Vang Vieng - Laos
We took a bus from Luang Prabang with all the gang in tow!
Arrived in at about 2 and checked into Chillao Hostel. Fairly wrecked from the early start we snoozed for a few hours!
Found a lovely coffee shop then for a coffee hit called 'Café Eh Eh'!
The rugby was on (Ireland v Scotland) so we all headed to 'Garys Irish bar' for some dinner.
After dinner, Aiden proceeded to tell Daniel some gruelling vivid stories about being a doctor and the cases he comes across. He went in to such detail that Daniel quickly announced 'Ok guys, Im going to black out now, then ill be grand' so Aiden advised him to lie down and raise his legs to his chest. It was scary but also in hindsight very funny!
Signal wasn't great for the game as theres no such thing as 'Sky' in Laos so had it streaming and it kept freezing! Prob for the best as we lost!
Craic was mighty though and it was a good laugh!
Headed then to the local nightclub 'Viva' where we had a good awl boogie! There were Helium balloons on sale to give you a high but we didn't bother!
We came up with a new dance move called the 'Daniel' where you lie on your back.....with your legs to your chest!!!!!!
Next day was my burfday so we checked into a lovely place called 'VangVieng Boutique Resort'. It was beautiful, pool, free brekkie, lovely room with ensuite bathroom. Happy days! We stayed there for 4 nights and it was heaven!
Then we set off for TUBING!!
Tubing had a very bad reputation in recent years as it wasn't regulated properly and it became quite dangerous as tourists were drinking and then riding down the river which has hidden rocks and fast rapids. A lot of tourists were killed while tubing. Since then a lot of the bars open along the route have closed and they have limited to just a few. A lot less people are doing it now too so its a lot safer!
I think we were a little nervous about it beforehand. Once we got there and jumped on the rings we were buzzing. Was a big gang of us and we had a blast. We stopped off at the first bar and the music was banging, they had beer pong and drinking games.
We were more interested in being on the tubes so we moved on after 1 or 2 drinks. 2nd bar was right beside it so we were off them again soon enough! There, Daniel and Aiden played a game of football on what Daniel described as "probably the most picturesque football pitch" he's ever played on. Daniel's team won too....he's competitive.
The locals throw bottles on a string out to you to catch and then reel you in! Fishing for money they were!!
Was such a laugh floating down the river, we were all singing and at one point everyone start singing happy birthday to me, was pretty special!
We took our time and the sun start to set so it became quite cold and we were ready to get back. We jumped off and grabbed a tuk tuk back!
We went back to Garys that evening and the guys had organised a birthday cake for me, I was so overwhelmed, so bloody nice of them! Then back to Viva for some more free whiskey!
We met with Aiden and Joanne the next day for a stroll around. We ended up trekking hallway up a cliff...me and Daniel in flip flops going up through boulders and jagged rock. Was not wise! We almost made it but dared not to go much further as it was starting to become dangerous, we waited for the other two while they went up! They were well kitted out for it.
They made it back an hour later and assured us that we were right not to have gone any further as it got worse and the rocks were almost cutting into their runners.
On the walk back we witnessed the hot air balloons rising up at dusk and it was so beautiful, We obviously stopped to take some cracking pictures (well we got Aiden to take them on his camera and then he sent them to us!)
Went for dinner in the best Italian ive ever had! Son and father duo they import all their ingredients from Italy. We had pizza with goats cheese and walnuts, Arrabiata, Bruschetta (almost better than my Dads ;) ) Wine, coffee and homemade Limencello!
Back to Garys then that night for some live music!
Was our last evening with Joanne and Aiden before they set off for Hanoi!
We set off the next day with the girls...and Harry for a cycle through the fields and towards the Blue Lagoon. Was so beautiful and we caught a real insight into the rural life their and the villages just outside the main town. Was a struggle of a cycle because the roads are not paved and are rocky as hell but we made it.....with little moaning!!!
Had a cracking dinner in Amigos Mexican restaurant and got an early night!!
For the rest of our time in Vang Vieng we didn't do much, they had a restaurant/café that showed 'Friends' so we sat and watched numerous episodes!
Vang Vieng is a dusty one street town, good for drinking and a bit of craic! You can drink for free from 9-11pm hostels offer free bottles of whiskey and then the bars/nightclubs offer free whiskey and beer.
Its also the cheapest place in the world to get a hot air balloon, 90$
Crazy how easily available weed and hash are. There are space cafes where you can go and have 'Shroom shakes', 'Space cakes' and joints.....all off the menu! *disclaimer* we did not partake, plenty of stories of tourists getting screwed over it all.
'Front toward enemy'
Movie night
Sunrise from Luang Prabang!
Bromance! (Before he fainted!!!)
Missile Pillar
on the edge of a cliff!!!
Daniel before the jump!
The Rocky Road!
'Will we go on?'
Blue Lagoon (that's Harry!)
Blue Lagoon
My birthday cake
Tubing
Tubing
Families washing clothes in the Namkong River
Arrived in at about 2 and checked into Chillao Hostel. Fairly wrecked from the early start we snoozed for a few hours!
Found a lovely coffee shop then for a coffee hit called 'Café Eh Eh'!
The rugby was on (Ireland v Scotland) so we all headed to 'Garys Irish bar' for some dinner.
After dinner, Aiden proceeded to tell Daniel some gruelling vivid stories about being a doctor and the cases he comes across. He went in to such detail that Daniel quickly announced 'Ok guys, Im going to black out now, then ill be grand' so Aiden advised him to lie down and raise his legs to his chest. It was scary but also in hindsight very funny!
Signal wasn't great for the game as theres no such thing as 'Sky' in Laos so had it streaming and it kept freezing! Prob for the best as we lost!
Craic was mighty though and it was a good laugh!
Headed then to the local nightclub 'Viva' where we had a good awl boogie! There were Helium balloons on sale to give you a high but we didn't bother!
We came up with a new dance move called the 'Daniel' where you lie on your back.....with your legs to your chest!!!!!!
Next day was my burfday so we checked into a lovely place called 'VangVieng Boutique Resort'. It was beautiful, pool, free brekkie, lovely room with ensuite bathroom. Happy days! We stayed there for 4 nights and it was heaven!
Then we set off for TUBING!!
Tubing had a very bad reputation in recent years as it wasn't regulated properly and it became quite dangerous as tourists were drinking and then riding down the river which has hidden rocks and fast rapids. A lot of tourists were killed while tubing. Since then a lot of the bars open along the route have closed and they have limited to just a few. A lot less people are doing it now too so its a lot safer!
I think we were a little nervous about it beforehand. Once we got there and jumped on the rings we were buzzing. Was a big gang of us and we had a blast. We stopped off at the first bar and the music was banging, they had beer pong and drinking games.
We were more interested in being on the tubes so we moved on after 1 or 2 drinks. 2nd bar was right beside it so we were off them again soon enough! There, Daniel and Aiden played a game of football on what Daniel described as "probably the most picturesque football pitch" he's ever played on. Daniel's team won too....he's competitive.
The locals throw bottles on a string out to you to catch and then reel you in! Fishing for money they were!!
Was such a laugh floating down the river, we were all singing and at one point everyone start singing happy birthday to me, was pretty special!
We took our time and the sun start to set so it became quite cold and we were ready to get back. We jumped off and grabbed a tuk tuk back!
We went back to Garys that evening and the guys had organised a birthday cake for me, I was so overwhelmed, so bloody nice of them! Then back to Viva for some more free whiskey!
We met with Aiden and Joanne the next day for a stroll around. We ended up trekking hallway up a cliff...me and Daniel in flip flops going up through boulders and jagged rock. Was not wise! We almost made it but dared not to go much further as it was starting to become dangerous, we waited for the other two while they went up! They were well kitted out for it.
They made it back an hour later and assured us that we were right not to have gone any further as it got worse and the rocks were almost cutting into their runners.
On the walk back we witnessed the hot air balloons rising up at dusk and it was so beautiful, We obviously stopped to take some cracking pictures (well we got Aiden to take them on his camera and then he sent them to us!)
Went for dinner in the best Italian ive ever had! Son and father duo they import all their ingredients from Italy. We had pizza with goats cheese and walnuts, Arrabiata, Bruschetta (almost better than my Dads ;) ) Wine, coffee and homemade Limencello!
Back to Garys then that night for some live music!
Was our last evening with Joanne and Aiden before they set off for Hanoi!
We set off the next day with the girls...and Harry for a cycle through the fields and towards the Blue Lagoon. Was so beautiful and we caught a real insight into the rural life their and the villages just outside the main town. Was a struggle of a cycle because the roads are not paved and are rocky as hell but we made it.....with little moaning!!!
Had a cracking dinner in Amigos Mexican restaurant and got an early night!!
For the rest of our time in Vang Vieng we didn't do much, they had a restaurant/café that showed 'Friends' so we sat and watched numerous episodes!
Vang Vieng is a dusty one street town, good for drinking and a bit of craic! You can drink for free from 9-11pm hostels offer free bottles of whiskey and then the bars/nightclubs offer free whiskey and beer.
Its also the cheapest place in the world to get a hot air balloon, 90$
Crazy how easily available weed and hash are. There are space cafes where you can go and have 'Shroom shakes', 'Space cakes' and joints.....all off the menu! *disclaimer* we did not partake, plenty of stories of tourists getting screwed over it all.
'Front toward enemy'
Movie night
Bromance! (Before he fainted!!!)
Missile Pillar
on the edge of a cliff!!!
'Will we go on?'
Blue Lagoon (that's Harry!)
Blue Lagoon 
Tubing
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