Travelling takes us to incredible places such as Vang Vieng in Laos - sadly my time in Laos wasn't much fun and I want to warn other travellers of the dangers of Vang Vieng and how not to go tubing. What went wrong for me can go wrong for anyone so really - be careful!
After arriving in Vang Vieng you will meet a host of new friends to party the night away with in the many bars there. Enjoy yourself but remember not to drink too much - as the next day you are probably going tubing!
After the night up, it was up and ready for a crazy day of tubing. Everything was going well and a truck took us to the first bar of the tubing.
The next few hours were crazy and amazing - meeting new people, drinking, partying, dancing and singing. It was all good fun!!
Earlier in the day I had bought a green waterproof "Tubing Bag" for my wallet and my camera (plus one spare memory card). That was all I needed for the day - wallet and camera. The stupidest thing I did was I brought ALL my cards and money with me (including my Hong Kong ID card and my currency in HK Dollars, US Dollars and Laos Kipp). The reason I brought it all was I didn't trust leaving it in the hostel. First mistake was bringing it all with me. Second mistake was buying that green bag. By the time bar four arrived, as I was reeling myself in on the tube, I got distracted by a stupid green bottle on a rope which I thought was my waterproof bag. As I reached for it, I lost my way into the bar and turned round to swim across. It all happened very quick and the currents on the stream are fast, believe me. Once something disappears down the river, it's gone. My green waterproof bag (which was attached round my neck) had disappeared forever.
I lost my money, credit cards and ID cards as well as my camera, all in the quest to reach another bar to drink more alcohol. Crazy. I met my mate Chaz again though but it was a bad idea taking the green waterproof bag with me.
I got a drink off my mate and managed to still have my flip flops and my travelling Northern Ireland flag. But I had lost the more important things - camera and wallet.
Later on it was obvious that I also had an ear infection from the swimming in the Nam Song river. The only good thing was my passport was back at the hostel and that I was healthy and safe!
As everyone else partied in the fourth or fifth bar, I simply walked alone alongside the river looking in vain for my wallet and camera. I knew it was gone forever. Travelling on a budget, I had blown the lot on one day of tubing. After walking for a while I realised I was in the middle of nowhere and it was getting dark.
A local girl called Mickey saved the day, popping over with a scooter asking me to jump on and giving me a ride through the pouring rain back to the town of Vang Vieng. Pure madness. I was safe and well, but the tubing experience had been a bad one.
By the way you can get all sorts of drinks and drugs in Vang Vieng and on the tubing. People walk around drinking mushroom shakes and are off their heads on drugs.
Here's the lessons I learnt from the horrible tubing experience in Vang Vieng, Laos:
- Take only money with you - trust me.
- Make sure you don't take a camera - you will lose it or it will get broken. Borrow photos from others.
- NEVER buy or take a useless waterproof bag!
- Don't drink too much
- Don't take drugs
In closing - head to the town of Vang Vieng and go tubing but be very careful - it's dangerous, people die tubing every year.
You will still enjoy the town of Vang Vieng!
Safe travels!
Living the tubing dream in Vang Vieng...
Don't Stop Living!
After arriving in Vang Vieng you will meet a host of new friends to party the night away with in the many bars there. Enjoy yourself but remember not to drink too much - as the next day you are probably going tubing!
After the night up, it was up and ready for a crazy day of tubing. Everything was going well and a truck took us to the first bar of the tubing.
The next few hours were crazy and amazing - meeting new people, drinking, partying, dancing and singing. It was all good fun!!
Earlier in the day I had bought a green waterproof "Tubing Bag" for my wallet and my camera (plus one spare memory card). That was all I needed for the day - wallet and camera. The stupidest thing I did was I brought ALL my cards and money with me (including my Hong Kong ID card and my currency in HK Dollars, US Dollars and Laos Kipp). The reason I brought it all was I didn't trust leaving it in the hostel. First mistake was bringing it all with me. Second mistake was buying that green bag. By the time bar four arrived, as I was reeling myself in on the tube, I got distracted by a stupid green bottle on a rope which I thought was my waterproof bag. As I reached for it, I lost my way into the bar and turned round to swim across. It all happened very quick and the currents on the stream are fast, believe me. Once something disappears down the river, it's gone. My green waterproof bag (which was attached round my neck) had disappeared forever.
I lost my money, credit cards and ID cards as well as my camera, all in the quest to reach another bar to drink more alcohol. Crazy. I met my mate Chaz again though but it was a bad idea taking the green waterproof bag with me.
I got a drink off my mate and managed to still have my flip flops and my travelling Northern Ireland flag. But I had lost the more important things - camera and wallet.
Later on it was obvious that I also had an ear infection from the swimming in the Nam Song river. The only good thing was my passport was back at the hostel and that I was healthy and safe!
As everyone else partied in the fourth or fifth bar, I simply walked alone alongside the river looking in vain for my wallet and camera. I knew it was gone forever. Travelling on a budget, I had blown the lot on one day of tubing. After walking for a while I realised I was in the middle of nowhere and it was getting dark.
A local girl called Mickey saved the day, popping over with a scooter asking me to jump on and giving me a ride through the pouring rain back to the town of Vang Vieng. Pure madness. I was safe and well, but the tubing experience had been a bad one.
By the way you can get all sorts of drinks and drugs in Vang Vieng and on the tubing. People walk around drinking mushroom shakes and are off their heads on drugs.
Here's the lessons I learnt from the horrible tubing experience in Vang Vieng, Laos:
- Take only money with you - trust me.
- Make sure you don't take a camera - you will lose it or it will get broken. Borrow photos from others.
- NEVER buy or take a useless waterproof bag!
- Don't drink too much
- Don't take drugs
In closing - head to the town of Vang Vieng and go tubing but be very careful - it's dangerous, people die tubing every year.
You will still enjoy the town of Vang Vieng!
Safe travels!
Living the tubing dream in Vang Vieng...
Don't Stop Living!
About the Author:
For more quirky travel stories and tips like Tubing Going Wrong in Vang Vieng head to Jonny Blair's extremely recommended website A Lifestyle of Travel.. This article, Tubing Going Wrong In Vang Vieng has free reprint rights.
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