Southeast Asia’s adventure city is hands-down Vang Vieng, Laos. With thrilling activities like kayaking, swimming, tubing, or hiking, you’re in for a treat. You can find this place in the central region of Laos, situated south of Luang Prabang and north of Vientiane. It has magnificent mountains, rice fields, and a tropical jungle atmosphere. Vang Vieng’s once-energetic party town has shifted to a slice of adventure for all travellers. This change has made Vang Vieng a top destination for adrenaline junkies and nature enthusiasts alike. In this article, we will cover all the things you need to know for your trip to Vang Vieng.
Is Vang Vieng worth visiting?
Yes, absolutely! Vang Vieng, Laos, should be on your travel bucket list. Here are a few reasons why every tourist should consider a visit to Vang Vieng:
Supreme scenery: Vang Vieng is truly a sight to behold. From the limestone mountains to the rice paddy fields to the sunsets, you’ll never run out of things to do here.
Imagine that you have just finished swimming at one of the blue lagoons in Vang Vieng and have turned on the engine of your motor scooter. The wind blasts in your face as you roar through the undeveloped dirt roads. In the side mirrors are views of limestone mountains. You can see a completely open road in front of you as you zip past trucks, cars, and scooters. The sun sets behind you, illuminating the tip where the mountains intersect. This is just a snippet of a day in Vang Vieng and its natural simplicities.
Outdoor adventure: From tubing inside a cave to rock climbing up the mountains, you can even do a buggy hire if you want to roam around the dirt roads of Vang Vieng, Laos. Did we mention hot air balloons? Zip-lining, jumping off cliffs in the blue lagoon, and trekking up to the Nam Xay viewpoint.
Budget-friendly: From our experience, we discovered that Vang Vieng is relatively affordable compared to other tourist hot spots in Southeast Asia. You can easily find cheap accommodations and food options that won’t break the bank. Additionally, there are plenty of free activities, such as exploring the local markets and hiking.
On average, we spent around 200,000 LAK | $9.60 USD | $15 AUD a day, covering food, drink, and transport.
If you would like more tips before your trip, you need to visit our blog on Southeast Asia travel tips.
What is Vang Vieng known for?
Vang Vieng, once a wild party town, has changed its pace and is now a choose-your-own adventure for travellers visiting the town for a few days. Known for its beautiful scenery, rice fields, and limestone cliffs. It offers plenty of adventure for backpackers and travellers alike. Here are just a few of the great activities you can do in town that make it stand out from other cities in Laos:
Tubing: Tubing is a popular activity to do on the Nam Song River. You jump in an inflatable tube and float down the river, stopping bar to bar until you get to the end. It can be a great way to see everything going on in the Nam Song River from a different perspective. On our tour, we took tubes into the water cave, pulling ourselves by rope with a tour guide navigating us in a single file. We went about 1 kilometer deep inside the limestone caves. The tour company gave everyone a life jacket and a headlamp so you could see inside the cave.
Like us, you can opt for a full-day adventure with four activities included in the tour: Cave tubing | Kayaking | Blue Lagoon | Nam Xay Viewpoint Hike.
Kayaking: Kayaking in Vang Vieng can be another way to travel along the Nam Song River, with tour operators running every day. We booked a day tour through our hotel, Top View Hotel. There are plenty of options to choose from. For our tour experience, we had eight other foreigners. We sat in the back of a ‘tuk tuk’, which is a covered back ute with two booth seats and travelled down to the river with the kayaks stacked on the roof.
Tip: Come with your swimmers underneath, as there are no change facilities once you get down to the river. You may not get soaking wet, but if you want to or get stuck along a river rock, you will need to hop out in shallow waters to push along the kayak. All in good fun!
Swimming in the Blue Lagoon of Vang Vieng: Vang Vieng is home to five different blue lagoons. Most travellers tend to go see at least one of them while they are there. The blue lagoons of Vang Vieng are an ideal spot to relax in pristine waters surrounded by the natural beauty of limestone mountains.
Walking tracks: Vang Vieng has lots of viewpoints with stunning vantage points above the entire town.
We hiked up to the top of the Nam Xay viewpoint. At the start of the walk, there is an entrance fee paid to the locals, costing 10,000 LAK (less than 0.50c USD & $1 AUD) and running from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Moving through slippery rock surfaces and stepping over dugout steps, we used the winding tree branches to climb our torsos up. It was a decent incline in the piercing heat. By the time we reached the top, we were both covered in sweat.
It took us about 30 minutes. There were also two motorbikes with the Lao country flag on either side of the vantage point, both showcasing beautiful scenic views of Vang Vieng. You can only imagine how the local Laotian people carried those motorbikes up to the top of Nam Xay’s viewpoint!
Other options are the Pha Ngern viewpoint or the lesser-known Phapoungkham Cave. At the top, there is an old Laotian plane sitting on top of the mountain. Great for photo shoots; even better if you’re travelling with your drone—you don’t want to forget it!
*Something to note is to never stray too far from the beaten path in Laos, due to there still being a tragic amount of land mines. So go with a guide or stay close to the beaten path. If you’re interested in more tips for your trip, visit our blog on Southeast Asia tips post.
Motor hire: You can easily hire a buggy or a motor scooter to zip around in Vang Vieng, Laos. As a great alternative to being on foot, just be aware of the common motor scooter scam in Vang Vieng. This is where the rental company will take or damage your hired motor scooter by finding out which hotel you are staying at. They will usually hold on to your passport until you pay for the damages or theft. Consider if the motor scooter is worth the trouble of a potential scam.
Research, read Google reviews, or ask locals and fellow travellers for trusted hire stores. For us, we hired our motor scooter directly through our hotel and didn’t need to give our passport details, so we had no problems. A great option if you can is to book through your hotel first, but do shop around; remember, this is a town that thrives on tourism. However you end up hiring your ride, be sure to inspect the vehicle beforehand. While scams can happen anywhere, don’t let them deter you. It pays to be cautious, but you can’t put a price on travelling like a local—try the scooter!
Lao Massage: In Vang Vieng, after a full day of adventuring, you can find legitimate massage stores around Vang Vieng for a traditional Lao massage. A traditional Lao massage uses Swedish and Thai massage techniques. It is at a more relaxed pace than your typical Thai-style massage. We would recommend it, and it can be great for muscle recovery.
Rock climbing: Although we didn’t do this, lots of people who travel to Vang Vieng often go for rock climbing and zip lining. You can add a zipline experience to your tubing activity with one of the many operators in town. Rock climbing tour operators, such as Adam’s Climbing School, cater to first-timers and established climbers.
Choose your own adventure and select from many of the affordable activities here!
Where do I stay in Vang Vieng, Laos?
Vang Vieng has plenty of good accommodation choices to choose from. We stayed for a few nights at the Vang Vieng Top View Hotel, which was a more budget-friendly accommodation. It included a spacious room and an Asian-style buffet breakfast.
Cost-wise, it was $24 USD | $39 AUD per night | ~500,000 LAK
If you’re looking for a more luxurious experience, then the best place to stay in Vang Vieng would have to be the ViengTara Vang Vieng Resort. Staying in private bungalows that provide gorgeous views and are encircled by rice fields. This resort is only a short walk from the Nam Song River. We found it to be a fantastic spot to eat and watch the sunset, as you can see mountain views and hot air balloons in the distance above the rice fields. Although we didn’t stay here overnight, we visited for lunch, and we’re amazed by the views—this is a must-book! Not to mention, the food was of higher quality.
We would recommend booking online in advance using Booking.com or Agoda.
If you’re a backpacker or want to save the extra cash for activities, look no further than at these top rated hostels!
Where to eat in Vang Vieng, Laos
There are a variety of cafes and restaurants in Vang Vieng, Laos, that offer both traditional Lao dishes and international foods. Keep in mind that the quality won’t be the same as back home. However, there is still a wonderful variety. Here are three recommendations:
Naked Espresso Vang Vieng: We went there almost every second day from midday to the afternoon as a pit stop. This is a great central spot for anybody who wants a cafe-style environment and wants to get any laptop work done.
Green restaurant: We had pizza here for a night, and it was cheap and tasty. This place has a big overlooking deck with a viewpoint, which is a big plus. We would recommend coming here early in the evening to watch the sun go down. Make sure to try a Beer Lao.
Vela Cafe and Restaurant: We went here during our first night of arrival, as it was around the corner from our accommodation. The food here was quite good. We would suggest mango sticky rice, a bowl of pho, or any of the traditional Lao dishes on the menu.
Street food: There are street food vendors and stalls surrounding the centre. If you’re game, try the Lao sausage (sai oua) and sticky rice (khao niew) combination.
What is the best time of the year to visit Vang Vieng, Laos?
The best time of the year to travel to Vang Vieng, Laos, is during the dry season, which runs from November to April. Outside of this, it is monsoon season, which we wouldn’t recommend, as it would cancel most of your outdoor activities.
In short
That’s everything you need to know about your trip to Vang Vieng, Laos. Make sure to include this on your next trip to Southeast Asia. Don’t forget to check out What are the best South east Asia travel tips. If you’re new to our page, check out our other blogs for more inspiration.
We hope you have a fantastic time exploring the stunning landscapes and adventures in Vang Vieng, Laos. Remember to pack accordingly and embrace the unique experiences that this beautiful destination has in store for you. Safe travels!
