Lonely Planet Laos
Page 31
Vang Vieng Town
oChampa LaoGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-58234612; www.facebook.com/champalaobungalows; r without bathroom 70,000K, tr with bathroom 150,000K, cabanas with bathroom 120,000K, without 60,000K; pnaiW)
With new Thai owners, this stilted Lao house has basic fan rooms with mozzie nets. The garden, choked with plants, is a delight and you can swing on a hammock while taking in the sunset and karst from its aerial balcony. There are also bungalows down by the river bank.
oPan's PlaceGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511484; Th Luang Prabang; dm 30,000K, s/d with bathroom 70,000/88,000K, without bathroom 50,000/64,000K; niW)
Radiating a welcoming vibe, Pan's is a VV backpacking institution, with its basic but cosy fan rooms with tiled floors and en suites. Out back are cabanas in a leafy garden, plus a communal chilling area. There's also a little cafe and a cinema room upstairs with hundreds of DVDs to choose from.
Central Backpacker's HostelHOSTEL$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-56770677; www.vangviengbackpackers.com; dm 40,000K, r with fan/air-con 100,000/150,000K, tr 200,000K; naW)
This hostel, with wedding-cake-style architecture, boasts private rooms with fan or air-con and private balcony and TV, as well as comfy well-spaced dorms, and communal balconies to drink up the view of the cliffs. There's a huge lobby with a cafe and DVD bar, and safety lockers too (BYO lock). Not much atmosphere but decent value.
Vinutda GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-22244638; r 120,000-180,000K; naW)
Located at the southern end of the riverside road, this family-run guesthouse has a good range of new rooms with sparkling bathrooms and ample beds. 180,000K earns you a triple room – a pretty good deal for threesomes.
Khamphone Guest HouseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511062; r 80,000-120,000K; naW)
Peach-coloured Khamphone's three buildings are on the southern edge of town, and offer good-value en suite rooms; the 120,000K options with TV, air-con and fridge are best. Check out the newer building as its rooms are the most spacious.
Domon GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-99898678; domonvangvieng@hotmail.com; r with/without air-con 200,000/120,000K; naW)
With fine views of the karsts this old-timer has characterful blue and green rooms with bags of charm, private bathrooms, balconies and art on the walls. There's a breezy verandah cafe-bar and money exchange. Overlooking the Nam Song.
Easy Go HostelHOSTEL$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55366679; www.easygohostel.com; dm 25,000K, r with/without air-con 90,000/60,000K, tr with air-con 120,000K; naW)
Crafted from bamboo and rattan, and run by a lively team, Easy Go offers eight-berth and four-berth dorms and eight private rooms. The ace card is its laid-back lounge with comfy cushions, pool table and flat-screen TV, with even wider-screen views of the cliffs.
Elephant CrossingHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511232; www.theelephantcrossinghotel.com; r US$40-60; naiW)
Set in leafy gardens peppered with swing chairs and with an attractive verandah to take breakfast by the river, Elephant Crossing has 36 tasteful rooms with glass-panel walls and spotless en suites. Hmong bed runners, wood floors, air-con, TV and fridge complete the picture. It's often booked out by Contiki Travel though, so reservations are hard to score.
Thavonsouk ResortHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511096; www.thavonsouk.com; r incl breakfast US$40-65; paiW)
One of Vang Vieng's original hotels, Thavonsouk offers beautiful wood-accented rooms bursting with light and enjoying full-frontal views of the karsts and lush gardens. Waffle quilts, antique beds, the scent of freshly applied beeswax and a good range of amenities make this a winner. In the garden are swing chairs and romantic nooks.
Vang Vieng Eco-LodgeBUNGALOW$$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %030-5517705; r 200,000K; nW)
We don't vouch for its green credentials, but this delightful accommodation, opposite Tham Jang, sits in a peaceful spot by the river. The only sounds you're likely to hear are the babbling water and the odd rooster. Under new Thai management, with bungalows that are cool and traditional with wood floors, four-posters and desks.
Silver NagaHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511822; www.silvernaga.com; r US$65-180; naiWs)
A major new hotel on the east-bank riverfront, from the owners of Elephant Crossing. The new rooms here features contemporary decoration and lots of nice touches like private balcony, flat-screen TV and rain shower. There is a 2nd-floor pool with a killer karst view that is open to nonguests for 50,000K.
Villa Nam SongGUESTHOUSE$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511015; www.villanamsong.com; r US$42-70; naW)
With serene views of the cliffs, this fine hotel sits in grounds choking on mango, palm, orchid and bougainvillea. The pink adobe bungalows are fragrant and parquet-floored, with cream walls and high-end furniture. There's also a semi-alfresco restaurant featuring Asian favourites, and a wind-chimed breeze that sweeps through.
Inthira HotelBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511070; www.inthirahotel.com; Th Luang Prabang; standard/superior/deluxe r incl breakfast US$32/43/54; naiW)
While it is located on the main drag and not by the river, the Inthira is still a fine place to stay, with ox-blood rooms enjoying views of the karsts and the old CIA runway (Lima Site 27). Expect hardwood floors, elegant furniture and spotless bathrooms. Avoid the downstairs rooms simply because they lack natural light.
Villa Vang Vieng RiversideBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511460; www.villavangvieng.com; r US$60-76; naWs)
A smart new boutique hotel near the toll bridge. The rooms are relatively small but well-appointed with tasteful furnishings and contemporary bathrooms. The swimming pool is located on the banks of the Nam Song and is open to nonguests for 30,000K per day.
oRiverside Boutique ResortBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %021-511726; www.riversidevangvieng.com; r US$123-150; naiWs)
Sugar-white and uber stylish, this beautiful boutique belle offers generously spaced rooms wrapped around a citrus-green pool and a verdant garden looking out onto the karsts. Rooms themselves are gorgeous with balconies, crisp white sheets, and chic decor straight from the pages of Wallpaper. It's located by the toll bridge.
Enjoy a cocktail in the restaurant while watching people trundling over the bridge – that is if you can tear yourself from the sparkling pool. A new riverside spa has just opened and offers massage with a view.
2Motorcycling
West Vang Vieng Loop
Start Maylyn Guest House
End Maylyn Guest House
Length 26km; six hours
To get right into the heart of the limestone karsts rising out of the rice paddies opposite Vang Vieng, consider this loop by motorbike or mountain bike. We reckon it's best approached as a day trip, with stops at the various caves, viewpoints and swimming holes. It's ideally done on a trail bike, although possible on smaller motos or mountain bikes. The best guide to the area is the Hobo Maps Vang Vieng (www.hobomaps.com; US$2) map, which includes heaps of helpful details including handy references to the numbered power poles that run along part of the road.
Heading west from 1Maylyn Guest House you'll see hand-painted signs to various caves along the first couple of kilometres of the path, only some of which are visit-worthy, and all of which charge 10,000K for admission and/or guiding. Worth considering is 2Tham Pha Daeng, the turn-off to which is located after pole 16. There's a cave pool and the area is the best place to watch the bats stream from their caves every evening. The 2km walk to 3Tham Khan, approached via a 1.5km side road after pole 24, is probably more worthwhile than the long but claustrophobic cave.
At the Hmong village of Ban Phone Ngeun about 3km from Maylyn Guest House, turn right just after pole 42, opposite two basic shops. A flagged road leads past the
local school to a desk where the local kids will collect a fee of 10,000K to take you on the steep 45-minute hike to the top of 4Pha Ngeun, a rocky cliff where the locals have built a few basic observation decks. These offer arguably the most dramatic views of the area for those that don't fancy leaving terra firma with the hot air balloon or ultralight flights on offer in town.
Returning to the main road, keep right at the next intersection where you'll pass through the Lao Loum village of Ban Na Thong. After 2km you'll come to another fork and a sign pointing right to 5Tham Phu Kham, about 700m along a track. Don't confuse this with nearby Tham Phu Thong, as both are referred to by locals as the Blue Lagoon, but Tham Phu Thong is more like a muddy pond. The natural pool at Tham Phu Kham used to be a great place to stop for a refreshing swim, but it has now been overrun with development, including slides, rope swings and more. It can be quiet during the week, but it's packed at the weekend. It's may be better to skip it and head on to Blue Lagoon 3.
Back on the main track, continue west and you'll soon be in 6Ban Na Som, a village of Hmong who have been resettled here. Around here the vegetation on the karsts is scarred by slash-and-burn farming. Just beyond Na Som are signs to 7Golden Flower Cave. Reaching it involves walking through rice fields, climbing a fence and following two white arrows for a few minutes. The cave is about 50m up the hill: look into the undergrowth for the vague stairs, but it's barely worth the effort.
Continuing west a beautiful stretch of track hugs the edge of the karsts and crosses a couple of streams and eventually comes to 8Ban Phon Sai. Here the track joins with a better dirt road, but first you need to cross the Nam Houang (Houang River), which might be tricky in the wet season.
You have a choice now: continue 5km west through more dramatic scenery to 9Ban Nampe, a pretty village but nothing more, or soon start heading back east along the southern route. Either way, don't miss the nearby aBlue Lagoon 3, one of the most beautiful swimming spots in the Vang Vieng area and not the organised chaos that is the original Blue Lagoon. About 6km southeast of Ban Phon Sai, over another couple of creeks, signs point across a small bridge to a track to bPython Cave, about 800m away. Once you've seen this, it's plain sailing back to Vang Vieng. Keep along the road, then go left at the junction (follow the power poles), immediately cross a stream and soon you'll be back on the main track, loop complete.
Out of Town
oMaylyn Guest HouseGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55604095; www.facebook.com/maylynguesthouse; bungalows 80,000K, r 100,000-120,000K; naW)
Over the bridge and run by gregarious Jo, Maylyn's cosy, well-spaced cabanas afford dramatic views of the karsts. There's also a number of immaculate rooms including a newer wing of en suite doubles with tasteful decor and private balcony overlooking the river and cliffs. The lush garden is a wonderland for kids and there is a pair of family rooms for 200,000K.
Chez MangoGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-54435747; www.chezmango.com; r with/without bathroom 80,000/60,000K; W)
Located over the bridge, Mango is friendly, scrupulously clean and has seven basic but colourful cabanas (some with bathrooms) with private balconies in its flowery gardens. Shaded by trees, there's also a sala (open-sided shelter) to read in. Run by Noé, who also runs the excellent Vang Vieng Jeep Tour from here, this is a soporific and restful spot.
Vang Vieng Organic FarmGUESTHOUSE$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511220; www.laofarm.org; dm 35,000-50,000K, r 150,000-250,000K; niW)S
Located by the Nam Song in an idyllically quiet spot a few kilometres out of town, this organic farm has sparklingly clean bungalows with mosquito nets, bedside lamps, en suites and verandahs looking out onto the soaring cliffs. Up the hill are three fan-cooled, eight-bed dorms. There's also a great restaurant: try the mulberry pancakes or mulberry mojitos!
Ban Naduang HomestayHOMESTAY$
( GOOGLE MAP ; %020-55200013; douang_pcl@hotmail.com; homestay 25,000-100,000K; n)S
As an antidote to the late-night scene in Vang Vieng, consider a traditional homestay in Ban Naduang, just 4km from town, but a world away in many respects. All homes include a bed, linen, mosquito net and shared bathrooms. Activities include visiting the nearby Kaeng Nyui Waterfall (30,000K per person) and tree planting (100,000K per group). Rates vary depending on your meal plan and activities.
Real Backpackers HostelHOSTEL$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %030-5259002; dm incl breakfast 55,000K, tr/q 200,000/250,000K; naW)
One of a growing number of budget hostels around town. There is a good vibe to this hostel, with a pool table and table football in the communal restaurant-bar downstairs. It's stumbling distance from some popular bars.
Vieng Tara VillaBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %030-5023102; www.viengtara.com; r US$50-90; naiWs)
This new boutique resort really takes advantage of its location on the west-bank riverside to deliver some incredible views of the looming karst. Choose one of the villa paddy-view rooms, which are set on stilts in the middle of lush rice fields and accessible via a wooden walkway. River-view rooms are cheaper in this instance, as they look towards town. In a word, stylish.
5Eating
oLiving RoomASIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-54919169; mains 30,000-50,000K; h3-11pm; W)
Classy custard-coloured cafe with unbroken views of the cliffs from its hilltop eyrie, and a romantic place to eat with its low-lit and exposed-brick and bamboo interior. Gazpacho, homemade bread, NZ lamb, spicy beef goulash – this Lao-Austrian affair is in every sense a fusion cafe. And the best spot in town for a sunset Bloody Mary.
Amigos Vang ViengMEXICAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-58780574; mains 30,000-60,000K; h9am-1pm & 5-10pm; Wv)
It may come as something of a surprise to find an authentic Mexican restaurant in the backstreets of Vang Vieng, but the tacos, burritos, fajitas and nachos here are some of the best we've tried in all of Laos. Swing by early evening to sample the margaritas and get the evening going with a buzz. It's also open for brunch.
The KitchenINTERNATIONAL$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.inthira.com; Th Luang Prabang; mains 30,000-90,000K; h7am-10pm; aWv)
This smart roadside restaurant at the Inthira Hotel is stylishly informal with an open-range kitchen and decent service. Feast on the spring rolls, pork and lemongrass skewers, pad thai, spare ribs and steamed fish. The menu is similar to Khop Chai Deu in Vientiane if you need a reference point.
Cafe Eh EhCAFE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %030-5074369; breakfast 20,000-40,000K; h7.30am-7pm; aW)
Cafe Eh Eh offers a chilled (we are talking air-con here) retreat from the downtown heat of Vang Vieng, offering a tempting selection of freshly made cakes and gourmet coffee. Breakfast is available, including a trio of pastries for 10,000K, and a limited selection of sandwiches and salads.
Sabaidee BurgerBURGERS$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-98648691; mains 30,000-55,000K; h11am-3pm & 5-11pm; W)
This Belgian burger bar turns out the tastiest burgers in Vang Vieng, with a good range of meat, fish, salmon and vegie options. Beyond burgers, there are salads, wraps, kebabs and 'la mitraillette' – the Belgian answer to a footlong Subway. A Belgian beer selection rounds things off.
Veggie TablesVEGETARIAN$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Th Luang Prabang; mains 30,000-40,000K; h8am-10pm; Wv)
It's vegie heaven at this simple hole-in-the-wall delight. Think colourful check tables, Lao life murals, and a wealth of salads, soups, spring rolls, spaghetti dishes and tofu variations.
Sababa Organic RestaurantJEWISH$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; mains 15,000-40,000K; h7am-10pm; Wv)
Sababa ('Cool' in Hebrew), allegedly run by a Lao Jew, boasts a Hebrew-language menu and, not surprisingly, is the best place in town to find your inner falafel. The chicken schnitzel also gets good reviews, as do the tofu, salads and steak.
oIl TavoloITALIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511768;
Rte 13; mains 38,000-80,000K; h5-11pm Thu-Tue; aW)
The most authentic Italian restaurant in town, 'The Table' is run by a father-and-son team. The menu includes 19 varieties of oven-baked Neapolitan pizzas, a wide selection of pasta, gnocchi and risotto dishes, plus some generous entrées. Wash down your meal with a botttle of Prosecco.
oRestaurant du Crabe d'OrINTERNATIONAL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %023-511726; www.riversidevangvieng.com; mains 50,000-150,000K; h7-10am & noon-10pm; aWv)
Set on the tasteful grounds of the Riverside Boutique Resort, this fine restaurant exudes high-end decor with a Lao flavour, and affords amazing views of the cliffs. The menu will please most palates with grilled salmon steak, pork cutlet with honey and lime sauce, as well as a raft of trad-Asian dishes, all delivered with panache.
The best spot in town to enjoy the sunset over a glass of chilled Taittinger.
Pizza LukaPIZZA$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %020-98190831; mains 60,000K; h6-11pm; W)
Pizza Luka is based in a pretty wooden Lao house. Dine in the mint-green interior or alfresco in the garden where homemade pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven. Flavoured with sausage, goat cheese, bacon and many more ingredients, the pizzas are decked in sauces made from locally grown vegetables.