Vang Vieng Sights, POI and Things to Do

Despite its popularity, tubing is far from being the only thing to do when you’re in Vang Vieng. The beautiful natural scenery surrounding the town means that there are several caves, lagoons, and other natural attractions nearby that are well worth a visit to while you’re here. Thanks to the beautiful limestone mountains surrounding Vang Vieng, rock climbing is another popular activity here.

Tubing down the Nam Song River

You’ve undoubtedly heard of the infamous tubing experience in Vang Vieng, Laos. In past years, tubing down the Nam Song River used to be one of those backpacker experiences that was well-known throughout Southeast Asia travellers for the drunken debauchery that was associated with tourists floating down the river and stopping at the many riverside bars for drinks or “happy shakes.”

As you can imagine, this kind of unbridled hedonism presented quite a lot of safety concerns as drunken tourists were often injured while engaging in riverside shenanigans; multiple deaths have even occurred on the river.

In recent years, however, authorities have cracked down on safety measures and closed down several of the bars along the river—meaning that tubing down the Nam Song River today is a safer, more peaceful experience than it once was. The process is fairly straightforward; one agency rents tubes for about 55,000 LAK + deposit, then drives you, your friends, and your tubes up to the drop-off point where you can float back down to the city centre. Or if the tube’s not your style, kayaking is another way to experience a trip down the river.

Floating in Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is one of Vang Vieng’s more popular attractions, a beautiful little swimming spot despite the obvious marks of tourism—the large blue water slide, the vendors with life-jackets and floaties for rent, and the various small stores/stalls with beers and snacks available for purchase. The area gets crowded, but the cool water is a stunning deep blue and a good place to relax if you don’t mind a bit of a crowd.

Caving around Vang Vieng

There are also several caves around Vang Vieng that draw in tourists. The Water Cave is one of these popular spots. Located about 14 km away from the main part of the town, you can either come here as part of a guided day tour or come on your own via bicycle or motorbike. As the name implies, there’s a river that runs through this small cave, meaning that it’s generally explored via a tube on the water (it’s just hard to escape the tubing while you’re in Vang Vieng).

The Water Cave may be the most popular, but there are several other caves in the area around Vang Vieng. Lusi Cave and Pha Thao Cave are two; both places have 10,000 LAK entry fees. Lusi Cave has a dark lagoon where you can swim, and Pha Thao Cave is a more generic cave experience.

Tham Chang cave is much closer to the Vang Vieng town centre, and is of historical interest due to the fact that it was used as a place where people lived and took shelter during wars.

Note that even if you are visiting caves by yourself and not as a part of an organized tour, you may be forced to hire a guide at the entrance. Do discuss the fee in advance otherwise you risk to pay up to USD20 for half-an-hour walk around the cave (for which you were prepared to pay USD5 the maximum). Friendly guides become rude demanding their money.

Exploring countryside

In general, getting out and about to the surrounding areas of Vang Vieng is a popular activity, whether via bicycle or motorbike (the latter option being the better choice if you’re looking to maximize the time and distance covering during your explorations).

Bicycle rentals are about 20,000 LAK per day, whereas motorbike rentals start at around 50,000-70,000 LAK per day (prices will vary and may be more expensive depending on cc power, whether you rent an automatic or a manual, etc.). Renting a motorbike gives you a chance to truly experience and enjoy the scenery around the town, and is a great way to hit up all the popular caves and other tourist spots at your own pace and schedule without having to be a part of a guided tour.

Ballooning

Yes, you can experience Vang Vieng from above! The karst scenery looks amazing, and if you can afford spending about USD200 to have fun, go ahead. If not, then brightly coloured balloons on the background of limestone formations present a great photo opportunity.