Watery Activities: Day Touring

3rd-5th May

Backpacker day-tour checklist: Cambodian bought top, check. Jazzy elephant shorts, check. Practical sandals, double check. Water tight bag, check.

Leaving Vientiane, we bused north to Vang Vieng. This was a nauseating 4 hour drive through the winding mountains. Being the last 2 people to get on the bus, we were separated and I got one of the back seats between 3 French people.

We arrived at our Army Barracks Hostel (luckily no regiments, just a bit of khaki) and in the afternoon we explored the local area, enquiring at tour companies. We booked a full day tour with Riverside Tour Laos who we would highly recommend!

We woke up to monsoon rain and just pictured us kayaking with as much water round our waists as in the river. Was not looking positive. Thankfully the rain cleared by 9.30am.

We met 3 other guys that were also on our tour group. A Japanese, American and Chinese (walk into a bar...) who we got on really well with!

We trucked to our first stop - the Elephant Cave. This was pretty much what it says on the tin (minus the elephant). There was a cave, it had an elephant shaped rock in it. To be fair, it was a cool natural formation, just glad it wasn't the highlight of the tour!

Another tour member snapped this photo of us leaving the cave

Laos has the most amazing landscape. Definitely the most breathtaking we've seen so far. This bridge is over the Nam Song River and wobbled like crazy!

Lunch was SO tasty. Chicken, vegetable and pineapple skewers, fried rice, watermelon and mini bananas.

The second stop was tubing. Imagine turtles, stuck on their backs, floating down a river. Got the image? Bingo! This was us for the next hour. We sat in inflatable doughnuts and, pulling ourselves along the river by a rope, ventured through a narrow cave tunnel. It was very dark inside so the look was completed with head torches. Excellent. We both really enjoyed this, made funny by everyone bouncing off each other's doughnuts (please keep that comment in context) and looking rather helpless! We saw amazing stalactites (yes I had to google to confirm the correct one, the hanging from the ceiling kind) and crystals within the cave walls.

Hopefully the video below explains tubing a bit more! We were in a long line, following the rope.

After a substantial arm workout, we headed to the Nam Song River for a core workout. Kayaking. This was our favourite part of the tour! The river had sections of stillness and rapids which was fun! We stopped off at a riverside bar for about an hour. The bar had a basketball hoop, ping-pong table and booze, what more could you want?

The video below makes me laugh. I put my arm out and then realise I'm videoing the wrong side for the better view ha! This was such a chill few hours of floating down the river and soaking up the surroundings.

The last stop was the blue lagoon. Busy and touristy but great for watching people jump and flip (or bellyflop *wince*) from trees into the water.

Here's a little video montage beginning with one of those bellyflops in the background...

We got on really well with the Japanese and American (originally from Laos) guys and exchanged deets at the end.

Really looking forward to sharing our next blog. It's about our week volunteering on a farm in the northern Thai jungle! It's a good'un so keep your eyes peeled!

Love,

B&D x

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- Bus tickets to Vang Vieng: £11 for two

- Day Tour: £38 for two