<p dir="LTR"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Introduction</span></strong></span></p>

[caption id="attachment_677" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Vang Vieng, Laos"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Vang-Vieng-river-2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-677" title="Vang Vieng, Laos" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Vang-Vieng-river-2.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]
<blockquote> In a the center of a small country in south east Asia called Laos, in between dramatic crest mountains and right along  <a title="Nam Song River" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nam_Song_River">Nam Song</a> river, you will find a hidden small town with great fun, one that can be simply described as a 'Backpackers Oasis'.

[caption id="attachment_669" align="alignnone" width="453" caption="From Window view"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/From-Window-view-Laos.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-669" title="From Window view - Laos" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/From-Window-view-Laos.jpg" alt="" width="453" height="604" /></a>[/caption]</blockquote>
It wasn’t long ago that Vang Vieng wasn’t really more than a bus stop in between Laos's Capital <a title="Vientiane Province" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vientiane_Province"><strong>Vientiane</strong> </a>and the much travelled town of <strong>Luang Prabang</strong>, but today, Vang Vieng is well known, and it is filled mostly with young backpackers from all along the world, pn its 3 or 4 streets, wandering around filled with family owned guest houses, internet café's, bars and restaurants with 'magic menus'..

[caption id="attachment_612" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Vang Vieng, Laos"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/laos-view1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-612" title="laos-view" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/laos-view1.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

<script type="text/javascript">// < ![CDATA[
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// ]]></script><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><strong style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">What makes it a heaven for backpackers?</span></strong>

I was there with a bunch of my friends and I think It's a perfect little hang out place for a group. Personally, I was captured by the place and the tranquility it offers. The riverside offers a stunning view for spending your day swinging on a hammock reading a book or having  a sandwich, having zero worries.
<p dir="LTR">The ones which are 'itchy on the move', will probably sum up their Vang Vieng experience in 2-3 days, but the ones with no worries about being somewhere else, can easily get stuck here spending there days by the river.</p>
<strong><em> I stayed for 12 days, ending up seeing nothing from Laos but Vang Vieng..</em></strong>

<span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Everything is so easy in Vang Vieng</span></strong></span>

With such a small place, you can never get lost. The whole place is only has about 3 streets, and they are filled with everything a backpacker needs: cheap and clean guesthouses, cheap and tasty food, 'magic menus' at bars and restaurants, parties at night (Well, until about  11 pm or so..), great scenery, great vibe and plenty of more backpackers like you.

[caption id="attachment_679" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Vang Vieng main road"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Vang-Vieng-main-road.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-679" title="Vang Vieng main road" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Vang-Vieng-main-road.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_660" align="alignnone" width="2304" caption="Street Food"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Street-food-Vang-VIeng.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-660" title="Street Food" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Street-food-Vang-VIeng.jpg" alt="" width="2304" height="3072" /></a>[/caption]

<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Vang-Vieng-street.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-675" title="Vang Vieng street" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Vang-Vieng-street.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>

<span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">What to do? OR 'tubing today?</span></strong></span>

A huge part of what makes Vang Vieng so much fun is its world famous unique tubing experience along the river.

[caption id="attachment_681" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Tubing route"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tubing-route.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-681" title="tubing route" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tubing-route.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

In town, around 12-11 a.m., you will easily find the line forming after everyone got up from parting last night in front of the two official places where you can rent rubber tubes for you to float on, and waterproof bag for your camera and money (you will need cash along the river, in a minute you will know why..)

[caption id="attachment_682" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="tube numbers"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tube-numbers.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-682" title="tube numbers" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tube-numbers.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]
<p dir="LTR"><a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Tubing.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-680" title="Tubing" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Tubing.jpg" alt="" width="453" height="604" /></a></p>
 Floating on a tube along the pretty calm river, watching the stunning view is  fun, but makes Vang Vieng's tubing experience especially fun, is the fact that is also a very unique way of 'Bar hopping'. As soon as you will leave the starting point you will notice the first bar along the river. Young locals will help you climb to the woodenn deck, pulling your tube with a rope, so you could have your first beer or whiskey bucket. All along the tubing route you will find several stops like that, wooden family owned bars, offering music and drinks, filled with other young backpackers parting and drinking on the afternoon.

Must 'river bars' also have zip lines you can jump from to the river. It's fun, but be advised, that every year travellers get injured and even die, jumping from those zip lines.

I especially recommend you stop at <strong>'Mr Lao Lao' bar</strong>. As soon as you get off the tube, Mr and Misses Lao Lao will greet you with a shot of Lao Whiskey and a dance. Be sure that they have been drinking long before you got there so they are in  a happy welcoming mood..

[caption id="attachment_664" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Mr Lao Lao"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Mr-Lao-Lao.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-664" title="Mr Lao Lao" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Mr-Lao-Lao.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_665" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Misses Lao Lao"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Misses-Lao-Lao.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-665" title="Misses Lao Lao" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Misses-Lao-Lao.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]
<p dir="LTR"><a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/with-Mr.-Lao-Lao.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-674" title="with Mr. Lao Lao" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/with-Mr.-Lao-Lao.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a></p>
 Another good stop would be at the <strong>'Last Bar'</strong>. Really nice people that can set you up with everything you want..

I loved tubing, so I went ahead and did the route three times..

<span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Where to hang out?</span></strong></span>

Another famous phenomena that happens in Vang Vieng besides tubing, Is the fact that all restaurants in town have TV's showing for their guest entertainment famous American TV shows like "friends", "Seinfeld", "family guy" and more, in a loop throughout opening hours. If a traveller in town is not tubing or just having a lazy day, he is probably sitting at a restaurant watching TV. Most places even have tons of D.V.D'S of movies and TV. Series to choose from you to watch. All restaurants in town are pretty much the same, but I especially recommend 'Mamas restaurant' because of her hospitality and the Indian restaurant (there is only one in town) for the interesting food.

Me and my friends actually preferred spending our lazy day by the river, swinging off a hammock in the of the bar/restaurants by the shore.

[caption id="attachment_683" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="our regular table"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/our-regular-table.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-683" title="our regular table" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/our-regular-table.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_678" align="alignnone" width="453" caption="Having fun beneath the sun.."]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/vang-vieng-relaxing-day.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-678" title="vang vieng relaxing day" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/vang-vieng-relaxing-day.jpg" alt="" width="453" height="604" /></a>[/caption]

<script type="text/javascript">// < ![CDATA[
google_ad_client = "ca-pub-3564544184018986"; /* bonbontraveltips1 */ google_ad_slot = "2861575412"; google_ad_width = 200; google_ad_height = 200;
// ]]></script>At night time, there are a few places like the 'smile' bar that hosts parties filled with young backpackers drinking Lao whiskey and coke buckets. Don’t miss out on munching on a sandwich of pancake after the party, at one of the food strolls that will be waiting for as soon as you cross the bridge back to town.

One of the places we liked to hang out almost every night, was <strong>"J.D's</strong>" by the river, named after the owner J.D, who is a nice lao local that will treat you right, especially if you become a steady customer like we did.

[caption id="attachment_662" align="alignnone" width="3072" caption="Having fun at J.D'S.."]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Having-fun-at-J.Ds-Vang-Viengazss.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-662" title="Having fun at J.D'S.." src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Having-fun-at-J.Ds-Vang-Viengazss.jpg" alt="" width="3072" height="2304" /></a>[/caption]
<p dir="LTR"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">What else to do around this tourist town?</span></strong></span></p>
<strong>The Blue Lagoon Tham Poukham -</strong>, Beautiful blue water lagoon with hundreds of crab fishes in it. On site there is also a cave with a Buddha statue in it you can hike a bit up to. There is an entrance fee to go to the cave and you will also need to rent a head light. The Blue Lagoon is 7 kilometers from town, and you can get there by  renting  a scoter or bike, of you can a 'tuk tuk' taxi like we did. Remember to negotiate the price.
<div>

[caption id="attachment_671" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Blue Lagoon"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Blue-Lagoon.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-671" title="Blue Lagoon" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Blue-Lagoon.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_668" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="having fun at the Blue Lagoon"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/having-fun-at-the-blue-lagoon.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-668" title="having fun at the blue lagoon" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/having-fun-at-the-blue-lagoon.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_666" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="Me with some chiks.."]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Me-with-some-chiks...jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-666" title="Me with some chiks.." src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Me-with-some-chiks...jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

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<strong>Caves - </strong> Around the area, some within walking distance  you can get to a few cave you can go in. In one of them you can rent a tube and go inside to a cave lagoon. You can take a guide with you from town to show you the way, or get there by map.

[caption id="attachment_670" align="alignnone" width="604" caption="cave tubing"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cave-tubing.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-670" title="cave tubing" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cave-tubing.jpg" alt="" width="604" height="453" /></a>[/caption]

<span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 16px;"><strong> WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET PACKING!</strong></span>
<p dir="LTR">Spending almost 2 weeks in Vang Vieng with my friends was great fun that will remember for a life time. I you are with good company and not in a hurry going anywhere, i say put your 'NO WORRIES' hat on,</p>
<p dir="LTR">and head over to Vang Vieng Laos.</p>

[caption id="attachment_661" align="alignnone" width="3072" caption="Sunset at Vang Vieng Laos"]<a href="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sunset-on-Vang-Vieng.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-661" title="Sunset at Vang Vieng Laos" src="http://www.bonbontraveltips.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sunset-on-Vang-Vieng.jpg" alt="" width="3072" height="2304" /></a>[/caption]
<p style="border: outset 10px #005588; padding: 15px; margin-left: 100px; margin-right: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -khtml-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; text-align: center; line-height: 23px; color: #191970; font-size: 15px; font-family: georgia;">Got these far? please do comment, share your own travel tips and travel stories..you can also write to us at bonbontraveltips@gmail.com</p>
 

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