5 things to do in Vang Vieng – Laos – TREKwithBECK

Vang Vieng is one of the most popular backpacking spots in all of Laos! For most backpackers, this is the furtherest they will go, if they decide not to go to Vientiane (capital city). Vang Vieng is really well known as being a ‘party town’, and this is correct. The streets are filled with drunken antics at about 8pm onwards, from people who have stepped off the tipsy tubing tours.

I am not particularly a party person myself, especially when I am travelling alone – so partying wasn’t on my radar. But, what else is there to do in Vang Vieng? This blog post is here to tell you! There are many, many other things you can do here, but these are definitely some of the highlights in my opinion.

How to get to Vang Vieng

There are several ways you can get to Vang Vieng, from both Luang Prabang or Vientiane. The best two options are either Mini Van/Bus or Train. Which one you choose will depend on your budget and time factor.

The Laos China Railway is the newest and quickest way to get around Laos from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. I originally had mini van buses booked, but opted for the trains as it cuts your travel days down significantly. The trains cost anywhere between $15-$50 AUD, and have second, first and business class. I travelled in second class both times, and it was extremely comfortable.

The train only takes 52mins to get from Luang Prabang or Vientiane to Vang Vieng. You can either buy your tickets at the train station, hostel/hotel or online using the LCR app. This app doesn’t work unless you have an android phone and a Lao phone number. You will need to submit your passport details to catch a train, and the security is similar to airport security.

This is the cheapest option, but the longest to travel to Vang Vieng. You can either catch a bus or mini van from with Luang Prabang or Vientiane, but this will take several more hours then the train. You can either book your tickets at the station, hostel/hotel or on 12go Asia.

I spent 3 nights here, which I felt was enough time to see everything I wanted to do. Keep in mind if you plan on partying here and exploring, you may need a few more nights – unless you are a miracle and don’t get hungover! I would recommend at least 3 nights minimum. Even though it’s very easy to get here now, there is a lot of exploring to do as well as lots of places to relax!

The best time to visit Vang Vieng is from October to February. The weather isn’t stinking hot and the humidity is manageable. I went during late November and the days were hot and partly humid, but the nights were cool. Even though the days were warm, it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t do particular hikes or outings without wanting to die.

Things to do

There are a few ways you can explore Vang Vieng, scooter, walking, cycling, tuk tuk or dune buggy. I decided to go with dune buggy, as the Lao roads are shocking and I couldn’t handle being thrown around on a scooter for a whole day. This is the funnest thing I have ever done and the best thing I have spent money on backpacking! A buggy cost me $90 AUD for 9 hours, this was for a two person buggy.

This Is the best way to get around and you can head to all the sights with ease! I highly recommend doing this over a scooter, even though it is a little bit outside most backpackers budgets!

This is the most popular viewpoint in Vang Vieng and for good reason. It is a steep, sweaty climb up to the top, you have been warned. The climb up is only about 30-45mins, but it is on slippery surfaces and does require some rock scrambling (don’t attempt this hike after rain). The view of the top is beautiful and does give a nice 360 view of your surroundings. There are also two motorbikes at the top which you can take photos on (there will most likely be a line).

I would recommend doing this in the morning or afternoon, as I did it around 9am and it was hot. During the burning season you may have a fog over the landscapes and not get the best views. Also, the road out here is unsealed, so it may be a bumpy ride if you are on a scooter!

It costs 20,000 Kip to enter.

This viewpoint is located a short 5 min drive from Nam Xay Viewpoint and dare I say, is much cooler! This viewpoint doesn’t have as nice of a view as Nam Xay, but it has much cooler things for photos. There are two viewpoints here, one has a pegasus and the other has a plane. You can’t ride the pegasus, but you can get into the plane and get some cool shots! The ones I got makes it look like I was flying the plane.

The walk up to this viewpoint is only 15mins, it is steep but much more accessible then Nam Xay. It is also mainly covered, so it’s not as much of a sweaty climb. It costs 20,000 Kip to enter and is well worth visiting! There is also a cave you can check out along the way, but I don’t mess with caves so I didn’t go in.

Vang Vieng is known for its many lagoons, which have a vibrant blue colour. They are great swimming holes and places to relax to escape the Laos heat. I visited the majority of them in one day, as I was doing a loop drive around the mountain. Some definitely are better than others.

• Blue Lagoon 1: The most popular lagoon, and closest to Vang Vieng Town. A lot of tour groups come here so it’s very busy and crowded. I didn’t particularly like this lagoon for this reason, it wasn’t really a nice place to relax. Entry 20,000 Kip.
• Blue Lagoon 2: This Lagoon is massive and has plenty of things to do. Cabanas to relax in, waterslides, flying fox and a restaurant. You could spend a whole day here with your friends or family. This is another popular spot, so it does get crowded. There are plenty of places to spread out though, so you don’t feel like it is extremely crowded here. Entry 20,000 Kip.
• Blue Lagoon 3: My favourite, this lagoon is located the furtherest away from Vang Vieng, so it is much quieter. It will take about 45mins to get here from Vang Vieng centre. There are cabanas, seats, a restaurant and a flying fox. There weren’t a lot of people here, so it was a nice place to relax and spend the morning! I do recommend coming here in the morning, as in the afternoon the sun is hidden behind the mountain and the whole lagoon is in the shade. There is also a cave you can explore here. Entry 20,000 Kip.
• Blue Lagoon 6: This Lagoon is still featured on many blogs, but I am writing to say do not go here. It is closed. The lagoon itself is beautiful, the road leading down to it is shocking. The whole area is completely abandoned, it’s like a ghost town and I wouldn’t swim here. Miss it.

5. Hot Air Balloon

This isn’t something I did, as I had already gone Hot Air Balloon over Luxor In Egypt. This is a great place to do it though if you are on a backpackers budget! The balloons either leave in the morning or afternoon, for sunrise or sunset. They carry you over the incredible landscape of Vang Vieng, with the experience taking roughly 3 hours. It will cost between $80-$100 USD.

You can book this experience through your hostel/hotel or online. If you want something similar but a little more exciting, you can go paramotoring instead!

Photo by Mikka on Pexels.com

Like this post? Pin it and share it with others!