Vang Vieng

Trip Start Aug 28, 2005
1
15
37
Trip End Dec 10, 2005


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Lao Peoples Dem Rep  ,
Thursday, September 22, 2005

The minivan driver told us it was 4.5 hours onto Vang Vieng where we were to stay the night. We left Phonsavanh at 3.30pm and didnt arrive in Vang Vieng till 10pm! We were stopped by the traffic polic about 4 times on the way where the driver had to take all his official driving forms to the counter armed by men with big guns to get the check over. This combined with the massive rain storm we drove into 30mins out of Phonsavanh really slowed us down. Stayed at a little place called the Pany Guesthouse for the night that was quite nice and on only $3 incl bathroom with hot water.
The next morning we got what was apparently the grand tour of Vang Vieng in the van which took all of a few minutes. This town is small with dirt streets lined with bars, restaurants and tour operators. I would have quite liked to stay here for a little longer however the main attractions here are watersports like tubing down the river and rafting and kayaking which I cant do as I still have my ear infection. So it was back in the van and onto Vientiane for me.
We did make 1 more stopover at the Tham Jang cave which is the most famous in the area. From Vang Vieng it was only 3.5 hours onto the capital city.
I totally enjoyed the couple of days in teh van touring the countryside. The north is so mountainous and there are small villages scattered along the roadside. The villages are full of life. Even without stopping it is so interesting to see what the village people do in their everyday life. There are people collecting food, firewood, building and maintaining huts, washing themselves under taps on the roadside, eating, making crafts, selling foods and drinks, washing clothes, feeding the animals. There are children playing (a common game we saw was trying to make a empty pepsi bottle fall over by throwing jandles at it from a distance and also a game with string similar to elastics) and rounding up animals, catching bats, fishing, killing snakes, riding bikes, carrying firewood/rice and some lucky ones all crowded around a tv. Electricity is apparently only in 43% of houses in Laos. Their lives in passing by in the minivan appear so simple compared to the western lives which im sure they are not and are complicated by many things such as famine, disease, crop and animal destruction, poor hygeine and im sure many other things maybe too. Again we got so many smile and waves as we drove by which is so cool to see!
Print this entry Vang Vieng hotels