Vang Vieng

One of the main stops in any Laos itinerary is Vang Vieng. This small town was once the unlikely party capital of Laos, where backpackers headed for days of drink and drug fueled debauchery whilst floating down the Nam Song river in the inflated inner tubes of tractor tires. The ‘glory days’ saw bars, complete with makeshift rope swings and zip lines, lining the river banks, pumping out dance music and offering drugs on their menus alongside beer, Pad Thai and the stupidly cheap local tipple – Lao-Lao whiskey (this is so cheap bars often offer free bucket cocktails of the stuff). Perhaps unsurprisingly, high numbers of tourist deaths (mainly from backpackers under the influence drowning in the water or landing on sharp rocks whilst jumping in the river) led to a crackdown by the Lao authorities and today Vang Vieng is much more peaceful. You can still go tubing and some bars remain on the riverbank, however, they only open in strict rotation and the once legendary crowds are no more. Instead we went on a kayaking trip , stopping only for a 10am beer in a nod to the towns previous reputation and basically didn’t see another living soul.

We also took a trip to the Blue Lagoon, a spot popular with locals which, as the name suggests, consists of a clear blue pool of pretty cold water teeming with fish which is perfect for escaping the heat of the day. Joe and Tom had a quick dip before drying off and heading up to a nearby cave containing a Buddhist shrine. The heavens did open for a while, but after the downpour we spent the rest of the afternoon being entertained by the bus loads of tourists jumping in the water (some with greater success than others). Unlike the Nam Song, the Blue Lagoon is deep and without the sharp rocks, so it was very funny to watch people belly flopping in.