Laos forum

Place between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang

Lars

longtail driver
Posts: 6

Does anybody know of a good place to stay between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang? Me and my 10 year old daughter will take the bus between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang but wish to stay overnight in between.

#1 Posted: 11/10/2007 - 20:54
exacto

mahout
Posts: 1797
Located in:
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hi lars,

i made the bus trip between vang vieng and luang prabang just over a year ago, and i don't remember seeing any place that i thought was a good place to stay overnight. the trip itself is one of the most scenic i've even made, but i don't think it is a trip that people break up with an overnight stay.

i think you will be much better off going all the way to luang prabang. if you are looking to get somewhere out of the way and off the beaten path, there are a few places beyond luang prabang that will be much better options for you.

the only way i would even consider an overnight between vv and lp is if i were taking a private car. that way you could stop in any of the small villages along the way and look things over in person, having the option to just keep on going if you don't find something you like.

does anyone else who has made this trip have a different opinion? cheers.

#2 Posted: 12/10/2007 - 10:44
goo_stewart

tout
Posts: 69

There is a place to stop about half-way, but I seriously don't recommend it with a 10 year old. The place is called Phu Khun and has 2 guest houses. Its a small town in the mountains, quite beautiful, but not really worth a days stop. The accommodation is very basic. At the main intersection the guest houses are 100 meters apart. Signage in English. But, once again, these are basic places, no bathrooms in rooms, no showers (bucket on head time) and one guest house has bed bugs (lower down the street from the intersection). They are cheap, but not recommended, unless you are a weary cyclist!

I will update the section of my site soon to include details on the accommodation in Phu Khun. www.silkwheels.com

#3 Posted: 12/10/2007 - 10:54

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Cycling in Southeast Asia information and forum
Lars

longtail driver
Posts: 6

Thanks a lot to both of you for your replies. The only reason why we wanted to break the trip in to two was that the road between VV and LP should be pretty winding. With your experience do you think it is too winding and tough for a 10 year old (even though that is different from person to person)? Thanks.

#4 Posted: 16/10/2007 - 22:55
goo_stewart

tout
Posts: 69

Yeah thats a tough question to answer. On my bike the road is tough to do, on a bus/van/car I don't know. 10 year olds are a weird breed in general, but it should be ok. The break in the journey at Phu Khun really might bore a child too much. There is nothing to do there (other than wandering around the town).

The road is in good shape and isn't subject to some of the winding turns found in the Himalayas and other mountains ranges, its more gentle than that, just difficult on a bike!

#5 Posted: 17/10/2007 - 09:18

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Cycling in Southeast Asia information and forum
princessdis-
aster

flashpacker
Posts: 36

I did the trip between Lp and VV last April and I didn't find it that long or horrific and would have been able to do it as a 10 year old no problems, although as my Kiwi boyfrined pointed out to me as an Aussie i have a warped sence of what is a long road trip.

It's all paved road and the bus took the turns reasonably slowly, I had a far worse trips in Cambodia on a reasonably straight road. If you were going from 4000 Islands in Laos to PP in Cambodia I would recomend stopping part way - absolute nightmare.

#6 Posted: 17/10/2007 - 10:11