Tubing in Vang Vieng (affectionately known as Vangers) has become a rite of passage on the South East Asian backpacker trail, and while yes, it is full of drunken foreigners, we had so much fun we went there twice! (please don't judge us).
Making ze tubing with ze Germans... ja!
"What is tubing?", you may well ask... well, basically it is floating down a river in an inflatable tube... drunk. Nice eh?!
Need more explanation? Well, being the veteran tubers we are, we've compiled an easy to follow 15-step-guide-to-tubing;
Our all-star tubing team - Team Orange
Making ze tubing with ze Germans... ja!Need more explanation? Well, being the veteran tubers we are, we've compiled an easy to follow 15-step-guide-to-tubing;
1. Hire a tube from the tubing dudes - you can get 1 tube per person, or 1 between many (recommended for advanced tubers only)
2. Ride a tuk-tuk to the start of the tubing course (3.5kms)
3. Kick off the day with a Beer Lao and a free shot of Lao Lao whiskey at the first bar (optional extra: trapeze or flying fox over the river... watch out for rocks)
4. Float 25m down stream to bar #2
5. Begin on laolao buckets and have a dance with dancing man (see profile below)
6. Float to one of the two mud bars (we prefer the one on the left)
7. Play in mud pits and consume several buckets with newly made tubing buddies
8. Continue on to Slide Bar on the right hand side of the river (you can't miss it... it has a big slide)
9. More buckets and the option of a ride down a dangerous slide.
From here you have a few different options;
10a. Tube back to town before sunset and reclaim your full tube deposit (if this option is selected, you are weak and should skip to step #13)
10b. Tube on to the last bars and continue to drink heavily
11a. Get a tuk-tuk back into town
11b. Float back in the dark (not recommended)
12. Return your tube and reclaim deposit (minus a few bucks fine for late retun)
13. Q-Bar (look for 'Dancing Man' and 'Fan Man')
14. Sunset Bar (look for 'Dancing Man' and 'Tubing Trent')
15. Rock Bar (look for 'Dancing Man' and a cheeky 15 year old)
Repeat as desired.
We loved tubing so much we did it 4 times and each time our tubing posse grew and grew... meet our crew.
2. Ride a tuk-tuk to the start of the tubing course (3.5kms)
3. Kick off the day with a Beer Lao and a free shot of Lao Lao whiskey at the first bar (optional extra: trapeze or flying fox over the river... watch out for rocks)
4. Float 25m down stream to bar #2
5. Begin on laolao buckets and have a dance with dancing man (see profile below)
6. Float to one of the two mud bars (we prefer the one on the left)
7. Play in mud pits and consume several buckets with newly made tubing buddies
8. Continue on to Slide Bar on the right hand side of the river (you can't miss it... it has a big slide)
9. More buckets and the option of a ride down a dangerous slide.
From here you have a few different options;
10a. Tube back to town before sunset and reclaim your full tube deposit (if this option is selected, you are weak and should skip to step #13)
10b. Tube on to the last bars and continue to drink heavily
11a. Get a tuk-tuk back into town
11b. Float back in the dark (not recommended)
12. Return your tube and reclaim deposit (minus a few bucks fine for late retun)
13. Q-Bar (look for 'Dancing Man' and 'Fan Man')
14. Sunset Bar (look for 'Dancing Man' and 'Tubing Trent')
15. Rock Bar (look for 'Dancing Man' and a cheeky 15 year old)
Repeat as desired.
We loved tubing so much we did it 4 times and each time our tubing posse grew and grew... meet our crew.
CLAMY (Claire and Amy)Nationality:
AustralianAssociated Tubing Days: 4
Likes:
TubingDislikes:
Mozzies, tubing back in the darkWhy we love them:
'cos we are them!
THE LOVELY LUNGERS (Katy, Emily and Carly)Nationality:
English
English
Associated Tubing Days: 3
Likes:
Lunges, hats, bucketsDislikes:
Tube stealersWhy we love them:
'cos they're "well fun"!
THE NAUGHTY TUBERS (Paul and Tony)Nationality:
EnglishAssociated Tubing Days: 2
Likes: Hair straightening, 'naughty caves'
Dislikes:
Bowling socks, being photographedWhy we love them:
'cos they're "well rapid"
ZE GERMANS (Philip, Tino, Philipp and Basti)Nationality: German
Associated Tubing Days: 1 (big one!)
Likes: Moustaches, sausages, swings
Dislikes: Puppies, vomiting, us when we mock their accents
Why we love them: Because zey like to make ze tubing und zey are wery funny!
Unfortunately (for you), our tubing posse have, like us, moved on from Vang Vieng and are therefore unavailable to tube with you. But fear not, as you are likely to meet a variety of characters on your trip to Vangers. Keep an eye out for these (or similar) tubing celebrities;
"TUBING TRENT"Nationality:
Canadian (possibly on the verge of Lao residency)Associated Tubing Days:
Going on 300 (no joke)Likes:
Tubing (obviously), matching board-shorts, sunnies and headband outfitsDislikes:
Reality (evidently... the guy has been tubing for over 9 months)Why we love him:
Because he's the ambassador for tubing, man!
"FAN MAN"Nationality:
Unknown (we're not even sure he's from this world)Associated Tubing Days:
Possibly just one, but it must've been a HUUUGE dayLikes:
Dancing with electric fans (preferably oscillating)Dislikes:
Air-Con and ceiling fans (he's unable to dance with either)Why we love him:
Because he was, by far, the drunkest person in Vang Vieng.
"15"Nationality:
AustralianAssociated Tubing Days:
numerous... but he's too young to be tubing anyway (he's only 15!!)Likes:
drinkin' buckets, piggybacks, trying to chat up girls nearly twice his ageDislikes:
People mocking him for his age, anything pre-1994Why we love him:
'cos he's a cool little dude who can hold his drink! (even though he shouldn't be drinking)
"DANCING MAN"Nationality:
IrishAssociated Tubing Days:
Unknown (we never actually saw him out of a bar)Likes:
Dancing, dancing, dancing... free bucketsDislikes:
Standing still, changing clothes, beer in his bucketWhy we love him:
We don't really, but he's hilarious to watch.With all these crazy characters around, we didn't have a single dull moment in Vang Vieng... in fact, the worst thing about it was leaving.
Mud volleyball at the mud bar!We luv Vangers 4 eva x
Hmmmmm, is this what a mother or indeed a grandmother needs to know? But really I am just jealous and happy you got out of there alive and not eaten by an anaconda..or am I on the wrong continent??
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