Vang Vieng / Laos

Vang Vieng is like ‘The Beach’, but without beach. Take the river banks of the Nam Song (River) for it. Vang Vieng has magnetic power for people of the kind you see in the movie ‘The Beach’ (based on Alex Garland’s novel). Young, superficially, hedonistic, politically uninterested, looking for the kick they call freedom, ending up in booze and drug debaucheries. Busloads of backpackers arrive here every day, on the way from Vientiane to Luang Prabang or vice versa, having a stop here for a couple of days, or, changing their mind, for the rest of their trip.

Check the whole article on Vang Vieng with a good deal of pictures…