It's time to take of your slippers and to get your proper pair of sneakers. Or even better: Hiking boots! Get your backpack and equip yourself with a big bottle of water, you're gonna need it.
That's right: We're going on a hike today.
One of the most popular things to do in Vang Vieng is without a doubt the famous hike up to Nam Xay Viewpoint. The entrance is about 8km away from the heart of the town. You can rent a motorbike for 50,000 Kip ( around 5€) to get there but since the hike itself was going to be quite exhausting we decided to pay 100,000 Kip for a tuk-tuk to take us there and back. If you decide to take a motorbike, keep in mind that you will have to pay an additional 10,000 Kip to cross the bamboo bridge to get to the other side of the river.
Without breaks, it takes about 30 minutes to get to the top. That doesn't sound too bad, even for a couch potato like me, but we would soon discover why this hike is considered to be intermediate to difficult.
The last third of the hike is certainly the hardest part! The path continues like this until the very top. I have found myself on my knees many times, trying to crawl up these huge and slippery rocks. I've lost my balance more than once! People with longer legs definitely have an advantage here.
To sum it all up: Climbing Nam Xay Viewpoint is hard but extremely rewarding. I can only recommend it if you're ever in Vang Vieng. It's beautiful up there, even someone like me who is terrified of hights can appreciate this million dollar view.
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