After four hours, and a few motion sickness pills, a bus from Vientiane landed us in Vang Vieng resort town. It wasn’t our first time here, but the small town had changed so much, we could hardly recognize it. And for once, the changes were for the better.

Old Clichés

The once-tranquil farming town of Vang Vieng sits by the banks of the Nam Song River in-between Vientiane and Luang Prabang. These two major cities are connected by a single main road known as Highway #13 which winds its way up, down and through mountainous valleys. The arduous terrain combined with the poor state of the road (as well as the questionable roadworthiness of some buses) means many travelers stop off at this small town on at least one leg of their journey. And that’s certainly not a bad thing as Vang Vieng is blessed with natural beauty, from the peaceful river, the caves, lagoons and forests to its surrounding limestone peaks that have led some to dub Vang Vieng the Guilin of Laos. 

On the back of this Idyllic beauty, the small town started attracting international volunteers who came to teach English to local children or work on the organic farms. Then, around the turn of the millennium, came tubing, the recreational activity by which you ride a rubber tube down the Nam Song that redefined Vang Vieng as a real party town.

As backpackers began arriving in droves (been there, bought the singlet), the tubing culture grew to incorporate more adventurous activities and new businesses, including bars and clubs along the river offering fun activities (like rope swings, zip lines and mud volleyball), buckets of booze, and drugs. Things would get particularly crazy at night at what became known as The Island, the small strip along the Nam Song where most of the clubs are. This, along with the many bars serving greasy Western fare and showing reruns of Friends and Family Guy around the clock, sealed Vang Vieng’s reputation as a type of Wild West town for shameless backpacker indulgence.

New Era

Of course, not everyone loved what Vang Vieng had turned into. Tubing and mushroom shakes are a lethal mix and given the almost non-existent safety measures, stories of drunken backpackers dying were never far from the news. According to The Guardian, at least 27 people died in 2011 alone. And then in November, with Laos set to host the ASEAN
Summit, the government decided to give the country’s top party destination a radical makeover by prohibiting drugs, alcohol, noisy music and dangerous games (such as rope swings) along the Nam Song. All 24 entertainment venues along the river were shut down and demolished, so that first-timers would barely know of their existence. The result has been a drastic downturn in visitors.

“There are a lot fewer tourists,” said Kee, 20, our kayaking guide on our recent visit. Kee works for the community’s cooperative organization that manages all the tubing and kayaking activities in Vang Vieng. “Those who already knew that [the government] had stopped entertainment activities along the river had already cancelled their trips. The backpackers we are seeing today are those who just didn’t know that everything has changed.”

More optimistically, Kee told us that Vang Vieng is now welcoming a new kind of older traveler who seeks to appreciate the beautiful natural scenery without a need for alcohol-fuelled adventures. When asked if he likes the “new” Vang Vieng, Kee said, “All I know is that we earn less now than when everything was here. But the Nam Song is more beautiful. I’m sure there are more people who appreciate this kind of thing, too. Well, we’ll see how it goes.” 

Luxury Arrivals

“I love what Vang Vieng is becoming,” said Thepharak "Bay" Phanrajsavong, the owner of Riverside Boutique Resort (see Essentials), a new resort which has been open just five months on the right bank of the Nam Song River in the southern part of town, away from the old backpackers’ hub. Bay said that given this fresh start, and its obvious beauty, Vang Vieng has the potential to set itself up as more of a luxury destination. “Despite being known as a backpackers’ heaven, Vang Vieng is also a popular destination among Laotians and expats as it’s close to Vientiane. These people want to stay in a good hotel and hate those bars, but they just didn’t have any choice,” said Thepharak of the now-gone party strip. “I know that infrastructure, things like roads, might push progress back, but if we wait until things are better nothing will happen. Everyone here needs to join together to start rebranding Vang Vieng now.”

In addition to Bay and his resort, Silver Naga (www.silvernaga.com) unveiled its contemporary rooms housed in a grey building earlier this year to join long-established upscale accommodation options like Elephant Crossing, Inthira and Ban Sabai. As for those who are not really into activities along the Nam Song, the “Balloons Over Vang Vieng” (reservations@laosballooning.com) service can fly you above the town, the river and all those stunning limestone peaks. A 40-minute balloon ride flight costs US$80 (B2,400).

“There’s plenty more to come. Entrepreneurs from Vientiane are looking to open more businesses here soon. We just need to balance the growth so that Vang Vieng doesn’t become Pai [in Mae Hong Son]. Next time you come, you’ll definitely see more changes. Good changes,” Bay concludes. And we can’t wait to go back and check up on them.

SUGGESTED 24-HOUR ITINERARY 

6:30am: Morning Breeze
No matter where you stay, wake up early to breathe in the morning mist of Vang Vieng at its coolest when the limestone mountains barely peek through the clouds.

9am: Jang Cave (Thum Jang)
Jang means “numb” in Lao and that explains your feeling after climbing up the 150 steps to the cavernous chambers decorated with colorful lights. Relief comes in the form of dipping your feet into the cool spring, which is believed to help smooth your skin. Admission is 10,000 kip per person, with an additional 8,000 kip bridge crossing fee.

11am: Poo Kham Cave (Thum Puu Kham)
Poo kham means gold crabs, the creatures found living here in the past. Hike up the hill (no stairs, sorry) to the cave where a gold gilded reclining Buddha image lies at its center. Again, the real highlight is the light blue lagoon out front. Feel free to swim, or ride the rope swing, in the beautiful limestone-filtered waters.

1pm: Lunch
Pick any restaurant in the town center. They mostly serve the same food at the same prices. After lunch do grab some pastries and coffee from Luang Prabang Bakery, which is probably the chicest place in town. They also have free Wi-Fi.

4pm: Tubing Time
Tubing means floating in your own rubber tube along the Nam Song River (55,000 kip/B200), which should take around two hours. You can also choose to kayak (B350/person), which is a lot faster. Both start near the Organic Farm located 3km north of Vang Vieng town. Tubing and kayaking are operated by a cooperative here, so prices and services are the same from all agents in town.

10pm: Party
Though The Island is no more, visitors here still need a little party action. The most happening place now is The Moon, which sits on Highway #13 next to the old airport. The place is what you’d expect from a dance club in a remote town, but the DJs play a surprisingly good mix of tunes. So grab a bottle of Beerlao and let yourself go.

Midnight: Bed Time
Things end early here. It’s time for bed ready to get up early the next morning.

Essentials

How to Get There

Getting to Vang Vieng from Vientiane
Take a bus or minivan from the Northern Bus Terminal in Vientiane (Srithong Rd., 2km northwest of Vientiane’s center). Prices are approximately the same (50,000 kip/one way); the minivans are smaller and faster though the buses are roomier.

Getting to Vientiane
THAI, Lao Airlines and Bangkok Airways operate direct flights daily from Suvarnabhumi Airport. Prices are pretty much the same, at around B7,000 to 8,000/roundtrip.

Alternatively, fly to Udon Thani via either Nok Air or Air Asia. A roundtrip ticket shouldn’t be higher than B4,000. After this, things can get a bit confusing. You can step up to the #1 bus counter to buy a B200 ticket, which includes a shuttle to Udonthani Bus Station and a bus trip from there to Talat Sao in Vientiane. Or you can hire a taxi to Udonthani Bus Station (approx. B80/person) to buy an Udon to Vang Vieng ticket (B320/person), which leaves the station at 7am and takes around six hours.

Visa
Thai nationals don’t need a visa to enter Laos. A passport is required, though, to travel to Vang Vieng (or other places beyond Vientiane).

Where to Stay
Luxe: Riverside Boutique Resort Vang Vieng (www.riversidevangvieng.com) is the newest opening and the most luxurious in town, operated by the family behind the high-end Green Park Resort in Vientiane. The 34 guestrooms are encircled by a riverfront swimming pool and offer stunning views of the limestone mountains on the other side of the Nam Song River. Rooms are from B2,750.
Affordable: Popular View Guesthouse (www.popularviewguesthouse.com) sits at the end of the main road on the bank of the Nam Song River. There’s nothing fancy, but you get hot water and air con with a river view and free Wi-Fi to boot. Rates are from B800.

Currency
1,000 kip = B4