Several tour companies located along the main street in Vang Vieng offer kayaking trips bundled with cave explorations and stops at small villages just north of town. Each tour operator displays a small billboard in front of their shop; these 'signs' are always covered with items such as photos from previous trips and pleased customer comments. Single day trips range in price from $15 to $25 dollars US. Its always a good idea to shop around … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Motorcycles
Several small businesses located in Vang Vieng rent motorbikes. Renting motorcycles is a great way to see the surrounding countryside and small towns near Vang Vieng. Motorcycle rental should be around 6 to 8 US dollars per day. You are responsible for getting gas. Sometimes the gas stations in town (and there are about 3 or 4 stations) run out of gas. I experienced this - fortunately the company I rented from had another family member … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Lodging
There are many guesthouses setup for travelers in Vang Vieng - most reasonably priced. Air conditioning is certainly available in some of the guest homes. The guest homes that we visited are comfortable, safe and clean. Diamond Gold Hotel, formerly Bungalow Thavonsouk is located really close to the Bamboo Footbridge overlooking the Nam Song River. They offer bamboo thatched lodges - essentially small bungalows overlooking the river. There is … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Food
There are many many restaurants in this town - most catering to the backpackers. One restaurant I found serves only authentic Lao food and is not known by the tourists at all. I had about 6 meals here and never once saw another tourist. Not having been able to determine the name of this restaurant a location description will have to do. From the Bus station located along the gravel airstrip walk west toward the town of Vang Vieng. Almost … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – Transportation
For a country among the 10 poorest in the world transportation on the whole is fairly easy to use. Public buses run several times from the capital city of Vientiane to Vang Vieng along the paved Route 13. The public buses are usually quite crowded and without fans and AC. They are however, among the cheapest ways to reach Vang Vieng from Vientiane. Once the seats fill up small plastic stools are offered and are placed down the aisle in order … [Read more...]
Vang Vieng, Laos – More Information
The following is general information to be aware of when traveling in Vang Vieng. These are arranged in no particular order - they are just some insights Dave wants to pass on from his experience traveling in Vang Vieng. MoneyThe Lao "Kip" is the unit of currency for Laos. The kip fluctuates tremendously from week to week. The largest bill in circulation was a 10,000 kip note which is valued at slightly more then 1 USD. As a souvenir to give … [Read more...]
Bangkok, Thailand – More Information
Personal References We would like to thank the following four individuals for their insights and knowledge about Bangkok and Thailand in general: Nadia K. Nongnart P. Pattira Thitimajshima SoMa There are many resources available on the Internet about travel in Bangkok & Thailand in general. Here are just a few recommended ones. Thailand is our most visited country outside of the USA so when the latest version of a new Thailand … [Read more...]