Vang Vieng Overview

One of the main features of the town is a long mostly unused airfield runway parallel to the Nam Song river. It was used during the Vietnam War by the Air America's planes. The now disused airstrip in Vang Vieng was then called "Lima site 6".

Laos has the unenviable distinction of being the most bombed country in history. There are still many areas of the country, mainly in the east along Ho Chi Minh Trail and in the north-east that are dangerous to walk through due to many remaining landmines, and it is not uncommon for farmers, their families, and their livestock to tread on an old, yet still active mine. The town started to grow in the 1980s, due to the influx of backpackers.

Vang Vieng today is mainly a backpacker town. The main street is littered with guest houses, bars, restaurants, internet cafes and tour agencies. One of the main attractions of the town is inner tubing on the river and Kayaking. During the wet season, the river can be a series of raging rapids, but during the dry season, some of it is little more than a trickle. Climbing the limestone mountains is another popular activity.

The market is located five kilometers north of the town selling Lao textiles, household items and several stalls selling dubious foodstuffs. It is possible for stalls to sell bats, squirrels, monkeys, rats, mice and other animals as food. In the town there is a wat that is notable in looking rundown and keeping its valuables chained behind a door. The town is situated on the main north-south highway, Route 13 from Luang Prabang to the capital, Vientiane.

But the real attractions of the area are the scenery, the limestone hills and the numerous caves and caverns. Perhaps the most interesting is the Tham Phu Kham cave, half an hour from Vang Vieng by tuk-tuk or rented motorbike.