Lao

Lao (spelled without an S in the actual country) was an enjoyable place and I wish my sister and I had spent more time there. As our trip was ending and we still needed to return to Thailand for our flight home, we only had 5 days in Lao. Two of the days were travel days (from the Vietnam border, to the Thailand border) and three days were spent in Vang Vieng.

Vang Vieng is well known for its river tubing adventures. They live up to the reputation and my sister and I later recounted that the tubing day was our favorite day of our entire SEA trip. The town of Vang Vieng is well equipped with delicious restaurants, backpacker lodging and bars.

On the day we wanted to go tubing we arrived at a meet up point by following the signs. There we received a plastic bag for our money and an inner tube. Next we were transported to the river where the fun began! International workers welcome us with shots and bracelets. The starting spot was a bar where people played flip cup, musical chairs and there was even a DJ. When we felt like checking out the next bar, we simply floated down the river. Locals on the shore threw us a rope so we could pull ourselves into the next bar.

I believe there were four bars in total. At one bar my sister and I danced so hard to dubstep that we were give a free bucket of alcohol! At another bar there were mud pits that we all rolled around in. A different bar had raised wooden platforms that everyone danced on as it rained. There were also hammocks to chill in. Everybody became friends that day, the energy was incredible.

After a long day of tubing and day drinking, the group went to Sakura Bar for drinks. There was a promotion where you received a tank top if you bought three drinks. My sister and I bought six! On a different night we checked out some other bars and discovered that helium balloons were all the rage. I tried it and as my hearing and vision momentarily disappeared I realized it was not the high for me.

Besides tubing, there is also a blue lagoon in Vang Vieng. One day my sister and I rented motorbikes (our first time) and drove to the lagoon. We swam a bit and Hannah did a rope swing into the water. After that we were happy just driving around the surrounding areas. I remember the red soil and the rocky cliffs; it was stunning.

We could have easily spent more time in Lao. Most backpackers also do a river cruise down the Mekong River. Also in the Mekong Delta are the Four Thousand Islands near the Cambodia border. I’d definitely recommend traveling to Lao and my highest recommendation for all of your South East Asia travels is the river tubing in Vang Vieng.