vang vieng tubing deaths
Tubing. About the drugs, the drinking, the deaths… how wild it was, and how Laos stopped it by closing down most of the Bars. This once small town exploded with tourism in the early 2000's when river tubing became its main attraction. however, i am a non-swimmer, can anyone advise if tubing is safe for non-swimmers? The Blue Lagoon in Vang Vieng is one . . Today, there is more safety, fewer slides and less alcohol and the visitors can enjoy Vang Vieng tubing in a bit different light… Tubing. You don't get the deposit back if you bring it back late at night, which you will. However, this infamous pastime is still alive and well, though a bit more relaxed than it used to be. When the infamous river bars were shut down in 2012, everyone thought it might be the death knell for . This is a video of all the madness that happens along the river. The rental prices are very clearly marked and posted. After a number of deaths the Laotian government put in place regulations for safety measures but tubing hasn't been totally banned. . Nearly 120,000 partying youths used to descend on the provincial city every year. Vang Vieng tubing is a very popular activity in town but we did not do it. 7; 0; The Nam Song is the lifeblood of Vang Vieng and brings new hopes for ecotourism after years of shame from . It's the perfect place to go for adrenaline activities — most famously, tubing down the river. The majority of Friend s and Family Guy bars have been replaced with organic health food cafes, volunteering opportunities and countryside farm stays. He went underwater and never resurfaced. Start your full-day adventure with pickup from your hotel in Vang Vieng and join a 6-mile ride north to Ban Vieng Samai, the kayak starting point. And i have read about the fun at vang vieng tubing along the nam song river. In 2012, Melbourne teen Daniel Eimutis died while zip-lining along the river. I still didn't want to go partying in Vang Vieng. But the tubing culture has a dark side . As you would imagine, alcohol and water isn't a good combo… Sadly, in 2011, 27 tourist deaths were reported due to drowning or jumping into too-shallow water. Obviously the lack of drugs makes it safer, but also the death-trap water slides and rope swings have all disappeared. Most fatalities occur on the same bar-heavy stretch of river that's less than 1 km long. To get there you will need to cross a toll bridge 2000 LAK (€0.20) per person, 3000 LAK (€0.30) per motorbike or 2000 (€0.20) LAK per bicycle. Perhaps in response to the 27 travelers who died in 2011 while tubing and ziplining in Vang Vieng, the Vientiane Times reported in August 2012 that at least 24 bars along the river will be shut down following a crackdown on the drug scene. In 2011, there were 27 recorded tourist deaths. Tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos (in 2021 and beyond) UPDATE 2021: South East Asia has always been a backpacking hub, no doubt about it. One death is a tragedy, 22 is a sure sign something is very very wrong. Rent a motorbike and just explore the area. The death toll was getting so bad, seven bars along the popular Xong River, which flows through Vang Vieng, were shut down in 2012. People do still go tubing, and they do still visit bars and get drunk on the river. Once, it had a notorious reputation as a place of drunkenness, debauchery, and the alarmingly frequent accidental deaths of tourists.Young people, particularly Australians, Europeans, and North Americans, flocked there in droves for cheap drinks, the easy accessibility of illicit drugs, and a nonstop party. 3. What tubing in Vang Vieng is . Don't go in the river after dark — even with a tube. I'd read that there had already been a dozen people killed on the river this year, and it was only January. Across Southeast Asia, backpackers had told us about the tubing in Vang Vieng. Once you gather a large enough group for a day of debauchery, you can negotiate with a tuk tuk driver to bring you to the first bar along the Nam Song river. These days, the tubing is a lot more relaxed but still tons of fun! Walking from town is simple and only takes 25 minutes. New government-enforced rules have cleaned up Vang Vieng, eliminating its more obvious death traps. Vang Vieng, Laos has a bad-boy reputation as being a drug-fuelled party destination, riddled by accidental river/tubing deaths. What tubing in Vang Vieng is like now Then . Tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos. In Vang Vieng I booked an active tour for the next day. The town of Vang Vieng is located on Route 13, about halfway between Vientiane and Luang Prabang. While tubing in Vang Vieng was once a crazy binge drinking fest filled with lots of alcohol, drugs, and even death, it has since calmed down after a crack down from the Laos government. The Cost of Tubes in Vang Vieng. In 2011, Vang Vieng's hospital recorded 27 tourist deaths. Last summer things got so awful in Vang Vieng following a recorded 27 tubing-related deaths in 2011 and at least seven in 2012* that the Laos government stepped in to clean up the mess. As soon as you leave the dusty town, you begin to see the beauty that first brought Westerners to this region. There are plenty of places you find completely by luck and tonight was one of them. I visited at the height of the tubing parties & again a few years later. As a result, the Lao government shut it down. Vang Vieng, Laos has one of the most spectacular settings in South East Asia. From Luang Prabang, the 185 kilometer trip by bus or . Tubing down the river in Vang Vieng is what the little town in Northern Laos is famous for - and not for the right reasons. Essentially you rent an inflatable, circular tube and let the current of the Nam Song River carry you along while stopping at bars along the way. Vang Vieng Tubing. Note: As of 2015, the tubing and party scene in Vang Vieng is absolutely nothing like it used to be a few years ago, when there were thousands of drunk/high youngsters at the dozens of bars tubing on the river every single day. Over the past years, people would get uncontrollably drunk, hop on a tube, float down the river and stop every 100 meters or so at another bar to continue. Since then, Vang Vieng has worked hard to re-establish its reputation as being about so much more than just tubing, with adventure seekers flocking for rock climbing and yoga. As you reach the river and cross the rickety bridge to the . Vang Vieng is a small town in Laos, settled on the Nam Song River, about four hours by bus north of the capital, Vientiane. In Vang Vieng I booked an active tour for the next day. The town hugs the banks of the Nam Song, a river which cuts through the limestone landscape to form the iconic karsts. Image credit: Madeleine Deaton. But it is a much more relaxed affair now. Life after death in Vang Vieng published : 12 Feb 2017 at 03:35 writer: Bob James. Tubing is now just a slow roll down the river, a perfect way to relax and take in the view. The bars main focus is just to outdo one another with the music, games and swings. 20 PEOPLE DIED IN 12 MONTHS Initially we checked into a guesthouse for a night but didn't like it at all so moved into a hostel the following day. 3. It's been reported that there are over 20 deaths per year, but there seemed to always be an inconsistency with the numbers and a lack of press coverage . Laos'climbing death rate proves party paradise is a . Thanks. It was around noon and I was at Q Bar, the . A new safety plan was introduced and the tubing paradise quickly re-opened. This cave is a bit further, and this time you have to climb rocks to get there. Another popular cave in Vang Vieng is the Tham Phu Kham Cave. Tubing in the 'good old days'. Once, and perhaps still is, the most famous activity in Vang Vieng, with hordes of party-goers drinking their way down the river from pre-prepared drinks or riverside bars. Tubing and Vang Vieng have always gone hand in hand. The police cleaned out the drugs scene and alcohol sales were curbed. There are still bars, but the . Is tubing in Laos dangerous after all? But stimulants are always hidden in the accident, and it happens very often, year after year, in 2011 there were 27 deaths. Good times! Nobody will be around to help you if you need it. Full story: http://www.aroundthisworld.com/drunk-and-dangerous-tubing-the-vang-vieng-laos/ Tubing, according to local lore, took off when Thanongsi Sorangkoun, the founder of the riverside Organic Farm Vang Vieng north of town, gave a volunteer a tube to go down the river (Mr. T., as . While tubing in Vang Vieng used to be synonymous with lots of drinking, crazy partying, and even death, it still is a big attraction in the small riverside town. In a 2012 interview with The Guardian newspaper, a senior doctor at the Vang Vieng Hospital, Dr Chit, said the overall figure is higher because "many fatalities are taken straight to Vientiane". Your kayaking guide will provide you with paddling instructions before you set off downstream on Nam Song River. A decade ago Vang Vieng was infamous on the backpacker circuit as the home of hedonistic and alcohol-fuelled tubing daytrips along the Nam Song (Song River). Authorities found drinks given to tourists were laced with opium . However, crackdowns have happened ever since 2011 when 27 tourists died on the river. The cave is open daily from 8am-11am and 1pm-4pm and has a 15,000 LAK (€1.50) entry fee. Tubing Vang Vieng has been marred with scenes of drunkenness and debauchery, but now its a great way to see Laos on the the Vang Vieng backpacker scene. • The trip was provided by Audley Travel (01993 838 000, audleytravel.com), which offers tailor-made holidays to Laos; a 16-day itinerary with time in Vang Vieng, starts from £2,980pp . Tubing in Vang Vieng AND safety; I heard all kinds of stories about all the accidents/deaths that happened every year. Tubing was first banned, then gradually reintroduced. The first stop on the tubing adventure is to get your inner tube! In the tubing in Vang Vieng Laos! . The new Vang Vieng still retains some of the old ways. You drift along at a lazy pace, past lush forests, herds of cattle and young boys spearfishing near the banks. There are still incidents, although nowhere near as many as there used to be. This price also includes your tuk-tuk ride to the beginning of the river. After looking into it though, I realized that these were . Tubing in Vang Vieng has been one of the must things to do in Vang Vieng. Here's what you need to know. Tube Rental: 60,000 kip per person ($7.20 USD) Tube Deposit: 60,000 kip per person ($7.20 USD) which will be refunded if you return the tube by 8 PM. The town was first put on the map thanks to this activity, which was combined with pub crawling and quirky river bars to create one of the undisputed nightlife musts of Southeast Asia. Sadly, in 2011, 27 tourist deaths were reported due to drowning or jumping into too-shallow water. 13. and Vang Vieng tubing was synonymous with getting totally fucked up and diving head first into the river from the many jumping platforms and rope swings at the bars along the banks . We arrived early morning from a short four hour bus ride from Luang Prabang and had our pick of guesthouses. Drugs are still readily available around town, however, if you are like me and came for the adventures, not the 'trips' then you will spend most of your time across the river. Posted April 9, 2012. Most guidebooks say that a few people die every year. (tubing, kayaking, mountain biking) and the spectacular limestone karst landscape surrounding the town. Here we will be doing the infamous river tubing in Vang Vieng, known as Laos' most dangerous attraction! . Tuk Tuk Up-charge: The rental price includes the tuk tuk ride to the start of the tubing point if there are . This went on for years, deaths and injuries unreported and a growing number of angry parents around the world. Don't swim in the river without a tube. Consequently, many bars were closed, tubing was banned, security tightened, and Vang Vieng almost disappeared from travel itineraries. Vang Vieng is known for its karst mountain ranges, limestone cliffs, scenic paddy fields, and the blue lagoon. . . In 2012 there were 27 backpacker deaths on the Nam Song in Vang Vieng. Rent a motorbike and just explore the area. Back in the late 2000's, when river tubing in Vang Vieng was at its peak of popularity, there were HUNDREDS of deaths and THOUSANDS of accidents per year in Vang Vieng thanks to river tubing. The concept is simple: rent a tube, catch a free . In early 2012, two Australian backpackers died within a month. Booze flows from Khao San Road to the best clubs in Bali, the best full moon parties rave and sometimes, just sometimes, you get to float down the Mekong river in an inner tube, getting pulled into wooden shacks as you go down for free shots and plenty of buckets . This all stopped in 2012 after a number of accidental deaths… rumour has it that more than 20 young tourists died from drownings, heart attacks and broken necks from poorly erected . To rent the tube you need to pay around $6 with another $6 deposit. For some people, it can be long and not easy. Tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos with kids. Though, it is refundable on the condition you return the tube before 8pm. So if you're planning to go tubing in Vang Vieng as well, here's my experience and advice of it! Tubing in Vang Vieng became very famous or even infamous a few years ago because it was connected to drinking, drugs which lead to a few deaths. Bliss out in the cold turquoise waters of the Blue Lagoon. Eventually the Laos government cracked down on the chaos of Vang Vieng tubing. Anyway, this cave is very dark, so it's possible to rent a lamp for 10000 kips (one euro). Picture perfect: Vang Vieng's natural beauty will continue to attract visitors, despite the death of tubing. . After all those incidents, the slide of death was removed and the tubing was closed in 2012. There are no 'death slides' or precarious rope swings over shallow water, and only a . I went tubing in Vang Vieng before it was banned in 2012 and given a safety makeover by the Laos government, when it was arguably at its most dangerous. Tubing Vang Vieng Price The price for the tube is 55,000 LAK / $6.60. So if you're planning to go tubing in Vang Vieng as well, here's my experience and advice of it! Daniel Eimutis died while tubing in Van Vieng in 2012. Iceland isn't the only country with a legit Blue Lagoon - Vang Vieng . However, things have changed since the stories of drunken tubing . . While in Vang Vieng, I heard an ominous (though unconfirmed) rumor that four people had died within the past two months. Now, let's come and experience Tubing game in Vang Vieng with our guide Vang Vieng river tubing (Vang Vieng Tubing) — The fullest guide for tubing on Nam Song river in Vang Vieng, Laos below. Vang Vieng town. 4. Tubing is still Vang Vieng's favourite past time. Was I being naïve to think floating down a shallow river at low speed was pretty harmless. THE DEATH SLIDE. It is nearby Paradise Vang Vieng Hotel. Tubing Down the Nam Song River. Arrival to the backpacker haven of southeast Asia and the start of tubing in Vang Vieng Laos. There are many blog posts about this! By Rory. There aren't any rope swings or death slides. When the infamous river bars were shut down in 2012, everyone thought it might be the death knell for . Each year averaged around 20 deaths until the government decided to step in . Tubing in Vang Vieng was brilliant fun but to go to Laos just for the tubing probably isn't worth it considering the effort . They don't call it the "Death Slide" for nothing! Vang Vieng's tiny hospital recorded 27 tourist deaths in 2011 due to drowning or diving head first into rocks, including that of a 23-year-old Dorset man, Benjamin Light. Make sure to land somewhere that's free of rocks. I didn't know about river tubing and wasn't interested - I wanted to go to Luang Prabang, the former capital, a beautiful city set around verdant green hills and filled with monks in Fanta-orange gowns accepting . But not for too long. May. Saturday, April 14, 2012 | click to enlarge: I was a little nervous about tubing the Nam Song River with the kids while in Vang Vieng, Laos. . But in the early 2000s, the construction of hotels, bars and clubs transformed the city.It brought a mass influx of backpackers in Vang Vieng, and it started to distort the beauty of the city. Buy a wet bag in advance. Tubing and Vang Vieng have always gone hand in hand. A notable one is Than Nam, a Water Cave made up of a network of rivers running through the mountainside which, incidentally, allows you to go tubing for up to 500m into the mouth. One has a slide named the death slide and its appropriately named considered it caused its fair share of injuries. Vang Vieng is gorgeous, even without the tubing madness Tips to Survive Tubing in Laos; Don't buy a wet bag there, they cost a couple of dollars but they don't work. Vang Vieng's hospital recorded . As a result, the Lao government shut it down. A tubing bar just outside Vang Vieng - it's not like this anymore (at least not when I went) . The 155 kilometer trip will take about 4 hours and cost between 50,000 and 60,000 Kip per person. The town was first put on the map thanks to this activity, which was combined with pub crawling and quirky river bars to create one of the undisputed nightlife musts of Southeast Asia. On the journey, glide over many small rapids and enjoy the scenery of the incredible mountain karts along both sides of the river.