Things on our travels don't always go well and here is my story of how NOT to go tubing in Vang Vieng in Laos - yes it's a great place but there are dangers and things can just go horribly wrong...I'm advising travellers to stay safe and careful!
Vang Vieng is a party town so head there, meet new friends and party the night away without a care in the world. Just be aware that you are going tubing the next day and you want to be in a fit and able state for that!
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.
I loved the next few hours as the tubing began. Everyone started dancing, drinking, partying and just having a great time. It was fun and all was good!
Before starting the tubing I bought one of those tubing waterproof bags. Big mistake by the way - they are not safe or secure in any way. I shouldn't have bought one and I shouldn't have brought it with me. After getting in my tube at the second bar, I struggled in the fast waters and didn't make it over to the next bar. In amidst the struggle I lost my wallet and camera and my green waterproof bag in the madness of it all. It was gone forever.
Going with it was my entire money and credit cards for the entire trip, plus 3 other ID cards and my camera full of memories of photos and videos. Oh dear! And I was now stranded in a bar in Vang Vieng. With other people of course. I met up with my mate Chaz again in the bar and he too had lost his wallet but kept his phone. He luckily didn't bring all his cards with him and I still have no idea why I risked taking everything into the river that day. Maybe to teach myself a lesson and realise I was wrong. I trusted myself more than I trusted the hostel, and I was wrong to do that.
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!
By the time I was in the third bar I wanted just to go home, I had lost everything and couldn't even pay for a ride home. It was now almost dark.
By chance I came across a local Laos girl with a motorbike. Her name was Mickey and she gave me a lift back to the hostel in the town called Vang Vieng. I was actually safe and healthy, but gutted to lose the wallet and camera. I hadn't had fun tubing the way most people do.
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.
Lessons to learn about the dangers of tubing in Vang Vieng, LAOS:
- Take only money with you - trust me.
- NEVER take a camera (it will either get destroyed or lost. Others will have cameras - ask for their photos.
- Make sure you don't use or take one of those waterproof bags in with you
- Go easy on the alcohol consumption
- Avoid drugs
So in closing, head to Vang Vieng and enjoy it, but BE CAREFUL! People die in the river ever year, at least I survived, at the end of the day, it's only money...
The town of Vang Vieng is still excellent though!
Happy travels!
Enjoy your time in Vang Vieng...
Don't Stop Living!
Vang Vieng is a party town so head there, meet new friends and party the night away without a care in the world. Just be aware that you are going tubing the next day and you want to be in a fit and able state for that!
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.
I loved the next few hours as the tubing began. Everyone started dancing, drinking, partying and just having a great time. It was fun and all was good!
Before starting the tubing I bought one of those tubing waterproof bags. Big mistake by the way - they are not safe or secure in any way. I shouldn't have bought one and I shouldn't have brought it with me. After getting in my tube at the second bar, I struggled in the fast waters and didn't make it over to the next bar. In amidst the struggle I lost my wallet and camera and my green waterproof bag in the madness of it all. It was gone forever.
Going with it was my entire money and credit cards for the entire trip, plus 3 other ID cards and my camera full of memories of photos and videos. Oh dear! And I was now stranded in a bar in Vang Vieng. With other people of course. I met up with my mate Chaz again in the bar and he too had lost his wallet but kept his phone. He luckily didn't bring all his cards with him and I still have no idea why I risked taking everything into the river that day. Maybe to teach myself a lesson and realise I was wrong. I trusted myself more than I trusted the hostel, and I was wrong to do that.
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!
By the time I was in the third bar I wanted just to go home, I had lost everything and couldn't even pay for a ride home. It was now almost dark.
By chance I came across a local Laos girl with a motorbike. Her name was Mickey and she gave me a lift back to the hostel in the town called Vang Vieng. I was actually safe and healthy, but gutted to lose the wallet and camera. I hadn't had fun tubing the way most people do.
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.
Lessons to learn about the dangers of tubing in Vang Vieng, LAOS:
- Take only money with you - trust me.
- NEVER take a camera (it will either get destroyed or lost. Others will have cameras - ask for their photos.
- Make sure you don't use or take one of those waterproof bags in with you
- Go easy on the alcohol consumption
- Avoid drugs
So in closing, head to Vang Vieng and enjoy it, but BE CAREFUL! People die in the river ever year, at least I survived, at the end of the day, it's only money...
The town of Vang Vieng is still excellent though!
Happy travels!
Enjoy your time in Vang Vieng...
Don't Stop Living!
About the Author:
For more amusing travel stories and tips like Tubing Going Wrong in Vang Vieng head to Jonny Blair's extremely global website A Lifestyle of Travel.
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