Meet Vang Vieng
Those who don’t seek for an active vacation probably haven’t heard about Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng is a small touristic place located in Laos. Adrenaline junkies around the world are dreaming for the day when they’ll have the opportunity to visit it. Now, with TNK Travel company, Laos has become very affordable to anyone. Many adventure tours in Laos start from the very moment you enter this beautiful country. Laos has unique spirit – it has lots of green land and every corner of this country is inspired by Buddhism – 67% of the population has declared themselves as Buddhists. Buddhist shrines and sculptures can be seen everywhere you go – theirs beauty will charm you and give a whole new dimension to your trip.
Don’t forget day trips
So, besides adventurism, you will be able to learn something new and to experience a whole new culture. There are many day trips in Laos with different theme. Each tour will take you to another place. If you think that by seeing one city you’ve seen the whole country, you’re so wrong. Don’t hesitate to take a day trip to some another city – you will be surprised with its uniqueness and beauty. So, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to plan a trip directly from your home. You can explore the map of Laos and to see which cities attract you the most. Once you’ve realized that, take your wish list and go to TNK Travel agency – their pleasant stuff will gladly help you plan your ideal vacation.
Kayaking – it’s never too late to try it
Okay, if you’re retired from work, then you probably are too old for kayaking. Kayaking can be very fun and interesting sport for those who are in physical condition to bear the effort that’s needed here. Different companies offer different tours, but pattern is the same everywhere. Each company will offer you a kayak (obviously, if you’re taking a kayaking tour, you must have a kayak), a lifejacket and a simple lunch. Besides these things that come ‘’by default’’, this kayaking tours often include visits to caves near the water. Many tourists are deciding to try kayaking on Nam Khan River. The reason for this is very simple – it is easier to take a tour and see and do so many great things on the river while you’re accompanied with professional tourist guider who took the tour so many times and who know every single ‘’tips and tricks’’ all the way down the river. You don’t need to bother yourself with investigating the river and finding out where you should go.
And the caves?
As aforementioned, there are many Vang Vieng caving and kayaking tours. Vang Vieng has few caves that can only be seen from the water – on land, you would probably just pass over/near them without even knowing that they are there.
Swimming in the dark
The first well known cave here is Lusi cave, located just 1.8 kilometers away from the town. Why is it known? It is known thanks to a lagoon inside where you can go and swim surrounded only by total darkness. This will make the adrenaline flow through your veins. At the entrance of this cave you will see many guides that will lead you to the lagoon. From the entrance to the lagoon you will have to walk around 25 minutes. Many people don’t know that lagoon is in total darkness, so they enter, come to it and then just quit – the darkness looks too scary for them. If you choose to a guide, that will cost you some extra money. Also, it’s good to know that you need to pay entrance fee for this cave.
A stop before the goal
There’s another (not so exotic) cave that’s definitely worth seeing, and it’s located north from the Vang Vieng – it’s called Pha Thao Cave. Trip to this cave can be very exhausting, especially when you turn off to Pha Thao Cave from the highway. But, once you get there, everything becomes easier. You pick up your torch and start exploring this cave with flat and dirt floors. Here and there you’ll run up to some ladders – they will help you to climb up ledges. This cave has well arranged roads – enough for you to take a 20 minutes’ walk. Many tourists just stop by here, their primary goal is to reach the Elephant and Water caves – our last stop in this article.
Two Buddha statues in one cave
Elephant and Water caves are just more popular name these caves:
- Tham Loup
- Tham Hoi
- Tham Nam
Inside the first (Elephant) cave you will find golden reclining Buddha surrounded by statues of worshippers. At the end of this cave, another statue of Buddha is placed – from there you can walk across the rice fields and eventually you will find another large cave stretching into the mountain. Be careful – it can be very slippery inside the cave.
The sweetest is left for the end – Water caves. These caves are actually a reason why most people decide to take some Laos tourism package – almost all of them have visit to this cave included in the offer. Here you can hire a tube and torch and follow a rope which goes through the cave. You will be offered to take a dry bag if you don’t want to leave your valuables behind you. Water cave is very close to the Elephant cave, so you can ask the villages for directions.
