Our journey to Vang Vieng from Luang Prabang began with some trepidation. We had heard many horror stories about the winding mountainous road. These concerns were not helped when the bus driver handed out travel sickness bags as we boarded.

The road (Route 13) winds dramatically through steep mountains. Every turn revealed jaw-dropping scenery, but it was slow, steep, and extremely windy. We passed several landslides and villages perched precariously on the cliffs. The seven-hour journey was exhausting but undeniably beautiful.

Upon arrival in Vang Vieng, we were rather underwhelmed. Despite being surrounded by spectacular limestone karsts and rice paddies, the town itself felt disappointing. After a quick walk down the main street, we were so unimpressed that we immediately booked bus tickets for the next morning to Vientiane.

At the time of our first visit, Vang Vieng had a notorious reputation as a backpacker party town. It was famous for wild tubing on the Nam Song River, “Happy Meals” (food laced with drugs), and dangerous activities like jumping from towers while intoxicated. Several tourists had died or been seriously injured, with the nearest proper medical help being many hours away in Thailand.

We stayed in a guesthouse recommended by a popular guidebook. It turned out to be quite basic — cold water only, rock-hard beds, and giant mosquitoes. Definitely not our favourite stay in Laos.

UPDATE (2014): On our return visit years later, we found a completely different town. The Lao government had cracked down heavily on the illegal bars and party scene. The wild chaos had disappeared, replaced by a much more relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. The natural beauty could finally shine through. It was a stark and welcome improvement.