SE Asia XX - Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng sits on a beautiful spot on the Nam Song River, surrounded by limestone karst cliffs. Every silver lining has a cloud and Vang Vieng is no exception, although it has a very big cloud. Vang Vieng has been blighted by mass-market backpacker tourism. The old town doesn't seem to exist (until you cross the river) and local businesses seem to be purely devoted to satisfying tourist needs. The main strip is full of restaurants with exactly the same menu and a number of them are showing reruns of Friends. In saying that the scenery is beautiful and it is possible to escape the more negative aspects of the town.

Tubing is what Vang Vieng is famous for on the backpacker circuit. The journey down the Nam Song is lined with bars and people get watsed as they make their journey. The majority don't make it to the end so get picked up by tuk-tuks after the sun has set. We didn't do the ubing ebcause we got back to late from the caves. Unfortunately Van Vieng takes on the atmosphere of Albufiera in the evening with drunk westerners staggering down the streets bellowing loudly to one another. While this is fine on Southend High Street it doesn't sit with Lao culture. It seems that Vang Vieng has fallen prey to satisfying a lowest common denominator, getting people drunk cheaply in an attractive environment, and been very successful at it.

One night we dined along the strip. We found what appeared to be your typical cheap Lao cafe. They produced a menu which looked incredibly similar to every other menu along the strip. Henry and I ordered off of their chalk board (noodle soup and a rice dish), Jenna ordered tofu from the menu, The staff were greatly confused and after some mobile phone calls a chef appeared from down the street to cook her order. I don't know whether he worked there, or whether he just went from kitchen to kitchen following the orders off of the same menu.

While the old town of Vang Vieng has been lost, the over-development has so far been contained in the town and not affect the countryside. Henry, Jenna, and I visted Tham Chang cave with its interior of bridges and a balcony with a great view over the valley. We also walked the 6kms to Tham Phoukham cave. It involves a steep climb to the cave entrance. Once inside you are greeted by a large chamber with a Buddhist shrine. It is possible to hire a guide, however, we had a couple of torches and went off wandering. It was good fun even though in the darkness we managed to get disorientated a couple of times. In the afternoon we waded up the Nam Song river, the more traditional way is to float down on a tube.

It is possible to escape the negative aspects of Vang Vieng. We stayed at Riverside Bungalows. It is a quiet spot (apart from the dull thud from Don Khong island) with great views over the river. They have a variety of bungalows and huts to choose from, starting at 38,000 Kip for a basic hut, to 58,000 Kip for a bungalow with ensuite. If you stay in bungalow 16 you may find a foot long lizard living in your bathroom. I thought it was a model at first, but then it disappeared and reappeared the next day.

The bus station sits on a legacy of the Second Indochina War, a CIA landing strip (Lima site 27). The travel agencies in town will try and sell you the more expensive VIP buses or a minibus. We jumped on a public bus for just 25,000 Kip for the four hour journey to Vientaine. They seem to run every hour on the half hour (in the morning at least).