Travelling through Luang Prabang & Vang Vieng
For most travelers coming to Laos, Vientiane is your entry point. It’s the nation’s capital and a couple of days there, spent getting your bearings, is the normal routine. The backpacker’s area, along the riverfront, is a great location for budget accommodation, a good meal, an excellent coffee, and a chance to pick up info from other like-minded travelers.
Getting there: The primary form of transport around Laos is on local buses. Bus fares can normally be booked at any guesthouse or hotel the day prior to departure. If you’re not on a strict budget then Lao Airlines has flights to Vientiane from provincial hubs such as Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Pakse.
International Arrivals: If you’re coming from international departure points such as Bangkok, Hanoi, or Ho Chi Minh City, regional airlines (AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, VietJet) provide regular, low-priced flights into Vientiane.
Accommodation in Vientiane
Budget Accommodation: The LUCKY BACKPACKERS HOSTEL is a BUDGET priced accommodation choice, located on RUE MANTHATHOURATH. Air-conditioned rooms dorm rooms are 7 USD per night. Air-conditioned twin rooms are 12 USD per night.
Click here for booking inquiries at the Lucky Backpackers Hostel
Mid-range accommodation: In this regard the new VKS HOTEL, on Rue Manthathourath (next to the Lucky Backpackers Hostel), is an excellent MID-RANGE choice if you’re looking for something a bit more comfortable than a one-star hostel. Rates are 20–26 USD per night for an a/c room.
Click here for booking inquiries at the VKS Hotel
Onward travel: If you’re heading north from Vientiane (Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang) and would like to travel on the new high-speed rail link, you can book your train tickets at a great little travel agency directly across the road from the Lucky Backpackers Hostel. The travel agency has an attached coffee shop called the AUGUST CAFÉ, directly in front. Note: Train tickets can only be booked a maximum of 48 hours in advance of the travel date.
Sightseeing in Vientiane
The Riverfront: The main tourist area is still the two-kilometer strip along the riverfront. There’s a mix of rustic guesthouses, three- and four-star hotels, French restaurants, bakeries, and cafés crammed into the small streets running back from the riverfront.
In recent years the riverfront area has undergone a significant upgrade with the development of a restaurant and bar area along the edge of the river. In years past this area was just a large, empty sandbank which, in the dry season, protruded 500 meters across the Mekong.
Breakfast: The best western breakfasts, croissants, and coffee are at LA TERASSE, on RUE NOKEOKHOUMANNE.
Evening Markets: Daytime temperatures are quite high (around 35 C) so the streets are fairly quiet as people look for a shady spot or an air-conditioned café to get away from the heat. Once the sun dips towards the horizon in the late afternoon, things come alive along the riverfront. Markets spring up in a large carpark area between the two riverfront roads, and plenty of locals can be seen walking and exercising along the concourse.
Mekong sunset: For most people staying around the riverfront area, the highlight of the day is normally sitting along the concourse and watching the sun set over the Mekong. In the dry season this can be a visually impressive sight as the sky alights with an orange glow, often reflected off the river after the sun dips below the horizon. Travelers can be seen enjoying a Beer Lao in the warm evening ambience as the sky fades to darkness.
The Patuxai in Vientiane
This is probably the primary sightseeing attraction in Vientiane. It was built as a monument to mark the nation’s independence from their past French colonial rulers and has striking similarities to the Arc de Triomphe, albeit smaller in size.
For directions to the Patuxai, click here
History: Started in 1962, its construction is an interesting tale. Also known as the vertical runway, its completion was delayed a number of years due to a lack of government funds. In the latter half of the 1960s, the US Government provided finance for an airport, which the Lao officials duly redirected towards providing cement for the completion of the Patuxai. Hence the name, the vertical runway. Click the link below for more in-depth info on the Patuxai:
Upper Levels: Within the arch of the Patuxai is a stairway to the viewing levels at the top of the structure. For photography enthusiasts, the best time for getting some good shots of the Patuxai is either 8–9 AM in the morning (a good time as it’s nice and cool and the tour bus hordes generally don’t arrive until around 10 AM) or 6 PM in the afternoon when the heat’s gone out of the day.
Exploring The Buddha Park in Vientiane
This sightseeing attraction is also known as Xieng Khuan. It is a sculpture park located 25 km southeast from Vientiane, and situated nearby the Mekong River. The park contains over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues and is operated by the Lao Government as a tourist attraction.
The park was started in 1958 by Luang Pu (Venerable Grandfather) Bunleua Sulilat, a priest-shaman who integrated Hinduism and Buddhism. The statues are made of reinforced concrete, are ornate, and sometimes bizarre in design. The statues appear to be centuries old, though they are not.
There are sculptures of humans, gods, animals, and demons. There are numerous sculptures of Buddha, characters of Buddhist beliefs, and characters of Hindu lore, including Shiva, Vishnu, and Arjuna.
Vientiane to Vang Vieng
As of January 2022, the new high-speed rail link has opened to quickly transport you north to Vang Vieng. The trip takes just over an hour and is a breath of fresh air compared to the old days of a nasty four-hour trip over a potholed road. A one-way ticket is USD 9–15 per person.
Note: The ticket must be booked 48 hours in advance of the planned departure time. You may be able to book through your guesthouse or an agent, but it seems the government prefers people to go out to the train station to book their tickets. This is a bit of a hassle because the new train station is 16 km from the riverfront area.
Click here for directions from the riverfront area to the train station
Minivan Option: Alternatively, you can go in a minivan for 150,000 LAK. This is actually a much more convenient option for getting to Vang Vieng. You can book your ticket through the hotel or guesthouse you’re staying at, and the minivan will pick you up at a designated time.
There’s a nice new dual-lane highway all the way through to Vang Vieng, and travel time is not much more than going on the train. If you leave Vientiane at 10 AM, you’ll arrive in Vang Vieng by midday.
Note: The train is the better option if you are heading to Luang Prabang directly from Vientiane. The road from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang is still horrendous.
Vang Vieng Accommodation
Here are our recommendations for where to stay when exploring Viang Vieng
Mid-range Accommodation: VANG VIENG DIAMOND RESORT.
Note: This hotel is on the outskirts of Vang Vieng. To stay here, it’s a good idea to rent a motorbike also. This hotel has an excellent swimming pool for cooling off after a hot day of sightseeing.
Click here for booking inquiries
Budget Accommodation: THE POPULAR VIEW GUESTHOUSE.
Note: This guesthouse, although being centrally located in town, has a problem with noise at night. There is often loud music being played by local people who like to sit street-side and drink till late.
Click here for booking inquiries
Getting Around Vang Vieng
The two primary modes of transport in and around Vang Vieng are by motor scooter or bicycle.
Daily Hire Rates: The hire rates for motor scooters are approximately 100,000 LAK per day. If you’re planning to do some extended touring in the mountainous area across the river from the township, be warned: most of the roads (except the 7 km to Blue Lagoon 1) are potholed dirt tracks. If you are on a bicycle, it will take considerable time to get to Blue Lagoons 2 and 3.
Dry Season: Compounding this in the dry season are the swathes of dust which get kicked up by passing SUVs and lorries. In this regard, if you’re on a motorbike, you can quickly get out of the dust zone. With a bicycle, you cannot and will eventually be coated from head to toe in dust.
If you’re not on a budget, then there is a third option: motorised buggies. These are basically dune buggies with large, knobbly tyres for safely negotiating the bumpy roads. The buggies seem to be popular with the Korean tour groups, and as you’re working your way around the various sightseeing attractions, convoys of them will go powering past you—once again kicking up significant amounts of dust.
Sightseeing Around Vang Vieng
In this regard, you’re either a mainstream tourist or a do-it-yourself traveler. Vang Vieng is well set up for mainstream tourism (particularly for the Asian tour groups) and as such offers activities such as kayaking, tubing, zip-lining, buggy hires, and hot air ballooning. It goes without saying that participation in any of these activities always has a production-line feel about it, and most of the locations tend to be overdeveloped, expensive, and crowded.
Blue Lagoon One: Years ago, when there was no sealed road, Blue Lagoon One was quite an idyllic spot. The seven kilometers of dirt road from Vang Vieng seemed to keep the numbers riding out there to a minimum, especially in the dry season when clouds of choking dust were kicked up by passing lorries. How things change.
With development comes the tourist horde. Instead of just a few travelers or backpackers hanging out around the lagoon, there are now masses of Asian tour groups swimming (with life jackets on), eating, zip-lining, and making a serious amount of noise with it.
Getting off the Beaten Track in Vang Vieng
The following locations, in no particular order, are the less-visited attractions in and around Vang Vieng:
- Pha Ngern View Point
- Nam Xay Viewpoint
- Blue Lagoon 2
- Phoukham Cave
- Phaphoungkham Cave
Exploring the Pha Ngern Viewpoint
Pha Ngern Viewpoint is the highest and arguably the best viewpoint in the area. The turn-off to the parking area is approximately halfway along the road to Blue Lagoon Number One. There’s a checkpoint on the way in, where you pay the obligatory ten thousand Kip entry fee before parking your bike in a secure area at the start of the trail.
A Well-Constructed Trail: The trail has been made safe by local work teams, and in the more difficult sections there are cement steps, handrails, and ladders. The trail zigzags its way up the cliff faces and passes through dense jungle. At regular intervals, there’s makeshift seating where you can catch your breath, drink some water, and appreciate the beauty of the natural surroundings.
Lower Viewpoint: After about 35–40 minutes of steady hiking, you’ll arrive at a fork in the trail. A left turn leads to the lower viewpoint and has an arrow indicating the direction and distance (50 meters).
The Upper Viewpoints: A right turn puts you on the extended trail to the viewpoints at the very top. This section of the trail is the more difficult part of the hike, with increasingly steeper sections as you near the summit. In some of the most difficult stretches, fixed ropes are in place to assist with ascents and descents. In a couple of really steep sections, ladders and/or stairways have been constructed to assist with access over the rugged karst terrain. Once at the very top, the view is quite spectacular.
Visiting the Nam Xay Viewpoint
The Nam Xay Viewpoint is one of the only lookouts in Vang Vieng which offers 360-degree views of the surrounding peaks. The trailhead is located approximately 8 km from Vang Vieng Township and a few kilometers along the road to Blue Lagoon Three. The entry fee is 10,000 Laotian Kip.
Click here for directions from Vang Vieng Township
The Start Point: As mentioned, the trailhead, or start point, is just a few kilometers along the road to Blue Lagoon Three. The ticket office and secure parking area are right next to the road and easy to locate. The ascent to the top starts directly from the parking area. At a steady rate, it will take around 30 minutes to get to the top.
An Arduous Hike: The trail is steep and slippery in a number of places, and care needs to be taken when making the ascent. The owners of the site have cut steps into the steeper sections, and there are bamboo handrails in place, between tree trunks, to hold on to. The arduous climb, once you get to the top, is well worth the effort though. The views at the top are magnificent.
A Motorbike on the Mountain: A bonus is the unusual sight of an old motorbike, sitting at the edge of a precipice. There is a ladder in place to enable nimble sightseers to climb down to the motorbike and get a memorable selfie. When considering the tough hike to the top, one can only wonder at the amount of effort that went into getting the motorbike up there.
Back to a Blue Lagoon
There are a number of blue lagoons located around the Vang Vieng area. Most of them are on the western side of the Nam Xong River. To get to the various sites, you’ll need your own means of transportation (motorbike or bicycle). The blue lagoons are excellent freshwater swimming holes for a cooling dip after a hot day of hiking. Blue Lagoon One is the closest to Vang Vieng Township. Accordingly, it’s the one which most of the tour groups and locals go to. It’s also the smallest of all the lagoons, so it tends to get crowded and noisy very quickly.
Blue Lagoon Two: This is probably the best swimming lagoon in the Vang Vieng area. It’s located approximately 10 km from Vang Vieng Township and sits next to a very scenic mountain range. The road from the turn-off to Blue Lagoon One is rough dirt, so care should be exercised if you’re on a scooter. As with all the other Blue Lagoon sites, the entrance fee is 10,000 LAK.
Click here for directions from Vang Vieng to Blue Lagoon 2
Deep Exploration of the Phou Kham Cave
Phou Kham is probably the most well-known cave in the Vang Vieng area, and ironically it sits directly above Blue Lagoon #1. If you are a person who likes caves, or you’re developing a fascination for exploring caves, then this is a good one to have a look at.
The Cave Entrance: Its location is rather at odds with the tourist circus which has developed around Blue Lagoon #1, but as you ascend the steep pathway to the entrance, you’ll quickly leave that behind. The quiet interior of the cave is only broken by the shrieks of the zip-liners back down the cliff face. The shrieks can still be heard in the first room of the cave (where the reclining Buddha is), but once you move further inside, all becomes quiet.
Inside the Cave: There is a large hole at the front of the cave which provides plenty of ambient light in this first room. From below, it may be mistaken for the cave entrance. However, the actual entrance and trail down to the reclining Buddha is just a few meters beyond the top of the access trail.
Note: A very disappointing sight was the amount of muddy handprints to be seen not only on the rocks but also on the surfaces of the formations. Caves are fragile environments, and even muddy handprints on the surfaces of the formations can have a damaging effect. Please respect the cave environment at all times.
Caving Safety: The best section of the cave is at the very rear, where there are some impressive formations. Ideally, to go to this section (approx. 500 meters from the entrance), you should have a good flashlight (torch), preferably a headlamp, which will leave your hands free for holding on when climbing up and down. You should also have good, solid footwear (hiking boots or trainers) as many of the surfaces are jagged and/or slippery.
Note: GOING TO THE REAR SECTION OF THE CAVE IN FLIP FLOPS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
Moving Through the Cave: When you move from the first big room of the cave, you’ll see some red arrows painted on the rocks. This is the marking for the trail to follow. After clearing the jagged rocks in the first big room, you’ll move into a second room which is completely dark, apart from a small hole in the ceiling. The floor in this second room is relatively flat, but you’ll need lights to follow the trail as the markers are less visible. From here, the trail basically does a circuit down one side of the cave, around the rear, and back along the opposite side.
The Rear Section: As you get closer to the rear of the cave, the internal volume opens up spectacularly to reveal an array of visually impressive concretions along the back wall. The trail goes in behind the formations. However, sure footing is advised, as this area has a good number of mud patches to work around. If you have good lighting, the visual experience is one worth going there for.
Sinkholes & Adventure Caves: The access road to Tham Phaphoungkham Cave is approximately 3 km from the junction to Blue Lagoon #1. The site is well signposted, and the track down to the parking area is approximately 700 meters from the main road. The track is also very bumpy, so drive carefully. The entrance fee is 10,000 LAK.
Note: The viewpoint (as indicated on Google Maps) is in a different location from the caves. You need to continue on the dirt road for another 500 meters (beyond the viewpoint) to reach the caves’ parking area.
Few Visitors: This is a remote site with very few visitors, and the two caves—especially the upper cave—are adventure caves, meaning there is no lighting. If you are visiting, you should come properly prepared: use real flashlights (not handphones), wear good footwear, and carry drinking water.
The Lower Cave: The hike up to the lower cave (on the left) is not so difficult, and you can reach it within a few minutes from the parking area. The cave itself is quite big and has some seriously deep sinkholes within (the one at the entrance area is very deep). For this reason, there’s fencing to keep people away from the edges of the drop-offs. The penetration into the cave is approximately 600 meters and ends at a barricade in front of another massive sinkhole.
The Upper Cave: The upper cave is at the end of a 300-meter hike up the cliff face. Many sections of the trail are steep with loose rocks. The climb up from the junction (where the sign says 300 meters) will take approximately 25 minutes. When you arrive at the cave entrance, it looks hardly remarkable and quite small. At the entrance, you will need to climb up an incline before descending into the cave. The passageways then become narrow and cramped, and there are ladders in place to climb down from one level to the next.
Warning: This is a serious adventure cave, meaning it is wet, slippery, and treacherous. The trail eventually leads to a massive internal room (approximately 100 meters in diameter), which is quite possibly the biggest in the area. The trail runs around the right wall of the cave and has handrails in place for safety. It eventually leads to a point high up in the huge internal room where there are some very impressive formations.
Finally: Have good footwear, have backup lights, and carry bottled water.
Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang
The travel options available for the trip from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang are the bus and the new rail link. At just under two hours of travel time, the rail link is considerably faster and more comfortable than the road trip. Even though the highway has been upgraded, the bus trip will still take just over four hours. The only negative aspect of traveling on the train is that you will need to buy your ticket 48 hours before departure from the station ticket office, which is about 9 km north of Vang Vieng.
Arrival in Luang Prabang: The train station is about 13 km from the Luang Prabang Riverfront. To get there, you’ll need to pay 35,000 LAK (Laotian Kip) for a minivan ride. If you’ve got a hotel or guesthouse pre-booked, the driver will do his best to drop you off at the front door. If you haven’t booked accommodation, you will probably be dropped at a central point in town.
If you travel by bus, you’ll disembark at the southern bus terminal. From there, you’ll need to get a tuk-tuk to whichever guesthouse or hotel you’ve booked.
Budget Accommodation: An excellent choice for inexpensive accommodation along the riverfront is the Apple Guesthouse. They offer nice air-conditioned rooms for 150,000–180,000 LAK per night.
Click here for booking inquiries
Mid-range Accommodation: If you’re looking for a hotel right along the riverfront (with a balcony view of the Mekong River), the Mekong Sunset View Hotel is a well-priced mid-range option at around 300,000–400,000 LAK per night. They have large air-conditioned rooms, and the rate also includes breakfast.
Click here for booking inquiries
Discovering Luang Prabang
If you don’t feel like going on group tours, the best way to check out all the sightseeing attractions around Luang Prabang is by hiring a motorbike (scooter). These can be rented on a daily basis from most hotels or guesthouses. The two listed on the above page can arrange motorbike rentals fairly quickly. As of June 2022, rental rates are 90,000 LAK per day.
Cheap Eats: There are plenty of restaurant choices around Luang Prabang. Along the riverfront, there are some great restaurants that overlook the Mekong River. However, these tend to be a bit more expensive than the ones located away from the riverfront (possibly because you’re paying for the view as well). A great place for inexpensive food is the food court at the southern end of the night market.
Click here for the location of the food court
The northern wall of Phousi Hill has an excellent selection of local goods, including clothing, textiles, artwork, and handicrafts.
Coffee: A great choice for your morning caffeine hit is the Saffron Café, located along the riverfront road. Saffron uses excellent local coffee from the north of Laos, and they also serve a very good Western breakfast.
Click here for the location of the Saffron Café
Sightseeing Attractions: There are a number of excellent sightseeing attractions in and around Luang Prabang. In no particular order, the best are:
- Phousi Hill
- The Night Market
- Haw Pha Bang Buddhist Temple
- Kuang Si Waterfall
- Nam Dong Nature Park
- Tad Sae Waterfall
- Pak Ou Caves
Luang Prabang – Phousi Hill Sunset Hike
A popular attraction is viewing the sunset over Luang Prabang from Phousi Hill. Many sightseers head up there to capture a memorable selfie before heading back down to the night markets for some tasty local food.
If you have the time and energy, an excellent option is to walk around the small headland formed by the conjunction of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers before heading up Phousi Hill.
Two Colours Viewpoint: At the tip of this small headland, there’s a small park and lookout where you can observe the mixing of the two differently coloured bodies of water. In the rainy season, the green of the Nam Khan merges with the muddy brown of the Mekong.
Click here for directions to the viewpoint
The Night Market: From this point, you can walk straight down Sakkaline Road to the night market, which will be up and running by around 6 p.m.
Directly opposite the Haw Pha Bang Buddhist Temple, there’s a stairway that takes you up to the top of Phousi Hill. Unfortunately, going up there isn’t free anymore — you are now required to pay an entry fee of 20,000 LAK (the ticket office is located at the bottom of the stairway).
Note: The viewpoint at the top of the hill tends to get quite crowded on weekends when many local vacationers come up from Vientiane.
The stunning Kuang Si Waterfall
The jungle trail is the more scenic route up to the base of the main falls. Along the way, you’ll pass a number of small falls that resemble steps with green-tinged pools. When you arrive at the base of the main falls, there’s a bridge across the front, allowing you to take pictures from an elevated position.
Note: If you visit on a weekend and after midday, this location can get very crowded, and you may need to wait your turn for a selfie. To avoid the crowds, the best time to go is in the morning. The ticket office opens at 8:30 a.m.
Going to the Top: For those feeling energetic, there’s a jungle track up to the very top of the falls. It starts at the base of the main falls on the left and zig-zags up the cliff face. The trail is mostly a dirt path with rough-hewn steps. During the rainy season, it can be quite slippery, so it’s advisable to use the bamboo handrails for a safer climb.
At the Top: The landscape levels out, with the trail combining dirt paths and boarded walkways across the wide pools of water that feed the falls. A thick forest provides full shade, allowing you to cool off after the demanding hike.
Peace and Quiet: Generally, very few people go up to the top, so it’s a world of peace and quiet compared with the base of the falls. There’s even a small pool there for a refreshing swim. Continuing on, the trail descends down the right-hand side of the falls. Again, the path can be steep and slippery, so use the handholds and descend with caution.
For those seeking a more off-the-beaten-track location, Tad Sae is a less developed and less visited waterfall site. While not quite as impressive as Kuang Si, Tad Sae (in the rainy season) offers a picturesque landscape of small waterfalls and plunge pools. It’s also less crowded than Kuang Si, has a better ambiance, and is a great spot for a refreshing swim.
Getting There: Tad Sae is located approximately 17 km from Luang Prabang, which takes around thirty minutes of travel time. Note: If you go by motorbike, there is about 2 km of rough dirt road to navigate from the turn-off on Highway 13 to the secure parking area. Click the following link for directions from Luang Prabang:
Fees: Visiting Tad Sae involves a short boat ride along the Nam Khan River. The fees are as follows:
Parking: 5,000 LAK
Boat ride: 30,000 LAK
In Summary
Luang Prabang is a treasure trove of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and unforgettable experiences. From exploring scenic waterfalls and tranquil river views to hiking up Phousi Hill for a breathtaking sunset, there’s something for every type of traveler. Whether you’re seeking adventure, relaxation, or simply a taste of local life, this charming city offers it all. Pack your sense of curiosity, bring your camera, and get ready to create memories that will last a lifetime in this enchanting corner of Laos.
