Imagine a place where reruns of Friends and Family Guy play 24/7. Where throngs of backpackers stoned on “happy food” and Laos whiskey float on tubes from bar to bar on the Nam Song river’s chilly current. Where limestone cliffs and bearded karsts spill from burnt soil. Imagine Vang Vieng, a sleepy town in central Laos and a backpacker refuge from sobriety.

Despite the city’s thumping revelry, quietude surrounds.  Wake up early or trek a bit off the beaten path for the beauty of central Laos and this dusty city.

Sunset along Vang Vieng's Nam Song River
Early morning in the outskirts of Vang Vieng
Morning along Vang Vieng's Nam Song River
An evening sunset on Vang Vieng's Nam Song River
The main drag in Vang Vieng
The path to the party island
Early morning on Sunset Island, the town's after-hours party island
A former CIA airstrip south of Vang Vieng used during the America's "Secret War" against Laos, which received the heaviest bombing campaign in American history. UXOs, or unexploded ordinance, remain a huge problem in the Laos
An elderly woman walking along the road to Tham Phu Kham cave
Tham Phu Kham cave, 7km away from Vang Vieng

One Response to “Laos Part 2: Vang Vieng”

  1. ricki rubin

    loved your pictures. cant wait to hear from you again

    Reply

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