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Coordinates: 18°56′N 102°27′E / 18.933°N 102.450°E / 18.933; 102.450
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Reinstated this page as it is far more accurate. To whoever thinks they own this page and keeps changing it back to how they would like it to be, you have obviously not been to Vang Vieng recently.
Undid revision 473306032 by 143.188.101.65 (talk) read WP:V and comply with it. compliance is mandatory.
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==Effects of tourism==
==Effects of tourism==


There have been worries that the town is in danger of losing its charm as it becomes full of tourists, [[Magic mushrooms|mushroom shakes]] and [[Friends]] - the US sitcom is shown in many bars.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://blogs.smh.com.au/travel/archives/2009/08/paradise_lost.html| publisher=Sydney Morning Herald| date=26 August 2009| title=Paradise Lost}}</ref> [[The New Zealand Herald]] wrote, "If teenagers ruled the world, it might resemble Vang Vieng".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10598855| publisher=New Zealand Herald| date=22 September 2009| title=A tragedy waiting to happen }}</ref> Safety measures for the tubing have been described as "non existent" and a mixture of this and heavy drinking has seen tourists drown.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10598855| publisher=New Zealand Hearald| date=22 September 2009| title=A tragedy waiting to happen}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-14918533=BBC| date=14 September 2011| title=Bournemouth man died after river 'tubing' in Laos}}</ref> It was reported that 22 tourists died in the river in 2011<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/man-dies-tubing-in-laos-river-20120112-1pvtf.html| publisher=The Age| date=12 January 2012| title=Man dies 'tubing' in Laos river}}</ref>.
Due to the recent influx of backpackers, the natives of Vang Vieng have seen a drastic change in their community. It was once a quiet and peaceful town, rarely visited by western tourism, except the most adventurous of hiking and caving enthusiast. However in recent years, Vang Vieng has become a milestone stop along the South East Asia backpacker tour and the main street is now littered with guest houses, bars, restaurants, internet cafes and tour agencies. Backpacker numbers have skyrocketed and the place has changed drastically since. Inconsiderate behaviour such as walking through the town without a shirt, or in a bikini (both are VERY disrespectful to the locals), drinking to excess, and smoking opium in public means Vang Vieng is no longer a magical place, and the senior locals, once so friendly and hopeful for the future, have now become distant and disillusioned. Crime has increased markedly as local youths attempt to imitate western culture and battle substance abuse. Visitors should be respectful and observe local custom by dressing modestly in public and drinking in moderation.


The Laos government is planning to put more controls on the urban sprawl of Vang Vieng,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://laovoices.com/2009/07/22/keeping-vang-viengs-tourism-vibrant/| publisher=Vientiane Times| date=16 June 2009| title=A plan to keep Vangvieng tourism alive}}</ref> while the Laos National Tourism Administration has "awareness programs" that ask tourists to "respect and strictly follow the rules, regulations, tradition and cultures of the Lao people," while also educating local people to maintain the Lao identity, way of life, tradition and culture and not imitate tourist behaviour.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/world/idyllic-laos-threatened-by-sex-drugs-and-debaucherous-behaviour/story-e6frezk9-1225841761972| publisher=The Daily Telegraph| date=17 March 2010| title=Laos threatened by sex and drugs}}</ref> Vang Vieng is known to have a problem with drugs, which are easily accessible to both tourists and local children.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/314/features.shtml| publisher=Chiang Mai Mail| date=2 March 2009| title=The decline and fall of Vang Vieng}}</ref>
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/down-the-tube-20110727-1hzzc.html

Locals have said that tubing and tourism are destroying the town's culture and encouraging crime among children, while loud music destroy's the area's tranquility.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.smh.com.au/travel/down-the-tube-20110727-1hzzc.html|publisher=sydney Morning Herald|title=Down the tube|date=30 June 2011}}</ref> A report into the future of tourism in Vang Vieng found that many budget tubers were "oblivious to, or uncaring about, the types of social, economic and environmental impact they are associated with." <ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.stdplaos.com/technical_reports.html| publisher=STDP Laos|title=Vang Veng Staying Longer Spending More|date=August 2009}}</ref> A master plan for Vang Vieng notes that local grievances include pollution, inappropriate behaviour of tourists and environmental damage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stdplaos.com/downloads/technical_reports/part1_b/Vang%20Vieng%20Master%20Plan.%20DFR.pdf|publisher=Hansen Partnership|title=Vang Vieng Town and Environs Master Plan, 2010 -2020|date=December 2009}}</ref>

Brett Dakin, the author of ''Another Quiet American'', a chronicle of two years in Laos working for the tourist authority, said, "Each time a young Australian woman strolls down the street in a bikini, a bearded American smokes a joint on a guesthouse terrace, or a group of Koreans tumbles drunkenly out of a restaurant, it saps a little more of the essence of a town like Vang Vieng.".<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/world/idyllic-laos-threatened-by-sex-drugs-and-debaucherous-behaviour/story-e6frezk9-1225841761972| publisher=The Daily Telegraph| date=17 March 2010| title=Laos threatened by sex and drugs}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 09:25, 26 January 2012

Vang Vieng
ວັງວຽງ
Country Laos
Admin. divisionVientiane Province
Population
 • Total25,000
 • Religions
Buddhism

Vang Vieng (Lao: ວັງວຽງ) is a tourism-oriented town in Laos, located in Vientiane Province about four hours bus ride north of the capital. The town lies on the Nam Song river. The most notable feature of the area is the karst hill landscape surrounding the town.[1]

History

Vang Vieng was first settled around 1353 as a staging post between Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Originally named Mouang Song after the body of the deceased King Phra Nha Phao of Phai Naam was seen floating down the river, the town was re-named Vang Vieng during French colonial rule in the 1890s.[2][3] Significant expansion of the town and its infrastructure occurred during the 1964-73 Vietnam War when the US developed an Air Force base and runway that was used by Air America. The airstrip was then called 'Lima site 6'. In more recent times, the town has grown substantially due to the influx of backpackers attracted by the opportunities for adventure tourism in a limestone karst landscape.[4]

Tourism

Landscape in Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng has become a backpacker-oriented town, with the main street featuring guest houses, bars, restaurants, internet cafes, tour agencies and western tourists [5] Attractions of the town include inner tubing and kayaking on the Nam Song River, which is lined with bars selling Beer Lao and Lao-Lao, and equipped with rope swings, zip lines, and large decks for socializing.[6]

The Vang Vieng local community have organised themselves into a cooperative business association to sell tubing as an activity, in a system in which 1,555 participating households are divided into 10 village units, with each village unit taking its turn on a ten-day rotation to rent inner-tubes to the tourists.[7] Thanongsi Sorangkoun, owner of the organic farm in Vang Vieng, says that tubing inadvertently began in 1999 when he bought a few rubber tubes for his farm volunteers to relax on along the river.[8] During the wet season, the river can be a series of rapids.[9]

Other activities include trekking and rock climbing in the limestone mountains.[10] There are also numerous caves, such as Tham Phu Kham cave half an hour from Vang Vieng by tuk-tuk or the Tham Jang cave closer to Vang Vieng.[11] A market located five kilometres north of the town sells Lao textiles, household items and foodstuffs. The town is situated on the main north-south highway, Route 13 from Luang Prabang to the capital, Vientiane. It is about eight hours by bus to Luang Prabang and four hours to Vientiane (152 km).[12]

Just a short walk from town are many ethnic Lao, Kmou, and Hmong villages, while Vang Vieng Organic Farm is located around 4 km north of the town in the village of Phoudindaeng. There are also opportunities for community involvement such as teaching, while it's also possible to stay in a house made of mud bricks at the organic farm.[13][14] Wat Done Hor is the oldest temple among five temples located in Vang Vieng, built in 1903.[15]

Effects of tourism

There have been worries that the town is in danger of losing its charm as it becomes full of tourists, mushroom shakes and Friends - the US sitcom is shown in many bars.[16] The New Zealand Herald wrote, "If teenagers ruled the world, it might resemble Vang Vieng".[17] Safety measures for the tubing have been described as "non existent" and a mixture of this and heavy drinking has seen tourists drown.[18][19] It was reported that 22 tourists died in the river in 2011[20].

The Laos government is planning to put more controls on the urban sprawl of Vang Vieng,[21] while the Laos National Tourism Administration has "awareness programs" that ask tourists to "respect and strictly follow the rules, regulations, tradition and cultures of the Lao people," while also educating local people to maintain the Lao identity, way of life, tradition and culture and not imitate tourist behaviour.[22] Vang Vieng is known to have a problem with drugs, which are easily accessible to both tourists and local children.[23]

Locals have said that tubing and tourism are destroying the town's culture and encouraging crime among children, while loud music destroy's the area's tranquility.[24] A report into the future of tourism in Vang Vieng found that many budget tubers were "oblivious to, or uncaring about, the types of social, economic and environmental impact they are associated with." [25] A master plan for Vang Vieng notes that local grievances include pollution, inappropriate behaviour of tourists and environmental damage.[26]

Brett Dakin, the author of Another Quiet American, a chronicle of two years in Laos working for the tourist authority, said, "Each time a young Australian woman strolls down the street in a bikini, a bearded American smokes a joint on a guesthouse terrace, or a group of Koreans tumbles drunkenly out of a restaurant, it saps a little more of the essence of a town like Vang Vieng.".[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Vang Vieng". VangVieng.org. 2011.
  2. ^ "Vang Veng Staying Longer Spending More". STDP Laos. August 2009.
  3. ^ "History of Vang Vieng". MUONGLAO.COM. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Vang Vieng". VangVieng.org. 2011.
  5. ^ "Vang Vieng Travel Guide". Lao Travel Guide. 2008.
  6. ^ "Vang Vieng tubing". goseasia. 2011.
  7. ^ "Vang Veng Staying Longer Spending More". STDP Laos. August 2009.
  8. ^ "Down the tube". sydney Morning Herald. 30 June 2011.
  9. ^ "Vang Vieng". VangVieng.org. 2011.
  10. ^ "Vang Vieng Travel Guide". Lao Travel Guide. 2008.
  11. ^ "Vang Vieng ... as it used to be". Lao.co.uk. 2007.
  12. ^ "Vang Vieng tubing". goseasia. 2011.
  13. ^ "Volunteer Laos - Vang Vieng". Travel to Teach. 2008.
  14. ^ "Vang Vieng's little big man". Green Traveller Guide. 5 January 2009.
  15. ^ "History of Vang Vieng". MUONGLAO.COM. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  16. ^ "Paradise Lost". Sydney Morning Herald. 26 August 2009.
  17. ^ "A tragedy waiting to happen". New Zealand Herald. 22 September 2009.
  18. ^ "A tragedy waiting to happen". New Zealand Hearald. 22 September 2009.
  19. ^ "Bournemouth man died after river 'tubing' in Laos". 14 September 2011.
  20. ^ "Man dies 'tubing' in Laos river". The Age. 12 January 2012.
  21. ^ "A plan to keep Vangvieng tourism alive". Vientiane Times. 16 June 2009.
  22. ^ "Laos threatened by sex and drugs". The Daily Telegraph. 17 March 2010.
  23. ^ "The decline and fall of Vang Vieng". Chiang Mai Mail. 2 March 2009.
  24. ^ "Down the tube". sydney Morning Herald. 30 June 2011.
  25. ^ "Vang Veng Staying Longer Spending More". STDP Laos. August 2009.
  26. ^ "Vang Vieng Town and Environs Master Plan, 2010 -2020" (PDF). Hansen Partnership. December 2009.
  27. ^ "Laos threatened by sex and drugs". The Daily Telegraph. 17 March 2010.
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