Vang Vieng: Chasing Mountain Sunsets

After spending a few days in the capital, Vientiane, we’re heading north to the second stop of our Laos trip: Vang Vieng!

The most convenient way to get there is the LCR (Lao-China Railway), a Chinese-built high-speed line. Vientiane’s train station is massive; since there is no major airport in the city, this station serves as the main gateway. The 1-hour journey is incredibly "tunnel-heavy" as the tracks cut straight through the mountains.

The usual drive can take 5+ hours on bumpy roads, so I highly suggest taking the train! Since you can only purchase tickets three days in advance, we used 12go.asia before our trip to have an agency secure them for us—it was an absolute lifesaver.

Our first day in Vang Vieng was pretty chilled. Our hotel had one of the best room views we've had so far, looking right out at the breathtaking mountain scenery. After a quick bite for lunch, we wandered around town. It was around 30°C, so we waited until 4:00 PM to really explore without sweating too much!

The town has a great vibe: a nice riverside, plenty of backpackers, and chill cafes. We watched the busy riverboats cruising by and hot air balloons and paramotors floating high during the sunset—such a lovely view.

By luck, we found a hotel bar right on the banks of the Nam Song River to enjoy the sunset over a glass of wine. After three weeks of traveling through Asia, we hit a "breakpoint" and craved something non-Asian for dinner: Pizza!

Our second day was a full day of exploring. After comparing the prices of organised group tours, we decided to find our own driver to take us to the specific spots we wanted to see. We managed to negotiate a reasonable price. It's quite common here that when you book a taxi via a local app (like Loca), the driver will offer to spend the day driving you around to the main attractions. It makes a lot of sense from a price point, especially if you want the freedom to move at your own pace.

First stop: Phanpoingkham Viewpoint > We hiked about 45 minutes to reach the peak. Along the way, we discovered two hidden caves—one filled with Buddhas and another that was pitch black but filled with incredible rock formations. At the summit, the 360-degree view of the valley was breathtaking. There is even a small metal airplane at the top, made us give some aviator poses up there!

Second stop: Blue Lagoon #3 > There are several lagoons in the area where you can spend the day swimming, but we chose Lagoon #3 because it’s less touristy and offers better scenery. We spent a few hours there grabbing drinks, swimming, and watching people plunge into the turquoise water.

Last stop: Nam Xay Viewpoint. > This is the most famous spot in Vang Vieng for a reason. The climb was much steeper and muddier than our first hike, but that view though! The landscape of surrounding hills and lush valley was stunning; we just stood there for minutes, breathing it all in and feeling totally blown away. Even though the trek down was a bit painful—I actually had to slide down some of the muddier sections—it was totally worth it.

After making it back to the hotel, the first priority was a long shower to wash away the mud—it was literally everywhere! Once clean, we headed back into town to catch the sunset from a cozy terrace cafe, enjoying our first proper Laotian dinner.

On our last day, We had a lazy start with a slow breakfast alongside the "Chinese uncles and aunties" at our hotel; we were probably the only Europeans there! Later, we found a beautiful cafe with a terrace overlooking mountains and cows grazing in the fields. It gave off major digital nomad vibes—a perfect spot to get some sabbatical trip planning done (it never ends!).

The final landmark on our list was Tham Chang Cave. It’s an easy 20-minute walk from the town center, and the area was buzzing with locals enjoying riverside picnics. We climbed a set of steep (but thankfully short) stairs to enter the massive cavern. It felt like a labyrinth inside; the early sections were lit up to show off the rock formations, but it grew darker and more mysterious the deeper we ventured. It was incredible to experience the sheer scale of it.

After the cave, we decided a riverside boat ride would be the perfect way to spend our final sunset. Luckily, there was a boat station right across from the cave exit. We spent 20 minutes cruising down the Nam Song River, watching hot air balloons take off and paramotors fly past against the mountain backdrop. It was the classic, beautiful scenery Vang Vieng is famous for.

For our farewell dinner, we found a rooftop Laotian restaurant. We were the only customers, so we got the royal treatment! We watched the mountains disappear into the humid dusk as we tucked into our meal and even shown how to eat Laotian sticky rice the traditional way—with our hands!

Next stop: Luang Prabang!

Wrapping up Vang Vieng:

Local recommendations:

• Breakfast or Lunch: Delicious Cafe, Pull Mind Cafe,

• Dinner: Neapolitan Pizza, Zai Lao

• Coffee: V Coffee & Tea

• Drinks: Cliff View SkyBar

• Hotel: Sisombat Plaza Hotel

  
  

Quote of the trip: "Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." — John Muir

Soundtrack of the trip: "Hate it or Love it - The Game, 50 Cent"