Vang Vieng, Love It or Loathe It.
Vang Vieng, is 3 to 4 hour drive (rally style) from Vientiane. It has a stunning background and scenery. Along side the Nam Song River, magnificent Mountains stand majestic in the horizon.
The Nam Song River, the Green Valleys and Limestone Mountains make Vang Vieng perfect for taking photos. From Morning Mists, to hazy Golden Sunsets.
Taking about Mountains, you can visit the Caves if you dont mind the steps.
Vang Vieng is full of hotels, hostals and guest houses that cater for the many visitors that come for Rafting, Kayaking, Climbing, Trekking and other such outdoor activies. Or, you can just “take it easy” and hire a Tire Inner Tube to float down the Nam Song and admire the background.
Vang Vieng is also known as the “Backpackers Haven”, and it is evident that the locals are catering for the Kip, Baht and Dollars. Most signs are in English, pointing the way to Bike Rentals, Cave Exploring etc…
Theres not much to say about the food scene, hardly authentic either unless you like Pancakes, Pasta and Pizza, or reclining on low chairs sipping beer in front of T.V. Sets. When I asked a local why there wasnt any restaurants, she told me that the visitors were only interested in the three P´s.
I felt sad that such a lovely place was “selling itself out”. Its so beautiful but it is losing its identity, and for the first time in my travels home, I felt that “I wasn´t in Laos”.
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Before going on a long drive its always good to “stock up” with water and a bite to eat.
A Pâté Sandwich in Laos is full of wonderful ingredients.
Warm Baguettes are filled with Butter, Pork, Fresh Vegetables, Pickled Vegetables, Coriander and Chilli Sauce.
I always ask for mine with “Extra Chilli”! ;)
May 30th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Do you also cook Luang Prabang’s food. I do like Orlam and fermented fish roe dish.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:43 pm
[...] Farangs Watching is a term my relatives used to describe this activity. It’s like birds watching but without the birds and only farangs who are jumping into the river or tubing down the the stream. So after lunch we spent family quality time watching farangs as they travel up and down the Nam Song river and picking up Beer Lao along the way. With so many farangs in Vang Vieng, I felt as though I had never left the US or Europe. The only difference is the weather and the food, well the part that is still Lao, that is. I’ll pass the three P’s. [...]