Vang Vieng, Drunken Tubing with Friends on Loop for the Hangover Cure (Even More BeerLao)

Now getting to Vang Vieng was a true insight into the sick bags that we had seen passed out on all of the other journeys so far in Laos. The eight hour winding roads were what you could call a disgusting experience. Pretty much the only westerners on the packed out local bus every other passenger was being sick continuously and that is not even a slight exaggeration. Behind me the guy was sliding the window open and then closed into my funny bone and it took me a while to realise that this was so he could spit out of the window and breathe through his ordeal. Now we could understand people being travel sick I was awful as a youngster but a whole bus at the same time was a little over the top. To top it off though when we stopped for toilet breaks, everybody got off and ran to eat food as fast as possible before getting back on the bus to carry on being sick into more bags. Somebody needs to inform them that plenty of liquids would help much more than re-filling your belly.

One of the stops on route. Bike on the roof and passengers having yet another meal

Managing to keep our now strong stomachs in check we rolled into Vang Vieng before being kicked out at the side of the road wondering where exactly the town was. A passing Jumbo pulled up and drove us to town. It was an interesting journey and a fellow traveller informed us how his friend was at the moment in hospital having his head stitched back together following a tubing accident. We had heard about these accidents all over South East Asia and now started to wonder if you could actual take part in tubing without it including an expensive visit to the local medical centre.

Everybody was also telling us that due to peak season we had no chance of finding accommodation. They obviously hadn’t met professionals before. Within five minutes we had checked into Somphathai Guest House for 60.000 Kip per night for a huge room with free Wi-Fi, Satellite T.V and Hot Water. Our luck must have been in.

We were definitly in luck. Great accommodation at a great price

Being late in the afternoon the sun had set leaving us to take a quick reconnaissance mission around town before finding somewhere to eat with Pizza firmly on our minds. The town was very small but seemed nice. Our first impression of everything else was utter jaw dropping. Don’t get me wrong I have had some wild nights in my time but this place was like nothing you have ever seen, and exceeded all the tales we had heard tenfold.

On an evening Vang Vieng turns into the biggest drunken/drinking festival you have ever seen. The streets were amassed with people out of their minds on alcohol and whatever else. Staggering half naked and looking like they were returning from a war zone we found a great view point and tucked into our Pizza and BeerLao while watching the Jumbos pull up in town with tubes on the roof, literally with people falling out of the vehicles. Head wounds, leg wounds every type of wound bandaged. Quite clever then that the medical centre is on the way back to town. At this point and now a little wiser in years our minds were asking one simple question. Do we actual take part in this Tubing malarkey? Not a bad question especially when looking across the street at Q-Bar watching people pumping out ten press-ups to gain entry. One thing I can’t leave out of the scenario which I think sums it up really well was listening to a girl still in just her bikini covered in marker pen telling her friends that she had been home for some sleep before coming back out after tubing. This just creased us up. OK love you did really well getting home and having a sleep but what happened to your brain processing some basic information like putting some clothes on?

Enjoying a BeerLao while deciding on what pizza to choose

Q-Bar. 7,8,9,10 you may now enter...

Still undecided as to whether or not to go tubing we spent a day exploring the town following some great bacon baguettes for sale on the street. Crossing the river over a bamboo bridge we saw the other side of Vang Vieng. It was stunning with an amazing limestone cliff back drop. After speaking to some sensible people we heard that the tubing was not all about getting drunk and getting into the river, but actually a beautiful experience just floating the three kilometre’s back to town. With this new information and already being in Vang Vieng we took the plunge and decided to go for it at our own leisurely pace.

Exploring Vang Vieng. Every Bar/Restaurant Sponsored by BeerLao

Decide to cross the Nam Song River on anothe Bamboo Bridge

Stunning Backdrop to Vang Vieng

With an early start and psyched up we go to the tubing station in town. Pay and put down our deposit for the tube which has to be back for 6pm and climb into the back of the Jumbo where we were lucky enough to meet Clay and Lisa from the good of US of A. All with the same mindset of keeping both drinking and injuries to a minimum we arrived three kilometre’s up the Nam Song River from town where we hiked to the first bar and started as we intended to go on. One shot of whiskey and a beer each. Time check 11:30am. Oh No!!!

Psyched Loaded & Good to Go...

Hiking to the first bar Tube in hand

Time for Whiskey & Beer Number 1

Me & Kate Cruising the Tubes

Maybe this bar next?

Clay keeps going I think he sees Man Games up-ahead

Lisa going with the flow...

It was a great set up on the river with the banks lined with bars especially for the first kilometre. You stop at a bar have a drink laze in the sun and then climb back onto your inflatable rubber inner tube to drift with the current before somebody from another bar throws a rope at you to catch and then pull you in for another drink. This just goes on and on. One beer and then another.

A perfect location in Laos to enjoy BeerLao

More Dutch Courage

You have just got to pinch yourself. Now this is waterside drinking

With young westerners working the bars and having a blast we did hear that some of them had been there for two weeks never to actually touch the water and this is where the carnage comes from in town at night. People arrive in droves on the river every morning with good intentions of completing the journey back to town, never to actually get past the first three drinking holes. We strategically went past the next few bars to give us a great start of completing the course. We had a great day with Clay and Lisa and boys will be boys as we hit the giant waterslides and rope swings with no injuries. I think we got lucky because due to the season the river was low and slow so your backsides did get banged up on the rocks.

The Games Begin. Clay Swings First

No Turning Back Now Off I Go

The scenery is just breathtaking. Just watch out for the sun dropping behind the cliffs because it gets cold very quickly. This was when we called it a day and hitched a ride back to the office just in time to get our deposit back on the tube.

A little cold as the sun disappears we come across a little river bank shack cooking fish on the fire & serving beer. Time to warm up...

Cruising the river is just amazing

Forget what we had previously said Tubing in Vang Vieng is an amazing experience and great fun if you take care of yourselves. Meeting Clay and Lisa also made the experience a great social event and an unforgettable way to get to know new friends. We loved it and only 75% tipsy in the end.

The day didn’t end there we went out for dinner with Clay and Lisa for some food and more drinks overlooking the river before having to fight our way out of the establishment. Being the last to leave the family had all locked up and gone to sleep. Now they don’t do that at home! Clay and Lisa moved on the following day but hopefully we will meet up again at some point in South East Asia.

No idea what I am talking about and by now Clay probably can't understand the accent

Kate on camera duty & Lisa definitly has no idea what I am waffling about



I blame these but what a fun day


This left me and Kate with a hangover recovery day and the streets are lined with cafes playing Friends or Family Guy on loop 24/7. With the new street now happily christened Koh San Road you can now see how the local businesses are keen to secure the falang dollar. Absolutely perfect and just what you needed while eating some un-healthy food and drinking fruit shakes. We went for Friends and must have watched a full series in one sitting. Quite random I know but Vang Vieng has been playing these two shows on loop for years. I wonder if that will ever change.

Hangover Cake Numero Uno

Dos!

While Horizontal Watching Friends on Loop...We do this at Home!

Overall we had a great time in Vang Vieng after the stories that we had heard while on route but it is a fun place that you just have to take as it is. The Tubing and seeing the river is the highlight but you can kick back and relax surrounded by beauty. I suppose the only worrying thing is the effect of the party tourism. It makes for a certain clientele and you pray that things don’t continue to get out of hand because the place in my opinion is much more than just getting wasted on the river. It is worth remembering that the place can be dangerous and people do die on the river every year. It is no longer the peaceful riverside village it once was. Some say it is even a paradise lost but the old beauty is still there in abundance if you look a little deeper.

Just remember Vang Vieng is still a beautiful lost paradise

Be safe and have fun. Good times outweigh the bad and the great memories will definitely live on long after you leave.