When you arrive in Vang Vieng, a visually unappealing town, you'll be faced with a choice: fight or flight. Resist the urge to flee. Fight through the central backpacker ghetto, with its guesthouse restaurants blasting Friends DVDs on a constant, mind-numbing loop, and make your way to the Nam Song River and the breathtaking karst peaks beyond. The surrounding natural beauty more than makes up for the appearance of the town itself, and a few days spent exploring caves, kayaking, trekking, or just sitting at a riverside bar and enjoying a cocktail while admiring the scenery (a personal favorite) is highly recommended. If you're traveling by car, Ngam Ngum dam and lake, some 85km (53 miles) north of Vientiane, is a good stop along the way.
Vang Vieng Travel Experiences
Popular Vang Vieng Hotels
more Vang Vieng hotels »Popular Vang Vieng Things to Do
- Tubing on the Nam Song River
- Caving
- Kayaking on the Nam Song
- Tubing
- floating down the river
- Visit caves, see where water comes from all in this park
- Hire a Moto!
Popular Vang Vieng Restaurants
- Jeska's Bar
- Friends Bars
- Street Vendors
- Organic Farm Cafe
- Kangaroo Sunset
- Erawan Bar
- Falcony Restaurant




