Vang Vieng, Laos

Vang Vieng is a small town that used to be mainly known for tubing, which attracted hordes of drunk backpackers. Since the government banned this, Vang Vieng has positioned itself mainly in the adventure sector. There are countless offers for hiking, biking, zip-lining, and buggying.

We decided to go on a bike tour on our own. The bikes might have looked good aesthetically, but the suspension was practically non-existent. And we certainly felt that after hitting the hundredth pothole at the end of the day. :)

Along the way, we spontaneously decided to visit the Silver Flower Cave. It turned out to be an unexpectedly fun and adventurous experience.

On the way there, we had to cross a river with the bikes first, where a small old Laotian man greeted us with a wide grin. It cost '10,000 Kip Entrance', which is approximately CHF 1.2. However, there was no cave in sight, and as a ticket, he handed us self-described notes. And when he then told us to go ahead, he would come afterwards, we immediately felt like we were back in Vietnam, where locals try to make money with supposed admission or parking fees at many tourist attractions. We approached the situation with skepticism and waited at the agreed location. After 10 minutes, the old man actually came running with his dog. It once again showed us how quickly one can have a false impression of a person.

He immediately equipped us with flashlights, and we entered the cave. For about 45 minutes, he led us through the surprisingly large cave full of thousand-year-old stalactites and stalagmites with his lively manner. There were also silver and golden patterns on the ceiling that looked like flowers, which is why the cave is named Silver Flower.

What made the whole experience adventurous was the fact that we didn't wear helmets, and there were no safety precautions such as railings and supports, etc. There was also no light except for our own flashlights. But luckily, nothing happened, and a little thrill can be refreshing too.

After Vang Vieng, we already went to the last stop of our trip. The capital city, Vientiane.

Text by Oli

Image editing by Rahel