Laos: Vientiane & Vang Vieng

Temples, beer lao, sunset over the Mekong river, aerobics class with the locals on the riverfront, all you can eat vegan buffet for £2, night markets, blue lagoon and ...Vang Vieng tubing!

Tubing. I had read so many bad things about people dying and whatnot that I was a bit scared but decided to go along with some people I'd met. I was the only one around wearing a lifejacket.

Apparently between '99 and 2012 there were on average 20 deaths, mostly drownings, drug related accidents and people hitting rocks when jumping in/swinging etc on makeshift ziplines. However since 2012 the police stepped in and cleaned it all up.

The number of bars you pitch up at (by a man throwing you a bottle on a rope, which you are supposed to catch and be pulled in) has been reduced to 4 or so. Of course I miss the rope and end up having to walk from the next bar along to find the crowd again.

Floating down the river in a big rubber ring was very relaxing and the views of the vegetation covered limestone mountains were very beautiful.

I was wondering how people die doing this until the last stretch of river from the last bar which seems never ending and it gradually got darker and darker. A group of English people held onto my tube and we found the finishing point together or one of them. There was a man with a flashlight. Then there was a bit of a walk back in the dark over slippery pebbles.

All topped off with a baguette and relief when all members of the group reunite!

Unfortunately due to the nature of tubing I have no photos.