VANG VIENG TUBING

View over Vang Vieng from my favourite breakfast restaurant.

Vang Vieng is still open for tubing but not in the manner that made it famous. lt was once a mandatory stop-over for drug & alcohol saturated parties for backpackers on the SE Asia trek. And it happened every day, unlike similar destinations that only over-dose on the full moon. Every day, hundreds & hundreds of people on the Nam Song river, floating from one bar to the next, bingeing on Beer Laos & lao lao whiskey, eating 'happy' pizzas & drinking 'happy' shakes, openly smoking weed & easily acquiring opium. But the parties ended up poisoning itself with its excesses & the bars had to be shut down. About thirty people a year were being killed from diving into rocks, drowning or over-dosing.

Now the tubing along the river still happens but without the drugs & alcohol. And it is actually a most beautiful & peaceful journey down the several kilometres of river past the magnificent mountain kaasts. Kayaking down the river is also popular. The scenery is quite over whelming.

The take-off point is near the Organic Mulberry Farm & the farm is sometimes over-looked unfortunately, by travellers just keen to get into the water. But they are denying themselves a special experience in dining. The restaurant there serves up the most delicious organic food & 'to die for' mulberry shakes. Even just a Beer Laos & some deep fried mulberry leaves is such a treat with that stunning view.

There is accommodation there as well & a great opportunity to see the farm at work & learn so much. The farm also supports the Phoudindaeng Community Centre where the children from the local village go to learn English. The community is made up of 3 ethnic groups, Hmong, Kamu & Laos and it is a wonderful & inspiring place to visit. Anyone willing to contribute any spare time, even an hour, will be well rewarded by the experience. The children are very enthusiastic & very friendly. And if anyone can play an instrument or has a special skill to share, it is greatly appreciated. I remember a young South American guy teaching the children to salsa. lt was so much fun!

There is much to do in Vang Vieng & the mountain kaasts provide a spectacular back-drop to the town. They also provide excellent climbing & caving. And it's also great to hire a bike & ride to the blue lagoon, stopping along the way & eating delicious local fruit with the local Laos families. There are still plenty of bars & parties in town but it is nice now that Vang Vieng is being appreciated more for its natural beauty. Go see! Go tubing!

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