2 – Group Activity: Discover Vang Vieng
This half or one day tour takes you to several sites surrounding Vang Vieng and introduces you to the thrill of cave exploration. Gain an insight into the Lao people’s way of life and, if you chose the one-day tour, kayak down the beautiful Nam Song river.
Difficulty: 
Half-day programme: Vang Vieng – Tham Xang – Tham Hoi – Tham Nam – Phathao – Vang Vieng
Only 14 km up north from Vang Vieng, discover the amazing Tham Xang (Elephant cave) on the bank of the Nam Song river. It is an important Buddhist temple that owes its name to the remarkable limestone formations in the cave.
Next, we head to the nearby Tham Hoi cave (Snail cave) which winds its way deep into the mountains. Here we spend 45 minutes exploring the numerous long corridors and wonderful limestone formations. We will also explore the Loop Cave and its amazing stalagmite formations before continuing on to Tam Nam (Water cave).
At Tham Nam cave, a cool pool of spring water lies at the mouth. It is a brilliant place to cool off by going for a swim! We tube through the cave which is full of water. In the dry season the water in completely crystal clear!
After this we trek 2 km to the Hmong village of Phathao. The journey there passes through rice paddy fields and vegetable gardens. Up on arrival there is transport to take us back to Vang Vieng.
One-day programme: Vang Vieng – Tham Xang – Tham Hoi – Tham Nam – Phathao – Vang Vieng
Only 14 km up north from Vang Vieng, discover the amazing Tham Xang (Elephant cave) on the bank of the Nam Song river. It is an important Buddhist temple that owes its name to the remarkable limestone formations in the cave.
Next, we head to the nearby Tham Hoi cave (Snail cave) which winds its way deep into the mountains. Here we spend 45 minutes exploring the numerous long corridors and wonderful limestone formations. We will also explore the Loop Cave and its amazing stalagmite formations before continuing on to Tam Nam (Water cave).
At Tham Nam cave, a cool pool of spring water lies at the mouth. It is a brilliant place to cool off by going for a swim! We tube through the cave which is full of water. In the dry season the water in completely crystal clear!
After this we trek 2 km to the Hmong village of Phathao. The journey there passes through rice paddy fields and vegetable gardens.
In the afternoon, we start the trip back to Vang Vieng by kayak. The duration of the kayaking trip depends on the water level in the river. Enjoy paddling down the Nam Song river through idyllic scenes of rural life in the first plan and unique limestone mountain views in the second plan.
| Informations | |
|---|---|
| Start | Riverside Boutique Resort at 9:30 |
| End | Riverside Boutique Resort at 12:30 or 17:00 |
| Duration | Half or full day |
| Activities | Trekking, caving, swimming + kayaking for full-day tour |
| Trekking grade | 2 - easy |
| River grade | 1 - easy |
| Transport | Private songthaew |
| What to bring | Hat, suncream, torch, clothes/footwear to get wet |
| What is included | Water, English-speaking guide, transport (+ meal for full-day tour) |
Price Table
| Duration | Price per person | Private surcharge per group, w/normal transport | Private surcharge per group, w/minivan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
| 2 – Group Activity: Discover Vang Vieng | Half day | $75 | $44 | $34 | $30 | $33 | Upon request |
| 2 – Group Activity: Discover Vang Vieng | Full day | $129 | $70 | $52 | $49 | $49 | Upon request |