Wat & monks, Vang Vieng

Taken on: 2nd January, 2008. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See 0o_o0's page of Flickr

Read more about Vang Vieng

Situated halfway down the long Vientiane to Luang Prabang highway, Vang Vieng has become (for better or worse) the pit stop of Laos. Surrounded by splendid karst scenery and overflowing with activities such as caving and tubing down the river, many weary travellers extend their stay here far longer than originally planned.

For many, Vang Vieng is a highlight of their trip to Laos. If your idea of an ideal night involves scoffing happy pizza and quaffing buckets of lao-lao and coke to a background of infinite Friends episodes, then you're going to absolutely love this place. Vang Vieng has become where backpackers shamelessly indulge in Western food, alcohol, drugs and, yes, American sitcoms.

The transformation of this once sleepy town into a backpacker circus is hard to overlook, and others see Vang Vieng as an example of tourism at its worst. While you'll probably still enjoy ... Read our complete Vang Vieng travel guide

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