Blogs from Vang Vieng, West, Laos, Asia - page 12

There is a bar hopping scene specific to Vang Vieng that is referred to as "In The Tubing". It is quite popular amongst the south east Asia backpacking crowd. After enjoying several very leisurely days just lounging around, we chose to take up the challenge that is bar hopping via inner tube! The day was perfect with the bluest of skies so the river provided an excellent respite from the mid-day heat. The bar's themselves, well lets just say, are very, very, lively. The bars tended to play a remix version of popular hip-hop infused with trance beats and the crowds loved it! We enjoyed the bars, but also took full advantage of the warm weather and mild river current to prolong our drift downriver until well past dark. We only got out of the river ... read more

We arrived in Laos' capital, Vientiane, after a back-bending, mood-shittening overnight bus ride with an alcoholic Dane on a Visa run who looked like a melted Darren Clarke, a Scottish girl with her life in a backpack and a travelling professional photographer from Michigan. We sat on the side of the road wandering when our bus was going to leave and whether there would be more on offer for breakfast than the assortment of ice-creams from the local vendor. Helen, one of the three English girls we were to spend our time with here, approached me by telling me that I look like Matt Damon. On hearing this John put it forward that he looked like Johnny Depp, as someone (presumably with bad eye sight) had claimed previously on the trip. I'm not sure if they ... read more

Our first day in Vang Vieng, Laos found us just going out for a casual stroll and exploration of the beautiful town. Our first impressions are that this is a great small town for walking. The streets are mellow, the local people very nice and inquisitive. Seriously, nearly every local you walk by in the street regardless of their age stops to say sabaidee (Hello). This friendliness lends itself to making a traveler feel right at home even on their first day! a real pleasure! The weather here is much more dry during the day, but in the mid-evening some clouds rolled in and treated us to a wonderfully cooling Thunderstorm as we reclined at a local restaurant for an evening drink and dinner.... read more

The bus journey to vang vieng was bumpy and bendy to say the least unfortunately it was dark but i wish id have gone in the day because we went through the mountains and i bet the scenery was awesome. 11.30 I arrived and found a guest house and got some sleep. Up early the next morning i headed in to town to get my bearings and soon found a tube and headed off in a tuk tuk to the river to start the tubing. I got talking to a group of australians and we stated on the beer... pretty soon i was a bit tipsy and we were playing 'beer pong' where you have to throw a table tennis ball in to a beer glass. And if you get it in your apponent has to ... read more

If you go to Vang Vieng, there is only one thing to see and do....TUBING BABY!! This consists of a river, alcohol and slides. It is basically the thorpe park of Laos, only difference there is one death a month here. But no worries, it is only if you are to drunk and jump off the side somewhere rocky crack your head showing off and drown. Luckily I am a very sensible boy and decided to just stick to Zip wires and high jumps into the river. 9 of us went tubing and decided to buy bright coloured clothes looking like an 80's disco band, I had fluresant (spelt wrong) pink shorts & glasses with a white t-shirt claiming I love the 80's (seriously this doesn't look out of place one bit in VV!!). On arrival ... read more