Hidden away deep in the Laos jungle is a little town called Vang Vieng. It is a small river town nestled along the Mekong River that is enclosed by surrounding mountains, almost resembling a South-East Asian Switzerland.

Mekong River
With tubing as its most famous attraction, thousands of backpackers gather every Summer to out-drink each other whilst floating down the river. Multiple bars line the river so of course a day of tubing details a makeshift pub crawl.
Only you don’t crawl, you float.
We started the day with casual drinks at the hostel. After acquiring a locally brewed bottle of whiskey (that costs a mere $1 USD) we met some other fellow travellers before heading up the river in a tuk tuk.
The first bar was a great ice breaker. The bartenders served drinks and hosted drinking games simultaneously. We played the classics; flip cup, ‘never have I ever’ and the ultimate necessity; what’s a party without beer pong, right?

Bring on the drinking games!
As we floated down the river on our way to the next bar, I took in my surroundings. The compelling green of the endless mountains and the harshly fresh air consumed my attention and interest. I watched a local lady walking alongside the mountain gathering tea leaves and wading through the thick tea bushes she had become entangled in.
My appreciation of the Mekong was suddenly interrupted by a local Laos man screaming at me from the river’s edge whilst vigorously shaking a water bottle in his hand. I don’t know if it was the cheap whiskey that had numbed my brain or the fact that he was speaking in the native Laotian tongue but his efforts to enlighten me were fruitless.
The current had just started to pick up when I realised what was wrong. As people were parking their tubes at the next bar, I was floating away from the river bank and had become swept up in a current that was heading down stream. Maybe I should have stayed closer to the other backpackers.
My tube continued off course and down the path of the forceful gush of water. At this point the man’s tone had turned anxious now as he screamed at me, still waving the water bottle in the air. Water sprayed in my face as I approached a relatively large drop in the water. I knew that if I went over the drop, there would be no way to get back.
The deafening gushes of water were interrupted by a sudden βplonk.β The man had thrown a water bottle to me that had a string attached to it. With out a second thought, I grabbed on to the water bottle and the man pulled. Fighting the rocks that surfaced along the river and the strong, narrow canal of water that had formed, he pulled me closer to the river bank.
Suddenly I noticed several other locals were firing bottles into the water like missiles, plonking on the water’s surface and dragging drunken backpackers towards their little retreat along the side of the river. Watching a mix of locals and tourists happily interacting, I saw a man at the top bar commentating two backpackers being pulled in as if it was a boat race whilst other travelers gave the locals respite and started throwing the bottles into the water to pull their friends to safety.
If that’s not an advertisement for Laos Bottled Water then I don’t know what is!
-Jen.
August 31, 2017 at 4:19 am
We have something similar where I live, and while I love it, we have MAJOR problems with litter. Was this an issue there? I hope not, because it kind of makes the whole experience less fun I think.
August 31, 2017 at 6:14 am
What a neat experience. I have never heard of this and would love to one day have that experience.
August 31, 2017 at 7:07 am
Who’d have thought a relaxing float would turn into such an ordeal?! Vang Vieng is such a cool place. I remember (or not perhaps…) the famous Laos whiskey well!
August 31, 2017 at 9:08 am
Whisky for $1?? Get me to Laos now! haha but no seriously, this looks so much fun I need to visit it!
August 31, 2017 at 11:08 am
What an adventure! Good thing the locals were there to make sure you didn’t end up going over the drop!
August 31, 2017 at 11:58 am
Vang Vieng really is amazingly beautiful! Glad you were able to enjoy the surroundings while tubing on the river. It used to be so overwhelmingly crowded with dangerously drunk/high backpackers that it really ruined the scenery.
September 1, 2017 at 5:46 am
I’m not sure I could handle the combination of being on a boat + alcohol (yes, I consider that a boat :P), but I would love to float down this river and just enjoy the scenery!
September 1, 2017 at 9:58 am
You’re a great story teller…I was literally leaning into my phone as I read about you floating unexpectedly downstream…yay for water bottles!
September 2, 2017 at 1:34 am
I am so cursing myself for leaving out Laos on my last trip!
September 2, 2017 at 2:52 am
I love Laos! I just come back from there, but I went to Luang Prabang π Lao beer is the best beer in the world π Nice pics π
September 2, 2017 at 6:13 am
I haven’t heard before of Vang Vieng, but it sure looks beautiful! Looks like you had an amazing time there! Thenax for making me know something new π
September 2, 2017 at 4:03 pm
Wow! Looks like you guys definitely had fun. I never considered Laos before, but after reading your blog, it made me want to visit there. Thanks for sharing!
September 9, 2017 at 9:42 am
beautiful post π
September 14, 2017 at 11:58 am
OMG this sounds amazing!!! Sounds so much fun, though had you not been saved by a water bottle maybe it would have not had ended so well. Really fun and funny post, I thoroughly enjoyed it π
September 14, 2017 at 8:12 pm
what a close shave! Sounds like an adventure you had. Singapore is so close to Laos but I’ve never gotten a chance to visit! Will definitely add that to my list π looks like you had fun making friends too! I’m quite antisocial so I’m not sure I’ll like making friends at the bar but maybe it’s time I tried!
September 14, 2017 at 9:15 pm
This article makes me laugh. Thanks for sharing. Glad you were saved by the locals
September 14, 2017 at 10:54 pm
That is both really funny and totally scary. Three cheers for the tossed bottle/ropes! It does sound like a fun version of a pub crawl, though, and Vang Vieng sounds perfect for someone on a budget ($1 whiskey???). Thanks for sharing!
September 15, 2017 at 12:37 am
Haa this is so funny (and also quite scary) that the locals take it upon themselves to protect the backpackers. Almost like they know some of them are going to veer off into danger. Kind of sweet actually. I’m glad you were all okay in the end π
September 15, 2017 at 12:37 pm
What an interesting adventure! I am yet to make it to Asia but this sounds and looks really cool! A definite twist to the usual bar hopping one does…although good people are watching out for the safety of others too haha. Thank god for the locals!
September 16, 2017 at 10:20 am
What a fun way to spend the day! I love how you all had to be saved by water bottles, that’s so funny. It’s awesome how the locals are friendly and interactive, it makes the experience so much better!
September 18, 2017 at 12:35 pm
Such beautiful pictures! This makes me want to go on another trip.
December 24, 2017 at 5:01 pm
Vang Vieng is definitely one of my favourite places in S-EA. Great post and I too would recommend Vang Vieng to anyone.
November 29, 2018 at 8:41 pm
That sounds like quite an adventure! I’m glad you made it out okay. I’ve heard that tubing in Vang Vieng is the thing to do…but good to know the importance of being aware of your surroundings and maybe not drinking much before going in the water!