TRAVELLIVE MAGAZINE Travellive 03-2016 | Page 89

Travellers of Vang Vien are advised to be careful for three reasons:
a lot of parties with the large amounts of alcoholic beverages,
underwater rocks, and the range of outdoor activities.

VANG VIENG, LAOS PRISTINE AND WILDZ

N

ot boasting world
heritage sites
and huge tourist
attractions like Luang
Prabang or Vientiane,
Vang Vieng instead charms visitors
with its majestic mountains and
pristine beauty. Unlike other sites,
the hiking trails leading up into the
mountains here haven’t been spoiled
by excessive tourism.
The path leading to the peak of
Pha Ngeun is a typical example.
4km down the road from Mayline
Guesthouse, you will see the wooden
board guiding you to a village of
the H’mong people. Park at the toll
station and begin your journey. For
those who love trekking, it’s only
a 25 minute hike to the top of Pha
Ngeun. A great panoramic view of the
neighboring mountains is the reward
for your toil.
Travellers of Vang Vien are advised
to be careful for three reasons: a lot
of parties with the large amounts of
alcoholic beverages, underwater rocks,
and the range of outdoor activities.
That said, there’s something for every
thrill seeker whether you are into
cycling, trekking, kayaking, climbing,
or enjoying the zipline, hot air
ballooning, or - the most special one
- tubing.

This riverside town in Central Laos
may be one of the few places in
Southeast Asia where you can go
tubing. In 1999, a farm owner had an
idea for how volunteers could relax on
the river, floating on rubber innertubes.
Tubing soon became one the most
popular tourist activities in the area and
no visitor to Vang Vieng should miss
out. Tubing is simply lying on a donut
shaped buoy as you are carried down a
river. Get on a tuk-tuk to the assembly
point, and you can float along the river
with a rental float (costing only 65,000
kip) and a waterproof bag (15,000 kip).
The best time to go tubing is from
noon til 4pm. The Tubing center might
not be open earlier and it is unsafe to
float at night.
The town is small enough to walk
across. If you want to visit villages of
the Laos, Kmou, and Hmong people
or explore the mountains and hidden
caves, you can rent a bicycle (20,000
kip/day) or motorbike (40,00060,000 kip/12 hours). And if you are
planning to spend a day here, then
Tham Poukham - Blue Lagoon is
the best and safest choice. Just 7km
away from the town center is a lake,
a zipline for those who’re not afraid
of heights, and some hidden tracks
inside Tham Poukham Cave.

MÉch bÑn
ü Vë TRê: Th tr†n mi“n
nÛi Vang Vieng c∏ch thÒ Æ´
Vientiane kho∂ng 150km v“
ph›a Bæc, t≠¨ng Æ≠¨ng vÌi 4
giÍ Æi xe.
ü HÄNH TRçNH: Tı
Hµ NÈi, c„ Æ≠Íng bay thºng
Æ’n Vientian ho∆c Luang
Prabang, rÂi tı Æ„ Æi xe tÌi
Vang Vieng. Tı b’n xe ph›a
Bæc cÒa Vientian, bπn c„ th”
bæt xe Æi Vang Vieng g«n
nh≠ vµo b†t c¯ lÛc nµo trong
ngµy (tr≠Ìc 16h) vÌi gi∏
50.000 kip/ng≠Íi.
ü TI≈N Tå: Kip Lµo (LAK).
20.000 ÆÂng ÆÊi Æ≠Óc 7.500
kip. MÈt Æ‹a g·i Æu ÆÒ c„ gi∏
15.000kip (kho∂ng 40.000
ÆÂng), Æ©y cÚng lµ m¯c gi∏
phÊ bi’n cho nh˜ng chi’c
b∏nh pancake hay sandwich
bµy b∏n khæp c∏c nŒo Æ≠Íng.
ü GIÅI TRê: Vµo buÊi
tËi, mÈt sË qu∏n bar sœ c„
ch≠¨ng tr◊nh mi‘n ph› r≠Óu
cho c∏c qu˝ c´! NhÌ Æ‰c k¸
c∏c tÍ r¨i tr≠Ìc khi ch‰n Æ›ch
Æ’n cuËi cÔng.

Note
ü Position: Vang Vieng
is located 150km north of
Vientiane. It takes about 4
hours to travel there by car.
ü Itinerary: There are
direct flights from Hanoi to
Vientiane or Luang Prabang.
From the North bus station
in Vientiane, you can take
bus to Vang Vieng any time
before 4pm for 50,000 kip/
guest.
ü Currency: Kip (LAK).
20,000VND ~ 7,500 kip. A
papaya salad costs 15,000
kip (40,000VND). This is
also the common price of
pancakes or sandwiches sold
everywhere.
ü Entertainment:
Some bars offer free drinks
for women in the evening.
Read through the leaflets
you get before making final
decisions.

TRAVELLIVE

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