This photo journal, part 2 of the 3 part Van Vieng series, features the range of accommodations & bars in this backpacker town. I was also able to find one nice temple ;o)

Vang Vieng has become (for better or worse) the backpacker's pit stop in Laos. Indeed, for many young people, Vang Vieng is the highlight of their trip to Laos. The town’s predominant ambiance is one of lethargy by day, & debauchery by night. You will see young tourists sprawled out in pillow-filled TV cafes watching re-runs of Friends episodes until the sun goes down, and then they party hearty until the early hours. So, if your idea of an ideal night involves scoffing ‘happy’ pizza & quaffing “lao lao” (rice whiskey), all to the background of never-ending Friends episodes or Bob Marley music, then you're going to absolutely love this place.

For many others, however, this is a circus-like example of tourism at its worst. The town is riddled with such an array of guesthouses, restaurants & shops that it's hard to know what to do on arrival. Just about every shopfront on the main streets of this small but rapidly developing town caters exclusively to the tourist dollar. If you're looking for some Lao culture, Vang Vieng isn't the place to find it. While the rest of you will probably still enjoy your stay -- after all the scenery is magnificent – you'll probably find yourself pushing on to other, more interesting spots in Laos a little sooner then you may have thought.

The reason this tourist mecca has sprung up is the gorgeous Nam Song (Song River, nam = river) & the magnificent karst limestone mountains lining it. The imposing structures rise up out of the land and run for kilometers, abutting pancake flat rice fields & the river. Stunning at any hour, the mountains are especially beautiful with the golden pink glow of sunset behind them - the perfect time to sit and have a drink on your riverside hotels’ balcony, as I did, or in one of the riverside restaurants.

For action & adventure, activities abound. There are limestone caves, tunnels & caverns to explore, subterranean swimming, rock climbing & spelunking. There's also trekking & bicycle & motorbike trips, especially to hilltribe villages in the area, as well as hikes to waterfalls. There are numerous agencies in town who organize these visits either on foot, by bicycle, or motorcycle, & agencies that provide equipment rental & transportation for the water sport activities.

The popyular water sport activities here include kayaking , tubing, rafting, & longboat cruising. Tubing is especially popular with the younger set who rent large tractor inner tubes & float down the Nam Song, enjoying the beauty of the countryside, & stopping for beers along the way. (Tip - kayaking covers the same part of the river as tubing, as well as further upriver, so it can be a quicker way of traveling to the bars.) There are also several good spots for jumping into the river from the bank, or from special bridges, or via rope swing & cable arrangements which criss-cross the upper reaches of the river where there are deep pools. This pastime is so popular that it has become one of the rites of passage of the Indochina backpacking circuit.

So what’s to dislike, you might ask? The most common complaint is that in earning its stripes as a fully paid-up member of the backpacker world, Vang Vieng has lost its soul. The growth of Vang Vieng has taken its toll. The profile of the town has changed & the reason travelers first came here – to experience small-town Laos in a stunning setting, has been replaced by multistory guesthouses & a glut of ‘adventure’ agencies. Even the local market has moved to a big, soulless slab of concrete north of town.

To end on a positive note - there are good reasons to spend at least a day here. The karst scenery is magnificent, especially at sunset. Book a room in one of the better riverfront hotels & watch the unforgettable scene from your balcony.