Lives were played out along the river, and in the lively main street the locals were selling everything from knives to colourful shirts.
This was Vang Vieng, a remote town in Vientiane province.
We escaped Vientiane capital last weekend for a short break inVang Vieng, located on the road 13 north about 170 km from Vientiane. The journey to Vang Vieng town took us about three hours in a pick-up.
We entered a different world. Here it was not busy like Vientiane City. Vang Vieng may be economically poor, but it is rich in natural beauty and culture. There is a lot here for the adventurous tourist.
We reached Vang Vieng as darkness fell in the late afternoon.
"What is there to do in Vang Vieng?" I asked a restaurant owner. He told my friends and me about rafting, cliff-climbing and trekking to see minority lifestyles.
We didn't have time to do all those things, so we opted for a half-day boating on the Nam Song River. The low-season price is only 30,000 kip per person. It is a good idea to book before taking the trip on the Nam Song River but you can do it at the boat rental shop in the town.
After breakfast the next day my friend and I began the half-day kayaking trip and found it the perfect way to spend the morning. We began rafting at Vieng Samay village, about seven kilometres out of town.
We began a dramatic journey on the boat through endless green limestone stretching out and spreading over the town. It was breath-taking. For mile after mile the current on the Nam Song River threw our boat from side to side. Then suddenly we arrived at Phou Din Daeng gardens for a visit. There we tasted the local wines, made from fruits such as bananas and lemons. They carried a price tag of only $1.50 per bottle.
While we cruised downstream, I asked my Vietnamese friend, who had been in Laos for eight months, "How's Vang Vieng?" "Wow! It is the most beautiful nature spot I have seen in Laos," she replied.
Full of wine from the Phou Din Daeng gardens, we sailed for about 45 minutes watching life along the river. While we glided downstream, I felt lost in a world of stone, whose shapes change with the angle and the light. I thought the mysterious and romantic beauty of Vang Vieng rivalled anything I had ever seen.
When our boat reached historic None Cave (sleeping cave), our second stop, our guide said that refugees used the cave's darkness to hide during wartime.
Because of the natural beauty of Vang Vieng, life has changed little here in recent years and it is worth the three-hour trip.