Laos - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 364

5 DRUGS IN VANG VIENG

Just a few years ago, buying drugs in Vang Vieng was as easy as buying lunch - literally. Many
of the town's restaurants kept whole sections of their menus reserved for pizzas and shakes
made using opium or mushrooms, plus pre-rolled joints of all shapes and sizes.
When backpackers began to die with alarming regularity (not so much through the drugs,
but what they did when they were on them), the government could no longer turn a blind
eye. Nowadays drugs are harder to spot, although nitrous oxide balloons are sold openly in
bars and weed still does the rounds. Having a smoke may be tempting, especially given the
tranquil setting, but consider the consequences of getting caught. Plain-clothes police o cers
routinely issue heavy fines ($500 is not unheard of ) if they catch a whiff of anything suspicious.

guesthouses built in the boom years to retain a little bit of
character, this place has clean, fan-cooled rooms. Some,
like the name suggests, have excellent views of the distant
mountains - th ough you 'll pay 20,000K extra for the
privilege. Double 60,000K
Organic Mulberry Farm 3km north of town T 023
511220, W laofarm.org. This working organic farm offers
dorms, simple doubles and the chance to help out with
farm chores and teaching in the nearby village. The
attach ed café serves t asty hom e-grown organic food.
Dorm 30,000K , double 50,000K
Otherside Bungalows Just south of Banana Bungalows
(see opposite), on the western side of the river T 020 5610
6070. The en-suite rooms here are slightly cheaper than
those next door at Banana Bungalows , but feel a little
damp and drab. Even so, the staff are friendly, and free tea
and coffee helps to sweeten the deal. Double 60,000K
Pan's Place At the southern end of the main road T 023
511484, W pansplacelaos.com. A popular budget pick,
Pan's Place has a relaxed TV room and a selection of single,
double and triple rooms with shared facilities. For 20,000K
more, you can b ag yourse lf a room with an en-suite
bathroom. Double 50,000K

guided tour of the centre to find out more about the
centre's programmes. Tues-Sun 2-7pm.
Chan Pheng Xay Just east of the Green Discovery o ce
on Kangmuong St T 020 2889 0860. One of the more
reliable street-side restaurants in the very centre of town,
with reasonable red curries (meat and veggie versions
available) for 25,000K. Daily 7am-11pm.
River Spirit South of town along the river road at Ban
Sabai Bungalows . Good Lao and Thai dishes in an excellent
waterfront setting. The expansive menu includes spring
rolls with pork (35,000K) and a vegetable larp (28,000K),
plus a few Western dishes like burgers and steaks. Daily
7.30am-10pm.
Whopping Burger Next door to the Central Climber
School in the middle of town. Funky, Japanese-run
restaurant serving tasty burgers (with extraordinarily
large buns) while 60s and 70s music blares out. Try the
samurai chicken burger, which comes with chunky chips
and bundles of fresh coriander (50,000K). Daily 6-11pm.

DRINKING
Now that the clubs on the island in the Nam Song have
been torn down, parties tend to happen in the centre of
town. There are two main late-night venues: Viva Vang
Vieng (see p.368) and Room 101 . They're opposite each
other on the main drag, and host cheesy club nights on
alternate days. Regardless of which club's night it is, things
get lively at around midnight when the other bars close.
Kangaroo Sunset Just west of Gary's Irish Bar in the
middle of town. The post-tubing bar du jour, with beer
pong, free pool and cheap drinks (a large Beerlao costs
10,000K 7-8pm every night) helping to pull in a young
falang crowd. Daily 8am-midnight.
Gary's Irish Bar Just east of Kangaroo Sunset in the
middle of town T 030 9407039, W garysirishbar.com.
Chirpy Irish bar staff and regular live music sessions make
Gary's stand out among the cookie-cutter bars in the
centre of town. There's also a good pool table, a dartboard,
and live football on the TV. Daily 9am-midnight.
Smile Restaurant Towards the north of Don Khang
Island. Known as Smile Bar until the government cleared
all “bars” from along the river, Smile Restaurant is one of

EATING
The selection of restaurants in Vang Vieng is particularly
uninspired, with most places offering the same mix of
international and local dishes. The sandwich and pancake
stalls around town (most items 10,000K) are a good,
cheap alternative.
★

AMD Restaurant South of the hospital along the
main river road T 020 5530 1238. Pint-sized, family-run
restaurant serving some of the best food in town. The
tangy tom yam soup (35,000K) is reason enough to make
the walk south from the centre, but the tiny open kitchen
also turns out good curries, stir-fries and steaks. Daily
7.30am-10pm.
Café Zoom Sun 3km north of town on the road leading
to the Organic Mulberry Farm T 020 5610 6536. Quiet café
near the tubing start point, which was set up to help local
kids get involved with wholesome activities like traditional
dancing and weaving. For $3, you can get a coffee and a