Vang Vieng
From World travel guide
Vang Vieng (also Vang Viang) is a tiny riverside town located in Laos. Once no more than a bus changing station on the long haul between Vientiane at the Thai border and the World Heritage Site city of Luang Prabang, it has managed to become a destination of its own. There still isn't more to the town than three streets and a bus station, but the nearby river, laidback countryside and cave-filled rock formations mean it's worth a day or two of chillout time.
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Get in
Vang Vieng is at the halfway point on the bus ride from Vientiane to Luang Prabang - about 6-8 hours (road and bus conditions permitting) from either city. There really is no other way to Vang Viang.
Get around
Don't listen to any of the touts offering cyclo or taxi rides from the bus station into town. It's a 5 minutes walk to the center of town (and about a 2 minute walk out the other side).
Your only other transportation option is on one of the day or overnight trips down the river by inner tube or kayak. Packages from one of the tourist shops include a van ride back to town. On the smaller scale, locals will rent you an inner tube (read: old tractor tire) and pick you up on their motorbike.
Do
- Lao-style steam sauna
- Movies shown at a few restaurants
- Walk out to the nearby caves
- Lay by the river on plastic mats and drink Beer Lao
- Tubing down the river. $3.50 includes ride to start point. Dry bag $1.
- Kayaking the river.
Buy
There is one government office where you can change traveller's checks and that's about it. Locals will accept Thai baht or US dollars in a pinch, but most things are so cheap that anything larger than a 1 dollar bill or 50 baht note will be hard to change.
Eat
All your basic backpacker fare and a few local dishes. See the article on Laos for more about local food. None of the restaurants have distinguished themselves yet.
Sleep
Double rooms go for $1-$5, make sure you see the room (and bathroom!) before paying. More local, low-key (which is pretty low-key in Vang Viang to start with) places are by the market and more shiny set ups are on the main road.
