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Vang Vieng, Laos—A Good Sport for Nomads?

The short answer—so so. It is a comfortable and fun locale with sufficient resources to get work done, but not more than that. No expansive infrastructure, no community, and a town not oriented towards productive work.

Score (5 stars)
accommodation: * * * * *
living: * * * *
internet: * * 2.5
nomadic community: *
Tourist todo: * * * *
OVERALL score: * * * 3.5 stars.
NOMAD score: * * 2 stars.



Tell me more about this town!
You may have heard of Vang Vieng, as a town of tubing, as a backpacker hangout, and significant destination on the “Banana Pancake Trail”. All correct. It is a town where you can relax, live easy, watch the world go by, or indulge in an orgy of nature adventure. It is a small, northern Laos town surrounded by green hills and lush rice paddies, and lots of nature. Small—a few main streets—an hour of walking will show you everything there is to see. 

You will quickly see that it is a tourist town. The centre is filled with restaurants, guest houses, tour companies, and travel stores. Here you can buy Indian food, eat a street vendor banana pancake for a dollar, purchase a dry bag preparatory to your tubing adventure, or watch "Friends" while sipping a fruit shake. Surrounding this central square kilometre or is the actual town where the locals live. However, there is no tourism present in the town itself. It is a place to sleep and eat. There is only a tiny expat community and after a few days the town can seem samo-samo. The attraction is the nature outside the town.
Vang is also very so slightly ‘rougher’ and ‘edger’ than it northern more sedate, UNESCO neighbour Luang Prabang.

Why Should I go there?
The main reason would be to get away from big city life, enjoy the attraction of unspoilt nature, and to see more of southeast Asia (life is not always about making the next million). Also it is a friendly and relaxed locale. There is also much to do—outside the town are a plenitude of tourist sites, from waterfalls, swimming, caves, temples, historical sights, and green rolling hills.


The Digital Scene?
None. No coworking spaces, no facebook groups, no community, and no real awareness of such. Having said that, there are several suitable venues in which to spend the working day. These are cafes such as Parisen Cafe and Prince Coffee, but that is about it for a comfortable spot with wifi and aircon, with tables and chairs. Vang is not a place for serious, long term work.

Internet?
Ok, but by no means great. There is plentiful wifi in hotels, cafes, and restaurants, but the speed is not so great and there are frequent ‘technical issues’. I will add that the electricity seems to turn itself off once or so a month, on average. The alternative and a necessary backup is phone 4G. There are several phone companies and a multitude of packages, but expect to pay around $10 for say 15GBs a month. There is an offical phone shop in town, not too far from the defunct airfield. I have found the 4G (2019) to be more reliable than wifi internet.


Accommodation?
Excellent. There is a range from one to three stars, most are two stars. You can find the cheapest of dorms or an excellent single room for $20-$30 a day, with a range in between. A few hotels have pools, some yoga, some… Check online and ask around and you will find your dream home away from home. You can live comfy here, for a low price.


Visas?
The good news, Laos is the easiest country in southeast Asia (maybe the world) in which to obtain a tourist visa. One month will be granted on arrival with little fuss, just two pieces of paper, a photo, and ~$30. This can be extended to a total of three months at any immigration office (most big cities) or via an agent. The cost is $2 a day plus a $3 service fee. In my experience the immigration staff are helpful and friendly. A no hassle process. If you want to stay longer in Laos then a work visa is an easy option. One year at a time for $600.

Unfortunately, Vang does not have an Immigration office! You can travel to Vientiane the capital (4 minibus hours) or head north to Luang Prabang (5 minibus hours), or you can pay a local agent to do the upgrade. In Vang the agent of note is Malany travel on Main St. Expect to pay an extra dollar per day.

I hope that this elegant simplicity remains unchanged.


Details
Currency, a mix of local (Kip ~10,000 Kip = us$1), Thai baht, and US dollars is used in Laos. Walking is an easy way to get around town, but bike and motorbike rental is an easy option. Tuk tuks are also available. It is an informal town, tshirts are the normal wear. There are several other nearby tourist towns and sites (Plain of Jars, etc.) worthy of a visit. Most people arrive in Vang from Vientiane. There are two (north and south) bus stations. Bus departures are frequent.

Conclusion
Vang Vieng is a great town to visit for fun and relaxation, but not the place for serious online work. If you are in southeast Asia for a while, then plan to visit and check it out, but don’t plan to stay longer than a week or two.


Safe travels.















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