VANG VIENG

Nick and I stayed in Vang Vieng for a good four or five days in a little bungalow on the bank of the Song River. Vang Vieng is a hugely popular destination on the backpackers road through southeast Asia - it's biggest draw being the debauchery that goes on along the Song River during the day. Just north of town is a stretch of the river lined with bars, some sit up on the river bank while others are built out on decks over the water. Rope swings, zip lines, and water slides are a part of every stop, along with mud pits, mud volleyball, and a lot of loud music. People rent tubes and float from bar to bar, partying, dancing, and swimming along until they wind up back in town at the end of the day all drunk and muddy. It's the ultimate backpackers water park. It's pretty crazy... and actually really obnoxious compared to the charming and quiet countryside that surrounds it. Nick and I checked it out, you kind of have to if you visit Vang Vieng, but one day was enough for us. The rest of the time we spent exploring the surrounding countryside, it was beautiful. The picture in the upper left is looking across the river towards our bungalow, you can barely see it hiding in the cluster of trees along the river. The picture on the right was taken in a village outside of Vang Vieng, sometimes the surrounding mountains didn't even look real...