The landscapes, the people, and the contact with them is so good. Spending time around, going on your own into small, smaller, and smallest villages is so good. It looks like the people never saw white people before, and they are so enthusiastic seeing you. Going around through green rice fields with people working on it, big rough mountains, brown mud rivers. It is so romantic and breathtaking.
i felt so relaxed by the behavior of the people there: just sitting or walking slowly, talking, laughing. they have to work so hard on the rice fields, but still, they are so friendly; and although they don't have money and they don't speak english, they invited us to sit together with them and drink some 'lao-lao' the laos whisky.
When you want to take a photo, they like it, and when you are lucky, as we were, they invite you to work some hours with them on their rice fields.
This was the nicest experience: work together, eat and drink some fruits and coconuts, then after work, have lunch in their home and sleep on the floor in their house. With only nonverbal communication, we got friends for life!Quick Tips:
Everybody must stay a few days in Vang Vieng and hire a bike for some days. You can go to every place you want: north, east, south, west, and bicycle through small villages, and see people work on the fields, take a cool bath in the river, or eat their fruits, etc., etc.
Maybe you feel a little bit like a 'voyeur' looking at the locals, but they don't mind your looking. They like the contact with tourists, and they also can earn a little money with the cool drinks they sell to you. So it is not a problem for them, and also should be not a problem for you!Best Way To Get Around:
You need to hire bicycles here to get around. The buses are too fast, and you miss lots of beautiful things when you go with the bus. When you are walking, you don't see so much, because Vang Vieng is such a big place. With a bike, you can cross (small and old) bridges, you can ride them to small boats so that the locals can bring you to the other side of the river and explore the places there. Our bicycles never got stolen. There are (almost) no criminals.
But there is one thing: take your reparation kit with you, because there is a big chance to get flat tires because the roads are not that good. And bring sunsceen and cap with you; it is so hot in the Laos sun.
The people like to see tourists sweating on their hired bycicles, they find us very brave, working on the bycicle in the sun. And that is why you'll have so much contact with the locals.