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| Home » Laos » Travel Guide »
Vientiane
» Vang Vieng |
| DESTINATION LAOS |
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VANG VIENG
GUIDE |
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 ATRACTIONS IN
VIENTIANE |
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| HIGHLIGHTS IN
VIENTIANE |
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| QUICK GUIDANCE |
| The breathtaking landscapes, beautiful coastlines, cultural delights and historical significance, make Laos an enjoyable stop in Asia travel map. To help you plan a trip in Vang Vieng - Laos, we provide the useful guide of hotel options, package tours, transport, attractions, shopping and entertainment. You just click the sections below for helpful information. |
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VANG VIENG
OVERVIEW |
| Situated midway along the Vientiane to Luang Prabang road, the small and laid back town of Vang Vieng is spectacularly on a bend of the Nam Song river, surrounded by green agricultural fields, friendly Hmong and Yao ethnic minority villages and mountains that hold fascinating limestone caves. The caves are the main attraction and several guesthouses organise guides to explore them, some combining caving with a meal in a local village, and a float down the river on huge tractor tubes. It is also possible to hire bicycles to explore the area and surrounding villages. The cave of Tham Phou Kham, set in the limestone cliff, contains a bronze Buddha inside the main cavern. To get there is part of the enjoyment, with river crossings on precarious bamboo footbridges, past rural villages and between shimmering rice fields, surrounded by exquisite scenery of fresh and vivid colours. The cave of Tham Pha Thao is for the more adventurous and involves wading through a deep subterranean stream past enormous stalactites and stalagmites. Vang Vieng is an ideal stop off point on the Vientiane-Luang Prabang route, combining shy but friendly people, a beautiful rural setting and enjoyable activities. Many tourists prolong their stay here far longer than originally planned. There are caves to explore, trekking, kayaking and rafting trips and for the ultra-adventurous, there's rock climbing. To chill out and enjoy the scenery, hire a tyre inner tube and float down the Nam Song River basking in the beauty of the countryside.
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VANG VIENG TRAVEL TIPS |
Money
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. There's a Lao Development Bank where you can change money at a good rate and get cash advances.
Tube Ride in Vang Vieng
The tube ride is one of the main attractions in Vang Vieng. This is floating down the river in a tractor tyre inner-tube. There are many tour operators that line the main road will give you a tube and take you to the top of the river, where you can spend anything from 3-6 hours floating back into town.
On the way are magnificent views of the surrounding cliffs, hills, jungle, and local river life. Some locals have set up small riverside 'bars' that range from small floating bamboo platforms with a man sitting on a coolbox full of canned drinks, Beer Lao and pre-rolled joints, to one with a tree and a rope swing, to one riverbank with a 100-odd foot swing that you sit on and are pulled back by a rope attached to the swing and swung high into the air, landing in the river.
There are a couple of amazing caves to explore on the way down and torches can be rented from the people that charge the very small entry charge to the caves. A torch is pretty much essential if you want to venture into the caves, as the one that we went to was enormous and went far into the cliff and after a while was very hard to navigate and quite worrying at one point.
There are a few more caves to be explored in Vang Vieng, one of the most interesting being one that requires a guide and an inner tube. Just outside of the town is a small lake with a cliff face at the end of it. In this cliff face is a small hole that you can swim through into darkness. This cave consists of a labyrinth of tunnels with flowing water that lead into the cliff for a long way. Attempting to go very far into this cave without a guide would be little less than suicide, as the numerous streams and tunnels that lead off for miles into the cliff all look exactly the same and after a while of being in there you have absolutely no idea where you came in or what direction you're travelling in.
Another highlight is an amazing turquoise-blue lagoon, a tree overhanging it and a nice high jump from a huge branch above. This place is a mini paradise and an ideal place to chills. Once you're chilled you can climb up to a nearby cave and explore. This is another huge cave that contains a reclining Buddha shrine. Again, a headtorch can be rented for a small sum and is essential for cave exploration. Try not to fall down one of the many bottomless holes.
Kayaking Tour in Vang Vieng
The kayaking tour is quite famous in Vang Vieng and combines all the activities that Vang Vieng is famous for: paddling the Nam Song river surrounded by rugged karsts and beautiful rural scenery and exploring limestone caves. Your will have plenty of opportunities to swim in pools of fresh spring water.
Trekking and caving in Vang Vieng
The trekking and caving take you across the 1500 m high ridge of Vang Vieng to remote places that even locals don't know about. The beauty of the limestone mountains must be seen to be believed.
Rock Climbing in Vang Vieng
The rock climbing trips have has been designed with climbers from around the world to develop the amazing potential for world class sport climbing in the Vang Vieng area. Two areas were developed with a total of 50 routes. There is a plethora of rocks in shady crags by the river just waiting for some traffic.
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GETTING IN - OUT
VANG VIENG |
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Vang Vieng is at the halfway point on the bus ride from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, about 6-8 hours depending on road and bus conditions. The ride to Vientiane takes about 4 hours. The VIP bus is just a coach and tends to wait until it is full before departing so take the departure time with a pinch of salt. The alternative is the local bus which can be very crowded or a tuk-tuk. There really is no other way to Vang Vieng. |
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GETTING AROUND
VANG VIENG |
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The town center is a 5 minute walk from the bus station the center of town. The only other transportation option is on one of the day or overnight trips down the river by inner tube or kayak. The packages from one of the tourist offices include a van ride back to town. On the smaller scale, locals will rent you an inner tube and pick you up on their motorbike.
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VANG VIENG FOODS |
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The local restaurants in Vang Vieng all offers basic backpacker fare and a few local dishes however you need to see the article on Laos for more about local food. There are numerous places specialising in pizza, which is fresh but often of indifferent quality. The Enjoy Restaurant makes very good ones. Many will frown this type of acitivity, but many restaurants along the main road also offer special shakes and pizzas of various sorts, just be careful.
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ENTERTAINMENT |
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| Northern Laos |
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Vientiane - Vang Vieng, Bokeo - Houeixai Town, Houaphan, Luang Namtha- Muang Sing, Luang Prabang - Muong Ngoi, Oudomxay, Phong Saly,
Xaignabouli, Xieng Khouang |
| Central Laos |
| Bolikhamxay, Khammouane - Khonglor Cave - Thakhaek Town, Savannakhet |
| Southern Laos |
| Attapeu, Champasak - Khong Island - Pakse Town, Salavan - Tadlo Waterfall, Sekong |
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