Found yourself in Vangvieng with some spare time? Why not go tubing?!
Every good water park, no matter where you go, has a lazy
river, each of which tends to be poured from the same mold as the last. But in Vangvieng, Laos, the ultimate lazy river flows
slowly through town, offering the best tubing experience you can get for four
bucks American.
Hand over the cash and you’ve got yourself a rubber inner
tube and a free tuk tuk ride to the top of the river. The tuk tuk drops you off and you hop right
in and start floating. It isn’t long
before you come to the first of many stops on your slow journey down the river. This first stop offers free Lao Lao and all
the jumps off their rope swing you can muster the courage for. And these rope swings are not for the acrophobic. Standing at a towering 50 feet at its highest
point, this first rope swing is merely an appetizer before the main course. After several free Lao Laos (free shots of Laos whiskey
which is home-made moonshine whiskey), you’ve fortified your courage and are
ready to take on any rope swing thrown at you. And, fortunately for you, should your courage
fade, every stop along the river offers 22 oz. beers for one American dollar
with its swings. And so you spend the
next four or five hours, floating lethargically down the river, impairing your judgment
and building your courage and daring. I’m
pretty sure there’s about ten rope swings along your route, with two to three
times as many bars offering cheep booze and food. By the end of the journey, you float back into
town with a crooked smile on your face and a belly full of Lao Lao and beer.
You’ll forgive the lack of pictures on this post as water,
alcohol, and digital cameras do not mix well. But know that it was a ton of fun and more
than worth the treacherous bus ride.
