Asian Adventure: Vang Vieng

Day 8 & 9: Vang Vieng

Accommodation: The Elephant Crossing Hotel

Contiki Guide: Emmo

Local Guide: Mr. Mei

Highlights: local village, cave tubing, kayaking, the blue lagoon, zip lining

If you get car sick, sea sick, get nauseous easily, are hung over or have even the mildest case of food poisoning the drive from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng will test your stomach to the limit. Don’t get me wrong the drive is spectacular and is one of the most scenic drives you will ever do, but it does test your nerves and stomach to their limit. With few options to stop for lunch we arrive at spectacular views restaurant. The restaurant (and its adjoining toilet) is designed to give you breathtaking views of this hilled country. With a chance to stretch our legs we spend much of our time enjoying walking around the scenery.

With the stop over far too soon, we begin on our winding path once again. The benefit of the bus (once again) is the opportunity to make spontaneous stops. This time we stop off at a village celebrating a local festival. With the young unmarried girls all dressed in their best traditional clothes we have the opportunity to observe some local rural life and play a version of catch the ball with the children. After clambering back onto the bus we continue our journey to Vang Vieng.

Vang Vieng is a backpacker’s town through and through. Our bus drops us off at an abandoned plane-landing strip we make the 10 minute walk to our hotel (with our luggage on tuk tuks in tow). The town is two streets and is littered with dormitories, hotels, bars and cafes playing reruns of Friends and Family Guy (Vang Vieng’s bowling equivalent-see Luang Prabang). We quickly realise that Vang Vieng is perfect for anyone who wants to get drunk, high and party or is into adventure sports. With some time to explore the town we spot various bakeries and shops we wish to visit the following day.

Rejoining the group we head over to kangaroo sunset for supper. Kangaroo sunset is an Australian owned establishment that caters to passing through tourists and lost Australian souls hoping to get high on free laughing gas if they act as bar tenders. The food is decent and free T-shirts with purchased drinks give to a lively evening of music, drinking games and dancing. As the evening wares on some members of our tour departed to explore the ‘happy’ side of Vang Vieng, while others went to a club that couldn’t decide if it was indeed a club, bar or lounge.

The next morning is an early start as we depart our hotel to cave tubing and kayaking. Our tuk tuk drivers fall into the less than sane category of people in this world. Stopping off at Kangaroo Sunset, they buy vodka and beer which they attempt to give to us at 8:00am. Despite the insanity of our guides the day turns out to be great fun. We start off with some cave tubing. This entails lying on your back in a large, black tire and navigating your way through some incredible caves.

Our second activity is kayaking. With unbelievable scenery and nearly still water travelling down the Mekong is at most times peaceful. (But for those who do not know how to kayak, less than relaxing moments intertwine the relaxing ones.) Arriving back at our hotel we head for a lunch on the move (pancakes for me!) and a quick opportunity to shop. Later that afternoon we head over to the Blue Lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon is a beautiful natural phenomenon with a deep royal blue hue. Nearby a place to sunbath or play volley ball is set up. Other options in this location include rock climbing, caving and a dodgy looking company advertising zip lining. Shannon and I settle on the zip lining.

After completing our impromptu zip lining tour which included, tree climbing, rock climbing, walking across ‘adventure’ bridges and doing the actual zip lines, we Tarzan swing into the lagoon to cool off. With some time to spare we dry off on the grass and drink from wierd, yellow cocanut.

After an exhausting day we spend our last night in Vang Vieng in a quite bakery with several members of our tour.

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