Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng - Belly Flips and Gorgeous Views

If you get vertigo, or motion sickness, or have anxiety with hairpin turns, overtaking vehicles on blind turns, or narrowly avoiding dogs, motorcycles, coach buses and cars, then the road from Luang

Prabang to Vang Vieng is not for you.

If you are excited by hairpin turns, enjoy seeing some of the most beautiful rain forested mountains, don't mind getting a little close to travel companions and don't eat too big of a breakfast, the road from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng is most definitely for you.  Through potholes and narrow passes, the road twists and winds up and down mountain passes for about 6 1/2 hours, churning the bellies of even the hardiest of backpackers.  For my Vietnam buddies, just imagine the Hai Van Pass, but even more turns, and for six hours.
There are a number of ways your vehicle can get delayed: punctures, collisions, suicidal cattle, landslides, murphy's law is in full swing and spares no one.


Through Laos, I've traveled with a group of people who all met on the slow boat (you know - the one with the monkey).  Instead of going to Vang Vieng on a coach bus that would pack people (and their animals) in like cattle, we hired a private minivan which ended up being quicker and cheaper due to the

number of people in our group (nine).  We set off around 8:15am from Luang Prabang and everyone was in great spirits.  Since we had the van to ourselves, Tenacious D and Magic Numbers streamed through the speakers as the van started the ascent up into the mountains.  Soon into our trip, I noticed both girls on either side of me weren't doing too well.  We had already skirted around quite a few turns and I had fished a ziploc out of my backpack - just in case.

"Stop..."  said the girl to my left.  "Stop the van."

We stopped by a few wooden shacks where locals sold their farmed goods and bags of chips.  She got rid of her breakfast while we explored the area.  Over two thirds of Laos' 6 million population lives in rural areas, so it's interesting to see how the mountain villagers live, especially in such an isolated area.

Back on the road and soon after, I turned around and almost everyone was sleeping.  I don't know how they did it with all those turns but I had to look forward quickly.  Just turning my head around for ten seconds, my stomach would start to do handsprings.  I was actually really enjoying the ride.  It was like a really long gentle roller coaster, with some of the most spectacular views possible.  Just when I was wishing my trip photos weren't so blurry, a girl from behind me said she needed to use the bathroom, and we were approaching a rest stop anyway.  Our van pulled off and allowed us to explore.  There were a few shops, a bathroom, and a lookout.  Wow - what a view.  My opinion of Laos was improving by the minute.

Once I took sufficient panoramic photos, I went back to use the bathroom.  Now, Laos bathrooms in general haven't been the highlight of my visit to this country.  I don't mind squat toilets, but they certainly aren't preferred.  I found my wipes and approached the bathrooms.

NO.....WAY!!!!

I hurried into the stall, giddy as a child to take advantage of the most amazing john view of my life.  Seated on my porcelain throne, I could look out over the mountain range.  It was clean and beautiful.

So, what could be a terrifying torture puke chamber, can also turn out to be a riveting, awe-inspiring journey through mountainous Laos.

View from the throne