vang vieng
Arrival: Welcome to Vang Vieng! An adventure activity paradise nestled in the beautiful countryside of Laos. If this is your first stop in Laos, prepare to fall in love with this somewhat undiscovered and calm paradise. The people are friendly, the food is delicious, and with some of the lowest price tags in Southeast Asia, travelers of all budgets can find ways to travel in the lap of luxury.
When you arrive in Vang Vieng (most likely by train, hold on to your ticket until you exit, as they scan it again when you are leaving the station) you will walk outside the train station and be greeted by tuk tuks. They are shared and sit there waiting until one is full before heading in to town, but it is the cheapest way to get to the town center, at 20,000 kip per person. Just tell them your hotel and they will drop you off in front.
Adventure Activities: Vang Vieng is an adventure lover's paradise. You can choose from activities like hot air balloon rides, paramotoring, river floats, hikes, motorbike rentals, the list goes on and on. Hot air balloon rides and paramotoring should be booked in advance as they can sell out days ahead of time. You can contact your hotel and ask for their help booking or find a company online.
Motorbikes/Scooters can be rented for about $3-$5 USD per day and will provide you extra flexibility for getting out of town and getting to hikes such as Nam Xay Viewpoint. We recommend being familiar with riding motorized bikes prior to trying this and of course, always have travelers insurance!
There are also multiple day tours that your hotel can help you book, and these will be the best way to see all remaining sites/activities in the area, such as Tham Phu Kham Cave, the Blue Lagoons, Zip Lining, and Kayaking. Don't stress too much about researching or planning ahead, most of the tours can be booked by your accommodations a day before and each of the different tours offer preplanned sites and activities, advertised on flyers that you can choose from. If your hotel does not have these handy, you can go to any of the tourist shops in town and book with them.
River Float: While Vang Vieng is now more laid back and known for adventure, it wasn't too long ago that this town was a crazy party destination and most famously known for the river float experience. Young Backpacker's would float down the river, stopping at shacks that popped up along the riverbanks, to drink beers and cocktails out of plastic buckets and party the day away. Nowadays, there is a tamer version of the river float to be more respectful of locals and prevent accidents. There is still a float daily, with guides to supervise, but where there was once 15-20 bars, there are now 3 along the 4 hour float. But have no fear, the float is still a blast, with cheap drinks available and beautiful scenery to enjoy while you bob around in your inflated tire tube. Just ask your hotel to help you sign up.
Lagoons: There are a few Blue Lagoons near Vang Vieng, with the two most popular being 1 & 3. Both these lagoons have platforms to jump off of and rope swings to enjoy. But don't expect a secluded area, there are shops, & food stalls and of course plenty of tourists. However, when we were there, very few people were in the actual lagoon, so we were able to just float around watching others jump off the platform (There are lockers and inner tubes available for rent). You can also find ziplining nearby if you are interested. There is an entrance fee of 10,000 kip for any of the blue lagoons you visit so make sure to have cash on hand.
Since we did not rent a scooter, we just found a tuk tuk on the street who offered to take us the 30 minutes out there, sit for about an hour (you can negotiate time when you negotiate price) and then drive us back. Be prepared for a bumpy ride as the roads in Laos are not in great condition.
Nightlife: Being known as a party town, of course there is some fun nightlife in Vang Vieng. There are multiple bars that stay open late, offer live music or DJs, have pool tables, and cheap drinks. Some great options are Gary's Irish Bar, Sakura Bar, and Jaidee Bar. Beware of scam: (we heard this from other travelers and did not experience this firsthand) Vang Vieng has a reputation for having drugs available, including psychedelic mushroom shakes. These are not legal in Laos and if you do find them, the people selling them may take your picture. If they do not sell the amount of drugs that they wish to for the night, they will take the photos and turn them over to the police.
must see sites
- River Float
- Lagoons
- Adventure Activities
luang prabang
Arrival: Nestled between the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, you will find the lovely UNESCO town of Luang Prabang! Over the course of your visit, marvel at the Laos and French inspired architecture, stroll the shop and restaurant lined streets, experience the famous night market, and soak in all that Loas has to offer!
Upon arrival, we highly recommend that you book any excursions that you wish to take, especially any elephant experiences (see our recommendations above in our Tips & Tricks section), as they tend to fill up.
Mekong River: One activity not to be missed is a float down the Mekong River! You can opt for a shorter sunset cruise or a full day tour, the choice is yours and both can be booked by your hotel the day before. For the sunset cruise, you can hire a private boat to take you on a 1-2 hour cruise for around for a very reasonable price, with beer for purchase, or you can join more of a party boat where there will be a bar and music and other tourists enjoying the sunset.
For a day trip, there are tour options that include a float down the river to the Pak Ou caves, a stop at a local Laos wine maker, lunch at an elephant conservation and a trip to the Kuang Si Waterfalls. Yes, this tour is touristy, but it is a convenient way to see most of the major sites in one day without needing to organize individual transportation. You can book this tour here.
If you wish to just see the caves, there are boats at the dock that you can ride with. Ask your hotel what time to be there and what a good price to pay is as you will most likely be negotiating.
Kuang Si Waterfall: Whatever you do, do not miss seeing these incredible waterfalls! You can join the above mentioned day tour or you can hire a tuk tuks, share vans, or private cars to drive you the 45 min-1hour out to the falls. The entrance fee is included in day tours or it will be 20,000 kip if you go without a tour. Once to the falls, it is a short walk along a dirt path, passing a bear exhibit along the way, to reach the falls. You are able to swim in some of the lower pools if you wish, but the water is on the cooler side. When you start along the path, you can head straight up to the main falls, or you can go to the right along the scenic route to start at the lower pools and work your way up. We recommend you take this route, to enjoy the entire beauty of the falls and end with the major falls as the grand finale.
Mt. Phousi @ sunset: A beautiful activity to do right in Luang Prabang is climb to the top of Mt. Phousi to watch the sunset. You can find the entrance off of the main road (Sisavangvong Rd), up the white steps. There is a 20,000 Kip entrance fee and be prepared to climb quite a few stairs to the top. It will probably take about 10-20 minutes depending on how fast you go. The views are spectacular, but make sure to get there early if you want a good spot for photos, as it gets insanely crowded.
Night Market: A trip to Luang Prabang would not be complete without a stroll through the night market. This market takes up roughly half of the main road and is set up and taken down every single night between 5p and 10p. Here you will have the chance to support locals who are selling handmade crafts, find the perfect souvenir, and try some delicious, cheap, and local street food!
must see sites
- Night Market
- Sunset from Mt. Phousi
- Elephant Sanctuary
- Mekong River
- Kuang Si Waterfall