Vang Vieng Things to Do

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Please be warned how dangerous tubing and other activities can be on the river. it's great to have some beers, Lao whiskey and party at many of the riverside bars, but did you know that 22 people died there last year due to overindulgence in alcohol or drugs. The swings, slides and zip lines are not up to safety standards and sometimes the river is too shallow and tourists have hit their head on the rocks and got a one way ticket to heaven. i believe that many of the platforms, swings etc are being removed, but even so 2 tourists have died this year.

Tired of the hot dusty days, then rent a motorbike for around $5 and head to Tham Phu Kham, a cave with Buddhist relics, located 10 kms across the main bridge in Vang Vieng. once climbing the steep steps to the cave entrance take a dip in the cool pool by the cave at the bottom. The water emerges from the bottom of the karst hill and the colour of the water is turquoise and quite chilly. You can climb a tree or swing above the pool, or have a snack from the vendors who hang around there. Once you have had enough you can continue your journey westwards and make a 50 km loop back to VV, stopping for a Beer Lao now and again.

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Tubing is a real draw card here. It's been covered so many times before I feel bad repeating it, but it truly does bear repeating:

You can hire a big, inflated round yellow tube like a tyre, take a tuktuk out to one end of the Namsong river, and drift in the current down to the other end right near where you hired the tube and your accommodation would most likely be.

Along the river are multiple bars which offer to pull you in by rope. Every single bar has it's own variety of drinking games - some serve whiskey with snakes, bees or scorpions in the bottle, some have table tennis (perfect for beer pong), some have... um... wacky tobacco (if you're into that kind of thing) and some have huge slides and swings into the river.

The entire thing takes all day, if you stop at all the bars. It costs around $15 to hire the tube and tuk-tuk is included in the price. Ration about $10 for beers - and that's a lot of beer.

Pro tip - be sure to take your flip-flops with you so you can steer the tube better. Otherwise, just lounge around, drift lazily down the river, and stare in wonder at all the amazing scenery as you slowly get drunk!

You can't miss it, they make those pancake (also called roti) in front of your eyes and fill it with what you like: chocolate or banana, mango, lime, milk, peanuts... sweet or sour taste.
Locals who sell these come out late in the afternnon with prepared dough which is then extended and fried upon hot plates of their portable owens - so that way you see that they're fresh. They take several locations around town.
I like those with lime and sometimes those with banana and chocolate.
Prices are from 10 000 KIP +, depends what you order.
Usually same guys will also have delicious baguette sandwiches (choose what you like to have inside at the spot), so you don't have to go hungry here.

Most tourists come to Vang Vieng to float the river Nam Song. Either in rubber rings/tubes or in kayaks. You can also go caving on the tubes, the caves are very dark, but don't worry you have helmets with a flashlight, if you do capsize you'll dry very quick.
There are numerous agencies in the town that can arrange different trips for you with lunch included.

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Tham Chang is a largish and well-lit cave near the Vang Vieng Resort, to the south of town. Popular with tourists, even though it's not the most spectacular, it does have a lookout point with a great view back over Vang Vieng, the river and mountains. Entrance 9,000 kip.

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There are at least four temples in Vang Vieng, three of which are located along the main road that runs through the town, whilst the fourth is located on the road that leads to the Vang Vieng Resort and the Tham Chang Caves. None of them are amazing to look at but warrant a wander to if you've had enough of watching Friends&i.

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One of the most popular pastimes in Vang Vieng is to hire an enormous tyre inner tube, be driven a couple of kilometres upstream, and launched into the water. The river generally flows at a slow but steady pace in the dry season, and the idea is to relax and absorb the scenery as you float back to Vang Vieng.

This 'sport' can be practised in a number of places in Laos, but nowhere is the view as spectacular as here with karst limestone mountains lining the route. Caves are well sign-posted and it's easy to take a break from tubing and go exploring. A number of enterprising people have set up bamboo bars along the river's banks, where you can stop for a beer and further chill out, although this isn't condoned.

From around 9:00 to 13:00 is reasonable to go because the sun hides behind the mountains around 15:00 and it gets very cold on the river.

Rental price is 55,000 kip + 60,000 kip deposit which includes one way trip to the start if 4 of you go but if less than 4 then you have to pay extra depending on how many of you go.