Vang Vieng

I aimed to leave Luang Prabang Sunday morning and head south to Vang Vieng. There were several places a bit more off the beaten track I was looking into visiting, however it was just getting to them that was the issue. Laos simply doesn't have the population to run an effective bus network, with it being a particularly poor and sparsely populated country. This means the timetables are pretty irrelevant, and the buses basically leave when they're full or when the driver has enough money in his pocket. I thought going to Vang Vieng would prevent this problem being a stop for buses en route to the capital Vientiane although that wasn't the case as when arriving at the bus station my bus was by no means full. I ended up being stuck at the bus station over 5 hours before it eventually left, and I couldn't really go anywhere else in case it got full and left without me.

Vang Vieng is small town on the banks of the Nam Song river, characterised by a backdrop of towering cliffs, countless caves, and vivid green paddy fields. In the past the town housed a particularly toxic party scene, where people would get drunk/stoned by the cheap and even free booze, and easily accessible drugs sold by these riverside rave bars whilst tubing to each bar down the river. In 2012 after a speight of tourist deaths brought attention to the place the government shut down the rave bars and implemented a 12am curfew nationwide. Nowadays the town has attempted to reposition itself as the rural paradise it once was and now offers an array of adrenaline fuelled activities and a more controlled nightlife scene. I didn't arrive into Vang Vieng until darkness in the end, and I was greeted by rain upon arrival.

The following day I went out to explore some of the outlying countryside. There are a countless number of caves, viewpoints, and lagoons in the area which locals have exploited by putting entrance fees on, so I knew I had to be selective in where I visited. First stop was the Blue Lagoon, a popular swimming area due to its clear coloured water. After a nice swim I headed to the nearby Poukham Cave which was more like this massive cavern, housing a small reclining Buddha. When returning to the lagoon the weather turned and there was a massive thunderstorm, although there were plenty of little huts by the lagoon to shelter in. It was a really quite impressive thunderstorm although the rain persisted for ages and by the time it stopped all the run off meant the water was no longer that blue anymore!

When the rain finally calmed down a bit I walked to the Nomxay Top Viewpoint, which presented me with a great views. The climb up was incredibly slippery though, and I couldn't stay up there too long as there was this swarm of flies which were very annoying. I then went to the Phu Pang Kham Cave. I wasn't sure which caves were best to visit as there so many, but the Phu Pang Kham Cave had the best looking pictures on the advertisement boards so I went there. It was totally worth it getting taken into two different caves by this local Laotian guy who spoke literally no English, going far deeper into the system than I would have done self guided. The stalactites and crystals on the walls were particularly impressive.

Nearby the cave was the Pha Hon Kham Cliff Viewpoint, which was on top of these pinnacles sticking out in the middle of the countryside. The views were as equally impressive as the previous viewpoint. I then headed back towards the Blue Lagoon, via the Phakam Phaxoke Viewpoint which again had stunning views. I was glad when I got back to the Blue Lagoon though as by that point I was very hot and a swim was particularly nice. I didn't get back to Vang Vieng as the sun was setting in the end so it was a long day. I went for a few drinks in the evening as many bars did free beer on their happy hours and it was a pretty lively atmosphere. Many bars were openly selling drugs on their menu though so I think Vang Vieng still has a little well to go to totally clean up its act!

The following day I went out and explored some more of the surrounding countryside. I read that the walk out to the Lusi Cave was a nice walk, and it was very picturesque going through the rice fields with the large karst cliffs as a backdrop. When reaching the cave I was a little reluctant to go too deep inside as I only had my tablet flashlight to guide me. I read there was a lagoon inside you could swim in but I didn't get far enough in to see that. A short walk back through the rice fields took me to the Pha Pouak Viewpoint. The climb up was pretty challenging as it was basically ladders and scrambling, although there were views over Vang Vieng town itself from the top.

From Pha Pouak I headed to the Pha Ngeun Viewpoint, perhaps the most visited in the Vang Vieng area. Certainly unlike the previous ones I had climbed I had no solitude up the top although the views were probably the pick of the bunch. I headed back into Vang Vieng for lunch, before heading out to the Chang Cave later that afternoon. Unlike the previous caves I had explored there was no need to carry a torch to explore with plenty of lights and a well laid path around it. There were several Buddha relics inside too. Just outside the cave was a nice little place to swim, fed by this small waterfall inside a cave. I managed to swim to waterfall, the water so clear. Come evening there was another almighty thunderstorm which caused a power cut. Luckily the power was back by the time the football was on though!