Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Additional ordinary, VIP and minivan services leave from the northern bus station, 2km
north of the town centre. Tickets for these services bought in town usually include a tuk-tuk
transfer from guesthouses in the centre.
Destinations:
Luang Prabang (2 daily; 5-6hr); Phonsavan (2 daily; 6hr); Vientiane (9 daily;
3-4hr).
By sawngthaew
If you're heading to Vientiane, sawngthaews are an option, leaving the
northern bus station every twenty minutes throughout the day, though as they take around
four hours to reach the capital, you'd do well to take a quicker, similarly priced minivan in-
stead.
INFORMATION
Tourist information
Opposite the Agricultural Promotion bank on the main road, just south
of the centre
tourismlaos.org
.
Little English is spoken here, but staff should be able to point
you in the direction of local caves and tour companies. They also sell a good plastic map of
the town and the surrounding sights (10,000K).
Mon-Fri 8am-noon and then 2-4pm.
GETTING AROUND
Most of Vang Vieng's streets are nameless, but getting around this small town is a fairly
simple matter. Pushbikes (15,000K/day) and mountain bikes (20,000K/day) can be rented at
many places around town. Mopeds are also available at guesthouses and travel shops. Al-
though the cheap, Chinese-made bikes may look tempting at just 30,000K/day, we've heard
frequent reports of breakdowns and broken spokes. It's worth the extra money to rent a prop-
er Honda bike (60,000K). Sawngthaews to surrounding villages leave from the stand at the
central market. The majority of Vang Vieng's attractions lie on the
west bank
of the Nam
Song. There's now a permanent toll bridge crossing the river (4000K return for pedestrians,
6000K for bikes and 10,000K for motorcycles) or, if they haven't been washed away, you
can cross for free using the rickety bamboo bridges towards the north of town. The pirogues
down by
Thavonsouk Resort
will ferry people across the water for 10,000K. On the other
side, Chinese-made tractors trundle along the bumpy paths to nearby villages, acting as make-
shift shared taxis that aren't entirely comfortable but are at least faster than walking. You can
simply flag them down as you would a bus or tuk-tuk - expect to pay 5000K for journeys
of up to 1km, then 2000K for each extra kilometre. If you're looking to explore
areas north
or south of town
, you'll find enough local transport in the form of buses and sawngthaews
plying Route 13 to get you up and down the highway cheaply. Or, if you prefer something
quick and easy, just hire a tuk-tuk (the stand is at the market), which will gladly wait for you
for the right price.
