Laos - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 361

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returning to Laos, Boonlua began the
sculpture garden in the late 1950s as a
means of spreading his philosophy of life
and his ideas about the cosmos. Besides
the brontosaurian reclining Buddha that
dominates the park, there are concrete
statues of every conceivable deity in the
Hindu-Buddhist pantheon. After the
revolution, Boonlua was forced to flee
across the Mekong to Nong Khai in
hailand, where he established an even
more elaborate version of his philosophy
in concrete at Sala Kaeo Kou (also known
as Wat Khaek). he cheapest way to
get to the park is to take a bus #14 from
Vientiane's central bus station (every
15min; 6000K). Although the bus is
scheduled to run all the way to the
Buddha Park, we've had reports of the
bus stopping at the Friendship Bridge,
only for tourists to be coaxed into buying
an (overpriced) tuk-tuk ride for the last
part of the journey. If this happens, walk
back to the main road and flag down a
shared tuk-tuk heading east; it shouldn't
cost more than 5000K/person.

whole host of ethnic villages, waterfalls
and caves nearby, makes it the perfect rest
stop en route to or from the north. You
could easily spend a week or more here
cycling, caving, rafting or hiking. And, if
you know where to look, there are still
parties too.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Vang Vieng itself is a small town that
would be unremarkable except for its
beautiful riverside position. As such,
there's little to see and do in the town
itself; the real attraction lies beyond the
town, on the river and in the caves.

Tubing
Love or hate what it's done to the place,
tubing remains Vang Vieng's premier
attraction. Following a government
crackdown (see p.367), only a few bars
now dot the river, and illegal drugs (once
sold openly on menus) are seldom seen.
For many, drinking is still a big part of
the experience, with bars offering free
shots of lào-láo and buy-one-get-one-free
deals on whisky. While the rope swings
and slides that claimed lives have now
disappeared, drinking on the river is still
risky, so take care and, if you're a weak
swimmer, ask for a life jacket.
To avoid getting back after dark, it's
best to start tubing early. Tubes are
available from the lock-up near the post
o ce. here's no need to book so just
turn up, pay the fee (55,000K, plus a
60,000K deposit) and a tuk-tuk will drive
you to the start point, 3km north of town
near the Organic Mulberry Farm.
Tuk-tuks will only depart with at least
four people on board, so on quiet days
you may have to wait for others to arrive.
A float back into town should take two
or three hours, but you could easily spend
the whole day dancing, drinking and
playing mud volleyball at the bars along
the way. It's important to leave enough
time to get back before dark, as it gets
cold and it becomes almost impossible to
see where you're going in the fast-flowing
water. Arrive back late and you will lose
your deposit. A good sunblock is essential
if you don't want to come out looking
like a lobster.

VANG VIENG
Just 155km north of the capital among
spectacular limestone karsts sits VANG
VIENG , the once-sleepy town now
synonymous with tubing. Within a few
short years, what started as a peaceful
activity - floating down the Nam Song
River in an inflated tractor inner tube,
stopping for a beer or two along the way
- developed into one of Southeast Asia's
biggest parties, with thousands of
bare-chested backpackers descending on
the place. he Lao government found
itself struggling to control an inland
version of hailand's Ko Pha Ngan,
complete with the drugs and drunken
revelry. Only after dozens of tourists died
(through drink, drugs, drowning, or a
combination of all three) did the
authorities take action, tearing down all of
the riverside bars. Some of these have now
been rebuilt, but tubing - and the town
itself - is now definitely more restrained.
Needless to say, Vang Vieng is no hub
of Lao culture. However, the town's
jaw-dropping riverside setting, with a