Our time in Luang Prabang was at an end. It was time to move on to another city. Vang Vieng is the natural progression from Luang Prabang. We could have continued by boat, but this time we opted for the much faster train.
We had already booked our train tickets to Vang Vieng, but the station was quite far from Old Town. We would need to get a taxi there, so on the morning we were leaving we asked the hotel to help us find one.
While waiting for the van to pick us up, I noticed a headline on a newspaper left there: NATO must be dissolved for the good of humanity. It was the China Daily, a newspaper run by the Chinese Communist Party. The van arrived and we were on our way to the station.
The train station had us scan our bags and go through metal detectors on the way in. It was exactly like a Chinese train station, feeling in many ways like an airport. This is because the LCR (Laos-China Railway) is a collaboration between China and Laos, funded and built by China, so has to follow the same security procedures as China.
Naturally, the train ride felt just like those in China – unsurprising, since it was the exact same model. It was a smooth, yet uneventful ride, to Vang Vieng.
Upon arrival, we caught a tuk tuk into the center of town. Several tuk tuks were already there waiting for the train to arrive. A man organized the arriving passengers into tuk tuks based on their destinations, and the fare seemed standardised.
Our hotel looked fancy at first, but that illusion faded quickly1. After checking in, we went for a walk to explore the town. It was a small town, but more built up than the city of Luang Prabang. There were several bars around, as well as Chinese restaurants.
To the north, we came across a large Buddhist temple, and next to it, a British-style pub that looked inviting. But for now, it was closed. Overhead, hot air balloons floated by, a signature attraction Vang Vieng.
We were getting hungry so we decided to try out some of the street food. As stray dogs lapped at the fountains nearby, we tucked into dumplings and sipped on cold Beerlao before heading back to our hotel.
Our first day in Vientiane was quiet, but the town showed promise. I was eager to check out the stunning limestone karsts and lagoons during the day – and see what the riverside bars had to offer at night.
- It was, in fact, the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in. ↩︎
