Vang Vieng: a stunning place with more than just tubing

We had our doubts about Vang Vieng. It's known as a party town where backpackers come to get wasted and float down the river. Several years ago, the Lao government started cracking down on the bars who were selling drugs and too much alcohol. All but three bars remain and the town doesn't get quite as many visitors as it used to a decade ago. It's still a must-do for those traveling around laos and so I went down there with my friend Charlotte and we met up with some slow-boat friends. 

When we first got there, we kept saying that the town had a strange vibe about it. The street was lined with restaurants and bars playing Friends and Family guy sitcoms and we could hear a Brittany  Spears song playing faintly in the background. We didn't know what to think of vang vieng..until the next day when we rented bikes and explored the surrounding areas outside of town. It's an absolutely beautiful part of Laos. We rode through villages and rice paddies with views of green limestone cliffs until making it to the blue lagoon where we spent a few hours swimming. 

We had an absolute blast here and it was the perfect way to cool off after biking in the heat.  After a while, we made the decision that we were ready to go and give the tubing a try. So we headed into town, rented some tubes and were dropped off on the Mekong river. We stopped off at all three bars and since it was the 4th of July, we all toasted to America. I spent all day looking for other Americans but they were few an far between. I didn't mind though and feel like I represented amurica well:

That's mud. 

Even though we had our doubts about tubing, it ended up being a total blast and the perfect way to celebrate the 4th of July. 

The next day, we signed up for a climbing course with Adam's climbing school. We left after lunch and climbed the limestone walls until dark. It was incredible. Our guide was really friendly and helpful and the climbing is some of Asia's best. 

 This was definitely a highlight of our time in vang vieng. It is such a beautiful place here and there is so much more to it than tubing!!! It's also a great place to relax and soak in the stunning scenery: 

My last day in vang vieng before heading south to the capital city for a night: