Aug 12, 2010 - Vang Vieng

Today was one of the days I had been looking forward to the whole trip. Tubing down the river in Vang vieng, its what everybody does when they come here. As it only takes a few hours, well one if you dont stop on the way, there was no rush to get out of bed this morning. We woke and Angie was still feeling under the weather, we had a lazy morning and put off the tubing till midday, in the hope that Angie would feel up to it. As it turned out she was still feeling far to fragile at that point to get into a tyre, float down the river and...

Aug 11, 2010 - Vang Vieng

Today we woke to the worst weather so far on the trip. The rain was pouring down when we got up and kept on all morning, just relented and allowed the blue sky to appear as we got into Vang Vieng. We were picked up from the hotel at 9.50am to get the bus that left Vientiane at 10.00am. After picking a few other people up we got to the bus station at 10.05, luckily the bus was still there, unluckily it was still there 20 minutes later. We left the bus station at 10.25, sped long for 10 minutes, then sat waiting for another group to join the...

Aug 8, 2010 - vang vieng and tubing

arrived in vang vieng yesterday after a 6 hour trip seemingly going up and down 1 mountain after another. amazing place, the town is a bit dingy but the scenery is outta this world. as i said last time, i went tubing today and it wasn't as bad as i expected, was actually quite good fun, tho had a few moments when i thought i may die!! can't really decide what i think, apart from wishing i was here 2 years ago when it was all about the tubing, whereas now its all about drinking, which is great for a tee totaller!! must have been the only...

Aug 8, 2010 - Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng, die Khao San Road von Laos und in den letzten Jahren zu einem Backpackerzentrum der schlimmsten Art geworden. Die traumhafte Umgebung verdient diese Art von Touristen nicht und diese hohlraumversiegelten Horden von dauerbesoffenen Englaendern, Australiern und Amis verdienen es nicht in einer solchen Natur zu sein. Die Stadt selbst hat reineweg gar nichts zu bieten. Zwei etwas groessere staubige Strassen und ein paar Querstrassen mit Guesthouses, Kneipen, Restaurants und ramschigen Laeden. Was den Reiz ausmacht ist die...

Jun 9, 2010 - Vang Vieng

Jour 36 Nous avons pris un bus de nuit direction Vang vieng où nous arrivons à 4 heures 30 du matin sur le bord d'une route. Difficile de savoir exactement où nous sommes et où nous devons aller!! Nous finissons par trouver une guesthouse pour nous repérer. Le problème, c'est qu'elles sont souvent 3 à porter le même nom et là, pas de bol c'est le cas. Après avoir parcouru la ville en travers et réveiller 3 veilleurs de guesthouse, nous trouvons notre bonheur au fin fond de la ville, de l'autre cote du pont. Des bungalows en plein jardin, au...

May 25, 2010 - Vang Vieng

On the 24th we had a 6 hour coach ride from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng the next stop on our trip. We spent most of the journey playing cards and after checking in went for a walk around the town. It's seen to be the party town of Laos but is unusually quiet due to the problems in Bangkok. The following day a few of us from the group headed out for a days tubing in a cave and kayaking which ended up being rather good fun. We were picked up and taking to a cave around 15km away where you had to get into a big rubber ring and 'tube' your way...

May 24, 2010 - Vang Vieng

24th May Four hour drive to party central. Were in the most stereotypical student backpacker area. Hugely breathtaking surroundings but every single thing in these few streets is soely geared towards trash tourism. Every other shack is covered in floor tables and cushions, sells happy pizza and plays family guy all day on big screens.  We had lunch, a look around and sorted out our acivitied for tomorrow.  We all went to this one shack for out evening meal which was completely run by one woman. She opens when she wants to takes orders then...

May 16, 2010 - Vang Vieng

I was told by many people that Vang Vieng was a must visit place but I really wasn't impressed by it. It is a small village in the most amazing of settings, surrounded by impressive jagged green peaks, and I can see why it would be a popular stop on the journey through Laos. But in my opinion it has been the victim of its own success. I imagine it was a great place before it became so popular but to me it was just a really rough around the edges resort town. There are tacky bars all over and drunken tourists staggering about at all hours....

Mar 16, 2010 - Vang Vieng

Na zes uur slingerwegen door de bergen, in een lokale bus, komen we aan in Vang Vieng. De plaats om te feesten in Laos. Het eerste wat we zien zijn barretjes en TV-bars. Het zijn bars waar je 'Friends' of 'Family guy' kunt kijken. Wij gaan eerst naar het guesthouse waar we Tjardo weer zien. Er zijn hier veel Nederlanders, met een paar trekken we de komende dagen op. Overdag 'tubed' iedereen hier, dat houdt in dat er een paar kilometer van Vang Vieng een aantal bars zijn aan een rivier, je tubed dan van de ene naar de andere bar. Maar wij...

Mar 9, 2010 - Tubing down the river

It's only been a little over a day since my last update, but I figured I would write again while I had the time. After updating yesterday, I switched hotels from my first night in Vang Vieng. I had arrived kind of late Sunday night and most places stated that they were full for the night so I had to get a $12 room for the first night. The next morning (Monday) I walked around town and bit and scouted out cheaper rooms and ended up finding one for $4. Nothing special, but it had a bed and a shower so what more can I ask? At my new hotel I...

Mar 8, 2010 - Vang Vieng.

8 Mars. After almost one and a half week in Nong Khai, it is time to leave. It is with mixed feelings I do this. This was my third visit to Nong Khai and Pantawee Hotel and there I really feel that I am home. However it is time to leave. With the experience from last time, that I crossed the Thai-Lao Bridge no 1. This time I had help to do all the documentations, in a hope to cross the Thai-Lao border easier. Nothing wrong with the documents, but it took an awful long time to pass the border. And in my mind, the Lao authorities have not...

Nov 30, 2009 - R&R in the most beautiful country

We were sad to leave the cute town of Luang Prabang but we knew we need to move on, so we made the 6 hr bus ride to Vang Vieng with Verity and Carrie-Anne. Still completely at awww of the beautiful landscape of Laos we spent the first 4 hrs with our forehead stuck to the window trying to take it all in. The big public bus wineded through the most beautiful mountains. Along side the road were small villages with their traditional huts made from Bamboo in a cris-cross pattern. They were adorable!!!! After about 4 hrs our bladders were...