predavacky su tam tusim nonstop. Na kazdeho mavaju a volaju komon menresp komon lejdis. Ale i tak na bagetu z Pakse sa tato nechyta. Masa bolo minimum ale i tak sem zajtra behnem zasskusim tuniakovu ale hlavne moje telo potrebuje normalne pecivo.Nakoniec sa do bungalovu stahovat nebudemsom pocital prachy a nevyslo by mi to.Kusok od ubytka som si pozical s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-779267.html Cesta do Vientiane trvala 10 hod. V buse sme vyfasovali 02l vodu 018l dzus a mini keksy. Vysadili nas skoro ranoeste bola tmana juznej stanici vzdialenej 10km odmesta. Po vystupeni klasikahned kopa tuktuk a mototaxi. Ceny 2050kk. Od stanice ma chodit vraj mhd za 3kkcislo 232429 smer Tala Sao . Odtial chodia busy do Vang vien.Siel som k teda k mhd zastavkeco je po vyjdeni na hlavnu cestu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-779209.html SummaryHot air balloonStill sick really bad runslying in bad all dayIrish pubOther barFarang walkLoas HavenRead more... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-776300.html SummaryTubingSanaStill Sick as a dogRead more... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-776299.html SummaryMini van from Luang PrabangHospital visitRead more... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-776298.html I39m feeling pretty exhausted and braindead from the past few days to write anything sagnificant so i thought i would make a photo blog of some of my favorite photos from our journey thus far. enjoy.... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-773599.html We have hired a van for the journey to Vieng Van. It is 6 hour trip and the troops dont think they can handle another public bus. Also the scenery is very stunning and many photo opportunities will be required.I dont think there is one flat straight section of road in Laos. The driver crawls his way up the hills than pops the gear into neutral and we charge our way down the other side. All http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-769140.html I39ve been away for over a month now crazy It feels like absolutely ages to me but I39m sure to all you people at home its nothing.After trekking we were in Chiang Mai for 2 days then set off to visit Pai which is about 3 hours northwest met some nice people on the bus up there and ended up looking for hotels together well I sat with the bags and Cec looked for hotels cheeky I knowI http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-768859.html Approaching the half way mark in our travels we had been remarkably lucky up until now that in 4 months on the road neither of us had fallen ill so far aside from the odd headache cold or itchy mosquito bite. Well that was all about to change...After a scenic but bumpy 5 hour minivan ride from Luang Prabang we arrived in what used to be known as the party town in Laos the small dusty Vang Vi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-768800.html Day 125 Wed 9thJan My first full day in Vang Vieng would be spent with David and Sam as the girls were resting after their long and not so enjoyable bus ride. We had decided to go see the Blue Lagoon which is advertised everywhere. The tours say it is 7km away so we figured wed walk it get good exercise whilst seeing the place. In hindsight we think the guides lied. It took us nearly 90 minu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-766916.html From Luang Prabang we took another long windy mountainous beautifully scenic bus ride to Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng used to be Laos39 party capital with bars set up all along the river so tubers would stop for a few drinks before continuing along the lazy river. All of those businesses were demolished a few months ago for a couple of reasons. First of all there were about 22 deaths last year alo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-766209.html Tuesday 11th DecemberPickup for Vang Vieng was at 730am and unbelievably it was on time for a change Got picked up by a tuk tuk which took us to the local bus station twelve seater mini bus with air con very decent looked new. All the bags went on the roof and off we went.The scenery on this journey are just incredible up and down the winding mountains loads of local villages and just brea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-762565.html Vang Vieng is well known as a hedonistic party town where tourists indulge in alcohol magic mushroom shakes antisocial behaviour...not so much anymore Since several Australians died in quick succession whilst tubing under the influence the Laos government swept in and burnt all the riverside bars imposed an lta stylecolor 1155ccgt11pmltagtcurfew on all bars and heavy fines for http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-762078.html After a 7 hour scenic drive we arrive at Vang Vieng which is a ghost town due to the extinction of tubing 2 months ago. All the shops sell clothing advertising tubing which was the main appeal about this place. Our hotel overlooks the River Nam Song surrounded by limestone karts the landscape is pure bliss breakfast takes place on the balcony. The majority of my stay is spent in the hotel due t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-758691.html I get back to Luang Prabang the next day courtesy of Mr Mung who gives up my front seat to two Lao women so I sit at the back feeling sick and then agree to join a lovely Irish brother and sister for dinner that night. Anne has gone travelling at the age of 36 and we agree how nice it is to really appreciate the world whilst being sure in who we are and having had the luxury of knowing how hard a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-750890.html Vang Vieng is about 150KM from Vientiane a 3hr drive and the town is surrounded by mountains rivers.After spending one night at 39Pans Place39 I moved accommodation to a guesthouse on the river 20000 KIP per nt more than Pans Place but literally over a 39ramshackle39 wooden bridge over the river.You can certainly see the effect the closure of the river bars has had on tourism. It http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-744121.html I took the minivan to Vang Vieng today and arrived into a very quiet town at around 1300.Finding that there were no tuk tuks around I opted for the closest accommodation Pans Place. Its run by an expat from AustraliaNew Zealand and his Lao wife.The accommodation is basic but offers a double room with fan and private bathroom for 30000KIP. Its definintely a backpacker place and caters towards t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-743732.html