If Vang Vieng was a person
I could only imagine the huge ego that they would carry.
You drop the name in
conversation, run a quick Google search and there’s plenty to be said about the
place.
It is our last real stop
in Laos (as we don’t really count Vientiane as it’s more of a ‘city.’ Sorry
Vientiane.) and I guess it’s the best place to go out with a bang. Even if
everyone speculates that the party is over and the ‘First time backpackers’ are
trying to find somewhere else to let loose, far away from home so their Mothers
can still worry....
Arriving after another
long eventful bus journey from Luang Prabang we were beyond stoked to stretch
the legs and find our guesthouse. Packed like sardines in the VIP
air-conditioned mini van, during the journey I did start to wonder if the
public bus was actually the faster alternative. It felt we were stopping at
every opportunity. Starting with
an hour-long lunch only 30 minutes into the journey for the driver who spotted
his mate already feasting in a makeshift roadside restaurant.
Than hitting the brakes to
pick up some dried fish from the stretch of road that is crowded with stalls
selling every type of dried fish alternative. I have to say I've never
experienced better fishy smells than here. It was special.
I do need to mention one
other particular stop the driver made to collect I'm guessing the evening
dinner. Holding up large rats from the tail we all gasped from the bus in
horror as he turned to wave them with a grin at all of us backpackers. I can't
say how relieved I was when a sale wasn't made. Especially seeing both Tim and
I were front seat passengers and I was sitting in the middle next to the driver
unsure if the dead rats would also be joining us in the already squeezed front
seat.
People refer to tubing in
Vang Vieng as the 'thing you gotta do in South East Asia.' You'll experience
'the most fun you can with your clothes on.' I was very speculative about how
true this would still be after the local authorities have finally put into
place a few rules and regulations that actually make it safe..
You’re probably already
aware that on record and paper there have been 22 deaths noted and an endless
list of injuries that are tubing related and needed hospital attention. Vang
Vieng isn’t just famous for tubing but for the relaxed attitude local
authorities have held up until recently.
Today you don’t see 16
bars perched over the river. The slide of death and rope swings. The river is
still deadly shallow in low season so I just cant imagine how anyone actually
did survive the slide of death. You can’t tube beyond 6pm when it starts to get
dark and backpackers seem to look out for one another more even if everyone is
slightly tipsy. There are a few
signs erected in town asking tourists to respect how they dress for tubing and
not prance around in thongs and speedos.
But what you can still
expect is the enthusiasm from the locals that they still want you to have a
great day out. From the music to the free shots and mud wrestling and dancing,
there were about 5 bars operating when we ventured down the river so for
Returners and First Timers you can still have what some would refer to as the
‘most fun you can have with your clothes on.’
The area is so reliant on
the tourists for income and development. The burst of activity when tubing
first became commercialised several years ago resulted in some rapid
development for accommodation and restaurants that would cater for the influx
of tourists in the area. After the significant deaths and cautionary tales
about tubing numbers have dwindled into the area and during the low season it
can feel like abit of a ghost town. Not many people are sitting in the picture
menu restaurants watching Friends on the big screen for the day. The shops
selling rack after rack of ‘I went tubing’ singlets now have ‘For Sale’ signs
outside. The place seems to be suffering and I don’t think it’s just because
it’s low season.
With the exception of the
main drag the surrounding area is stunning in its landscape boasting huge
limestone cliff faces, dense jungle and endless rice paddies. You can easily
escape the westernised main drag and find that you are back in Laos when you
cross the river and step into the surrounding villages.
What else is on offer in the
area is often overlooked. Like Luang Prabang there is so much on offer for the
adventure adrenalin junkies. We were limited for time so spent our next day
after tubing and hangover resting with a visit to the Blue Lagoon. There wasn’t
too many people around. Perhaps everyone else was regretting the extra shots of
Lao Lao they were encouraged to drink the day before..
The Poukham Caves here are epic. Initially walking into the main shaft we spotted a large Buddha statue comfortably lieing across a large flat boulder. Dropping down so we were standing next to the statue we spotted a scrawl on a rock with the words 'cave' and an arrow pointing towards our right. Following the direction of the arrow, climbing above rocks and boulders we soon found ourselves beginning to head into the depth of the cave and complete darkness. We did grab a head torch between the 3 of us and it certainly was needed as we turned it off for a second and couldn't even see each others faces. Half an hour later we realised we should probably turn around. The jokes about what we would do if the torch ran out of batteries was getting to much for me. Coming back out into the sunshine, covered in sweat the Blue Lagoon is the best way to quickly cool off. Climbing up to the top of the tree and launching yourself into the turquoise waters after a countdown from everyone watching was an epic way to finish our little caving adventure and get rid of any more sore heads from the Vang Vieng party.
Toodle pip x
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| Vang Vieng scenery. |
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| Epic kids sign for the Poukham Cave entrance |
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| Buddha statue. |
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| Buddha Statue in the cave. |
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| Straight to the point signage at the Blue Lagoon. |
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| Rope swings at the Blue Lagoon. |
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| Blue Lagoon. |
