Will you be tubing in Vang Vieng? – Travel guide Vang Vieng, Laos

I had heard something of the infamous tubing in Vang Vieng, the wildest stories circulated back in 2012. It was still done a lot but the numerous bars along the Nam Song River had declined tremendously. It was a reason for me to explore Vang Vieng, though. I found much more beauty there than I expected!

What about you? Are you tubing in Vang Vieng?

Where is Vang Vieng?

Vang Vieng is a town about 160km north of the capital Vientane. The place has about 25,000 inhabitants and lies on the Nam Song river. Until it was discovered by tourists, it was a village where time stood still. Now there is a hippy atmosphere and a relaxed atmosphere in the centre of the village.

Most restaurants in Vang Vieng are like these, just lie down and eat 🙂

Did you know that in 2012, I also saw mushrooms and weed on the menu cards at some of these restaurants? They had then incorporated this into a dish…

Tubing in Vang Vieng and Safety

I had, of course, heard all the stories about accidents and even drownings in the years before due to alcohol (mis)use but also drugs. The bars along the way along the river would be gone. Having fun is of course important but safety should always come first. Among young backpackers, however, there are many who do not immediately think about this themselves.

At the travel agency where I booked my trip, I was recommended another trip. A bit of tubing in Vang Vieng… as well as the vast majority of kayaking on the Nam Song River. And the bit of tubing was then also into the Nam Tham cave, this seemed like a super fun trip and so I booked it.

And yes, that’s Asia. Having a flat tire and changing buses 😉

So I booked the new, safer and also more active trip in Vang Vieng! I can tell you that I had a wonderful day. The weather was lovely and the group was fun. Two Dutch girls, a girl from the US and a guy from Israel.

Are you tubing in Vang Vieng – Laos

Tham Xang Cave

First we went to a cave, it was called the elephant cave. They all name caves after something they see in it 🙂 When you look at the picture you see an elephant standing on the rock!

You see the elephant standing up there

Reclining Buddha in the back of the cave

After this, we went for a walk through the amazing landscape and past some villages. We were on our way to where we would go tubing in the cave. As you can see, you are in the middle of rural life in Laos, lovely to see!

 How do you like this house in the local village near Vang Vieng?

 I loved walking the landscape with the great mountains in the background!

Short hike and through the Laotian landscape near Vang Vieng

The surroundings of Vang Vieng are amazing. The high mountains and rice fields are really beautiful to see. We also got a good look at how the locals live here through this hike.

Not much later, we arrived at the place where we were going to enter the cave. We were then going to do this with a tube, a round inflated ring you can sit in or hang over. We were given a lamp to put on our heads so we would at least see something. From the ceiling of the cave hung a rope we could pull ourselves on. We would be in the cave for about 45 minutes. Some parts were very shallow, so we walked some parts with our tube dragging behind us 🙂 In the beginning, it was still a bit chilly but because you are busy with your tube, it is quite manageable.

Tubing in Vang Vieng, not on the Nam Song River but in a Cave!

Tham Nam Cave

I thought it was really super fun! I didn’t take my camera into the cave and so I don’t have any photos. I didn’t have a waterproof bag for it. But you can probably imagine it. That you go into one of those caves and it gets darker and darker…. Just the lights of all the fellow tourists illuminating the cave. Super fun experience!

In the background you see the cave with the cord hanging

How lovely! Can you see yourself sitting on the shore, enjoying the view and the sunshine? It was a lovely start to the afternoon, we had a nice BBQ lunch and enjoyed our view.

After we walked back to the car, through that local village again.

Will you go kayaking or tubing in Vang Vieng? Laos

Just get in the back of an open car and drive to the location to go kayaking

Kayakking down the Nam Song River

We went 18 km by kayak down the river to the town of Vang Vieng back. I really didn’t feel afterwards that it was that far hear…. It did take us some time and I loved it!

After travelling for a while and not being able to be very active (22 hours on the bus from Vietnam to Laos), it was really nice to use the muscles again for a while!

Halfway through, we went ashore for a drink.

I saw there that alcohol was being sold and they thought it was strange that I just wanted some soda. There were some other tourists, they were with a tube though. When we moved on again, there were quite a few tubers who thought it was too slow and asked if they could hold on to our kayak. Seeing and hearing that, I was totally glad I had opted for the kayak version of this trip!

You can only float and paddle a bit with your hands on a tube, so you definitely won’t go fast. You slowly float down the Nam Song river to Vang Vieng….

I saw these on our stop along the Nam Song River. Aren’t they beautiful?

On the way to Vang Vieng, I still did see people with a beer in their hand in the tube, bobbing down the river. Of course, it can’t be completely banned but I was glad I didn’t see so super many bars along the way.

Would you also like to book this combination trip of tubing and kayaking? Look for your possibilities

What you also should do next to the tubing in Vang Vieng

I just had the best day!

I always love exploring the area by bike, you have the 26km route called West Vang Vieng Loop. That would also have been a super fun option and is definitely something that makes me want to go back to Vang Vieng again.

Explore karst mountains around Vang Vieng

If you then head out into the surrounding area on a bike, you can go to the Pha Ngern observation platform. So as to add a nice climb to your afternoon and, of course, a great view of the town of Vang Vieng.

Climbing to Nam Xay Viewpoint

If you go here to admire the beautiful view of the karst cliffs, you will end up at the motorbike. You probably know it, the one with that flag of Laos. You see those pictures popping up everywhere lately and has become 1 of the popular spots of Vang Vieng area.

Tham Phu Kam Cave / Blue Lagoon

The Tham Phu Kam Cave is a holy cave for the Lao people. If you visit this cave you can go to the Blue Lagoon afterwards to cool down and enjoy the rest of your afternoon.

Tham Yan Cave

One of the many caves surrounding Vang Vieng. This one was used in the war with China as a bunker. It is a big one and so good to walk around for a while. Because the cave is a bit higher you also get a great view on the surrouding landscape of Vang Vieng.

Ballooning at Vang Vieng

You still haven’t seen enough of the area surrounding Vang Vieng you need to go for a balloon flight. Every day there are multiple balloons flying over the village and its surroundings. I have taken on in Cappadocia once and it is a great experience to do!

Book your ballooning trip already

Climb a rock

Are you active in poses and do you like a fun climb? There are plenty of opportunities to go rock climbing for real! I would definitely have done it if I had been there a few years later.

Or go ziplining in the green surroundings of Vang Vieng. If that had been there when I was there I would definitely have booked this! I do love a bit of adventure!

Where to stay in Vang Vieng?

Looking for some peace and nature? Then stay at the lovely D & D guesthouse just outside Vang Vieng.

Or do you want to stay in the bustling centre of Vang Vieng? The Sisavang Mountain View hotel has a nice swimming pool and can help you book all your fun excursions in Vang Vieng.

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