48 Hours Wandering around Vang Vieng (Part 1)

Renting bicycles, visiting and self- discovering every addresses, trying all the typical dishes of the local people… are the ways for you to enjoy and experience fully the beauty and life of Vang Vieng (Laos) if you stay in this land in 2 only days.

In just two days, you can still discover Vang Vieng – Laos entirety with the following suggestions.

Vang Vieng is located along Nam Song river

Day 1

10am – 2:30pm: Depart for Vang Vieng from Vientiane

In the journey to explore Laos, Vang Vieng is the next famous destination that tourists often choose to visit after Vientiane. It is about 150 km from Vientiane to the north (about 4 hours travelling by car). There are two buses departing daily at 10am and 2pm respectively with ticket prices of 35,000 Kip/ ticket ($4). Departure time is often 30 minutes late, but you should not worry about missing the car because tuk tuk transshipment will come to the hotel where you stay and take you to the bus station.

When going through the winding mountain pass, you can look at the high mountains dim in fog in the distance, or charming landscape of mountains and river. Located in the highland, Vang Vieng is often chilly in the morning and in the evening.

The scenery of mountain and river along the way to Vang Vieng

2:30pm: Arrive in Vang Vieng station.

A minibus carries tourists from bus station to the center of Vang Vieng town for free in approximately 5-7 minutes. All passengers will get off at Malany Villas. The free transit bus service is of Malany hotel system.

If you want to save cost of accommodation, you can choose Malany Villas for 70,000 Kip/ night ($8) including a double room with air conditioning but without breakfast. It is often preferred by Western tourists.

If you want spacious, cool accommodations, you should go to Malany hotel, about 5 minutes walk from Malany Villas, with the price of 120,000 kip/ night ($15) for a double room with air conditioning, hot water, including breakfast.

3pm: Check into your hotel, arrange luggage and rest.

4:30pm- 5:30pm: Dinner in Mai Pai restaurant (on Savang road, Vang Vieng town). In the restaurants along Savang, Mai Pai is the places having beautiful décor, cleanliness, good food at cheap prices. The restaurant serves cuisine of Laos and Thailand.

For types of food characteristics of Laos, you can enjoy a savory meal with rice as “lab kai” (spicy chicken mixed with lettuce), “lab moo” (spicy pork mixed with lettuce) or “lab phamug + gung “(shrimp, squid mixed with lettuce) whose prices range 20,000- 25,000 Kip ($2-$3). Depending on your interests, you can order fried noodles or fried rice which are quite delicious with prices of 15,000- 20,000 Kip ($2 – $3).

Lao food in Vang Vieng is quite various and tasty

5:45pm – 6pm: Enjoy the sun gradually setting over Nam Song river.

Apart from the gorgeous sunset, Nam Song River also attracts visitors with services such as tubing game- lying on the float and drifting downstream to watch charming scenery, or kayak – rowing pontoon boat, bungee jumping from height.

The gorgeous sunset over Nam Song river

6:30pm – 8pm: Walking around the town of Vang Vieng.

From the town center, you walk 5 minutes towards the Nam Song River where has many bustling nightlife restaurants and bars. Crossing the suspension bridge, you will come to a separate zone of many getaway bungalow on stilts, with countless flowers and green lawn below, and rolling rock mountains shaped like Ha Long Bay.

There are many restaurants, bars, shops selling souvenirs, earrings, scarves… along the riversides. When buying gifts, you should bargain for a half price.

9pm: After a day’s tired legs walking, you should enter a massage spa to have your food massaged for 30,000 kip ($3.5) for a 30 minute performance.

10pm: Back to the hotel to rest and recharge the energy for the journey in the next day.