Vang Vieng is a small town of 25,000 people in Laos, which sits alongside the Nam Song River. Limestone cliffs create a beautiful backdrop for the adventure-tourism-oriented town. From “Happy Pizza” and mushroom shakes to natural lagoons, incredible hikes, and local culture, Vang Vieng is whatever you make of it. You can have a drug and alcohol binge, an adventurous week, or experience the local culture. I steered clear of the mushrooms and pizzas but enjoyed exploring the mountains, lagoons, and caves. Here are a few photos I took during my four days in Vang Vieng.
What Photography Gear do I use?
Do you want to know about the cameras, lenses, and different gear I use to capture my adventures? I’ve listed my four different cameras below but you can check out all my lenses, accessories, and favorite camera backpack in my article: MY PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR: WHAT’S IN MY BACKPACK
- My Main Camera: Sony A7riii
- My Drone: DJI Mavic Air2S
- My 360 Camera: Insta360 ONEX2
- Action Camera: GoPro Hero 10
VANG VIENG PHOTO GALLERY
Across the river from Vang Vieng Town, beautiful karst mountains, twist and turn around valleys of rice fields and crops.
Only minutes from the bar and restaurants along the Nam Song River, a dried rice paddy provides a tranquil sunset view for a young Laotian girl.
From Pha Ngeun viewpoint, I sat and watched the sunset as farmers burnt off segments of their crop.
I watched these two young boys push their cart along the road, swapping turns sitting in the cart while their sibling struggled to carry the load on his own.
Vang Vieng is an adventurer’s playground. This is Blue Lagoon 3, a beautiful spot where I could have spent many days hanging out.
Vang Vieng had great sunsets. Four of the five nights I spent in Vang Vieng, the sky lit up in pinks, purples and oranges.
Watching kids playing in Southeast Asia compared to watching kids play in Australia is a lot more entertaining. Spearfishing in the Nam Song River only meters away from tourists enjoying sunset drinks.
I stopped driving my moped when I saw this house. I stared at it for a long time, wondering what it would be like to live in a small hut – isolated – at the foot of a towering mountain. They appeared to live off the land and an old man was tending to some jobs around the outside of the house. How are lives can be so different..
A father drives his two children home as the sun sets on another day in Vang Vieng.
The scale of the mountains in Vang Vieng blew me away and turned this man into a speck on the violently sharp cliffs.
Every night hot-air balloons float up and down the Nam Song River.
A young boy waits for his friends to finish washing in the river below. I would love to know his thoughts in this very moment.
MORE LAOS TRAVEL BLOGS
LUANG PRABANG GUIDE: 9 BEST THINGS TO DO IN LUANG PRABANG
HIKING IN VANG VIENG: HIKING TO BEAUTIFUL VIEWPOINT IN VANG VIENG
BLUE LAGOON IN VANG VIENG: BLUE LAGOON VANG VIENG DAY TRIP
KUANG SI FALLS: KUANG SI WATERFALL
THE WHISKY VILLAGE: THE WHISKY VILLAGE – LUANG PRABANG