I've been to Vang Vieng twice, I think I can share my impressions.
The city itself doesn't make any "Wow" impression. A typical small Asian town with one main street and dozens of shops with all sorts of small things. At first, you might not even like it, but wait, this is a deceptive impression and you will understand this a little later.
Let's go back to the city. There is one 7/11 store here, which is always half empty due to the lack of products (I think the goods are delivered on Fridays and this is a good day to stock up). As soon as new goods are delivered, they are immediately sold out. Across the street there is a store "Sabaidee" - in my opinion, this is the best and cheapest store in the city. On the same street there is an Irish bar and a Sakura bar. The first one is mostly frequented by Europeans, the second one by Chinese. At 12 o'clock Sakura closes and the main part of tourists goes closer to the river to continue the fun in Full Mood Bar or Jay Dee, they are located nearby. There are also two establishments on the main street that I call "The Chronicles of Narnia". From the outside it looks like an empty cafe with no visitors, but there is a small door, passing through which you get to a purely Asian party with a bunch of dancing Chinese, balloons and electronic music. By the way, cool establishments.
Google Map - 7/11
Google Map - Sakura bar
Google Map - Gary's Irish Bar
Google Map - Jaidee's Bar
Google Map - Full Moon
Narnia:
Google Map - Viva Pub
Google Map - Room 101
The main thing in this city is nature. And that's why I liked it so much. Here you can go rafting on the river, fly in a hot air balloon or paraglider, rent a buggy. But in my opinion, the best thing is to rent a bike for 12 hours (that's about 120,000 kip) and ride along the blue lagoons. Entrance everywhere costs only 20,000 kip or 1 dollar at the time of writing. These are well-maintained, clean places, with lakes, tents for sitting, bungee jumping and other entertainment. You can come here for the whole day. There is a cafe inside, you can have lunch. It is best to go in the morning - fewer tourists and the sun does not hide behind the mountains. In one day it is quite possible to ride 2-3 blue lagoons, they are all close. I liked the second, third and ninth the most.
Google Map - Blue Lagoon 2
Google Map - Blue Lagoon 3
Google Map - Blue Lagoon 9
There are also several viewpoints - mountain peaks that you can climb and look at the surroundings, saving money on a hot air balloon) They also cost 1 dollar, the way up is quite simple - it takes 40 - 60 minutes. Be careful - they stop letting tourists in at 17:00, i.e. you need to arrive early. But if you arrive just before closing, you will go down in the dark. This is not cool. It is also better to go in the morning. Also do not forget to wear sneakers.
Google Map - Nam Xay Viewpoint
Google Map - Pha Ngern Silver Cliff View Point
A 15-minute walk down the river from the city there is a cave. Guess how much it costs?)) Also 20 thousand kip. To get to the cave you need to climb a long staircase. There are two balconies with a good view of Vang Vieng. Below there is a river with a small cave where you can swim. When I was in the city, elephants (not wild) lived next to the cave. If you go a little further down, you can meet buffaloes on the shore. The cave and the city are on different banks of the river. The first time I crossed the river, I could take a ferry. The second time, they built a temporary bridge.
On the other side, relative to the lagoons, there is a mountain waterfall. In January 2025 it was closed, but we went in the evening, there was no security and we were able to pass unhindered. It is the dry season, there is not much water, but the places there are beautiful. And the road to the waterfall at sunset is beautiful.
Google Map - Kaeng Nyui Waterfall
In the very center of the city there is a bridge, or rather two - one after the other. Both are in very bad condition and Google maps always lead through it. A hundred meters from them there is a good pedestrian bridge, which is pleasant to walk on. And about 400 meters away there is a large concrete bridge for driving on a bike - it is under construction, but open for driving (they are not on the map).
Google Map - Footbridge
Google Map - Concrete bridge for bike passage
This is Vang Vieng - you can hang out in bars in the evenings, and rent a bike during the day and ride around the area. There is a chill and relaxed atmosphere here. My favorite city in Laos.
Inexpensive and tasty cafe with local cuisine:
Google Map - Kaogee Cafe
I found a volunteer project here that allowed me to save a lot of money and gain new experience, detailed article here.
There is a good toll road from Vang Vieng to Vientiane. A bus ticket costs about $1.50. From Vieng, you can fly to Bangkok or go there by train. The city has a train station and two bus stations. Buses in different directions leave from different stations.
If you want to go to Luang Prabang, it is better to use the high-speed Chinese train. I recommend the train, because the road to Luang Prabang is terrible. 1 hour by train or 6 hours off-road. You can buy train tickets yourself online in the LCR Ticket app. Be careful - there is a baggage check at the entrance to the train station. If you have a travel knife, spray or deodorant - they will take them and will not be returned.
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Vang Vieng is a cool city that is definitely worth visiting. Happy travels, friends!
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Andrei Zviagintsev
I have been creating and promoting websites for 10 years. I have been taking photos for 6 years. I teach, consult, make a blog and travel