Things on our travels don't always go well and here is my story of how NOT to go tubing in Vang Vieng in Laos - yes it's a great place but there are dangers and things can just go horribly wrong...I'm advising travellers to stay safe and careful!
After arriving in Vang Vieng you will meet a host of new friends to party the night away with in the many bars there. Enjoy yourself but remember not to drink too much - as the next day you are probably going tubing!
I woke up, moved hostels and got ready for the day of tubing that lay ahead. It was some experience being in Vang Vieng to start with. Great town. We arrived at the first bar for tubing.
What followed was just an awesome few hours. I met tons of new people and we were having fun, "tubing" but hold on...we weren't really tubing yet. We had played mud volleyball, danced away and thrown frisbees at cans. It was time to go tubing. You might have heard that "tubing" is really just drinking, and that proved to be the case. You will spend more time in the bars than on the tubes.
First up - don't buy one of those waterproof tubing bags. They are useless. I made the mistake of buying one and taking my camera and wallet with me into the tubing. Big mistake. After partying in the first two bars I made it to the tube but couldn't grab the rope for the next bar, as they pulled me in I got tangled up and lost my green waterproof bag. My entire wallet and camera had now made their way into the Nam Song river and were gone forever...
When the waterproof bag headed deep into the Nam Song river, it took with it my wallet, my cards and my camera. It was a disaster. I made it to the next bar to meet my mate Chaz but I was down and out with no money or anything.
I got a drink off my mate and managed to still have my flip flops and my travelling Northern Ireland flag. But I had lost the more important things - camera and wallet.
While my camera and wallet were busy floating away on the Nam Song, I managed to grasp on and keep a flag (my travelling Northern Ireland flag) and a pair of flip flops. I didn't even want the flip flops. Later I would learn I also picked up an ear infection from swimming in vain after a wallet I couldn't even see. I had lost my entire money for this trip. I was lucky my passport was back at the hostel and that I was safe and well.
As everyone else partied in the fourth or fifth bar, I simply walked alone alongside the river looking in vain for my wallet and camera. I knew it was gone forever. Travelling on a budget, I had blown the lot on one day of tubing. After walking for a while I realised I was in the middle of nowhere and it was getting dark.
A local girl called Mickey saved the day, popping over with a scooter asking me to jump on and giving me a ride through the pouring rain back to the town of Vang Vieng. Pure madness. I was safe and well, but the tubing experience had been a bad one.
By the way you can get all sorts of drinks and drugs in Vang Vieng and on the tubing. People walk around drinking mushroom shakes and are off their heads on drugs.
Lessons to learn about the dangers of tubing in Vang Vieng, LAOS:
- Take only money with you - trust me.
- NEVER take a camera (it will either get destroyed or lost. Others will have cameras - ask for their photos.
- Make sure you don't use or take one of those waterproof bags in with you
- Don't drink too much
- Don't take drugs
So to conclude - go to Vang Vieng and enjoy yourself but be aware of the dangers of tubing. People die there.
The town of Vang Vieng is still excellent though!
Enjoy your trips!
Enjoy your time in Vang Vieng...
Don't Stop Living!
After arriving in Vang Vieng you will meet a host of new friends to party the night away with in the many bars there. Enjoy yourself but remember not to drink too much - as the next day you are probably going tubing!
I woke up, moved hostels and got ready for the day of tubing that lay ahead. It was some experience being in Vang Vieng to start with. Great town. We arrived at the first bar for tubing.
What followed was just an awesome few hours. I met tons of new people and we were having fun, "tubing" but hold on...we weren't really tubing yet. We had played mud volleyball, danced away and thrown frisbees at cans. It was time to go tubing. You might have heard that "tubing" is really just drinking, and that proved to be the case. You will spend more time in the bars than on the tubes.
First up - don't buy one of those waterproof tubing bags. They are useless. I made the mistake of buying one and taking my camera and wallet with me into the tubing. Big mistake. After partying in the first two bars I made it to the tube but couldn't grab the rope for the next bar, as they pulled me in I got tangled up and lost my green waterproof bag. My entire wallet and camera had now made their way into the Nam Song river and were gone forever...
When the waterproof bag headed deep into the Nam Song river, it took with it my wallet, my cards and my camera. It was a disaster. I made it to the next bar to meet my mate Chaz but I was down and out with no money or anything.
I got a drink off my mate and managed to still have my flip flops and my travelling Northern Ireland flag. But I had lost the more important things - camera and wallet.
While my camera and wallet were busy floating away on the Nam Song, I managed to grasp on and keep a flag (my travelling Northern Ireland flag) and a pair of flip flops. I didn't even want the flip flops. Later I would learn I also picked up an ear infection from swimming in vain after a wallet I couldn't even see. I had lost my entire money for this trip. I was lucky my passport was back at the hostel and that I was safe and well.
As everyone else partied in the fourth or fifth bar, I simply walked alone alongside the river looking in vain for my wallet and camera. I knew it was gone forever. Travelling on a budget, I had blown the lot on one day of tubing. After walking for a while I realised I was in the middle of nowhere and it was getting dark.
A local girl called Mickey saved the day, popping over with a scooter asking me to jump on and giving me a ride through the pouring rain back to the town of Vang Vieng. Pure madness. I was safe and well, but the tubing experience had been a bad one.
By the way you can get all sorts of drinks and drugs in Vang Vieng and on the tubing. People walk around drinking mushroom shakes and are off their heads on drugs.
Lessons to learn about the dangers of tubing in Vang Vieng, LAOS:
- Take only money with you - trust me.
- NEVER take a camera (it will either get destroyed or lost. Others will have cameras - ask for their photos.
- Make sure you don't use or take one of those waterproof bags in with you
- Don't drink too much
- Don't take drugs
So to conclude - go to Vang Vieng and enjoy yourself but be aware of the dangers of tubing. People die there.
The town of Vang Vieng is still excellent though!
Enjoy your trips!
Enjoy your time in Vang Vieng...
Don't Stop Living!
About the Author:
For more amusing travel stories and tips like Tubing Going Wrong in Vang Vieng head to Jonny Blair's extremely recommended website A Lifestyle of Travel.
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