I normally don’t write negative posts.  In fact, this is the very first one I’ve written out of the 125 posts and 54 pages on this site.  But after writing the country guide to Laos and reflecting on our time there, I just had to get this off my chest.

I don’t understand the hype with Laos

There.  I said it.

A country that didn’t even welcome tourism until the mid-late 90′s, Laos has been gaining steam in the travel world over the last decade.  Backpackers we met around the world spoke of the beauty of Laos (it is gorgeous) and how it was imperative we go there NOW.  It certainly wouldn’t remain the pristine and forgotten place it is now as the years go by, we were told.

By the time we headed north from Chiang Mai and into Laos, our expectations soared.  We heard no negative statements about Laos, and it began to seem a lot like what we heard of Colombia while traveling around South America.  Colombia exceeded our ridiculously high expectations, so we expected the same from Laos.

So after nearly two weeks in what was supposed to be a month in Laos, why did we decide to hightail it out of there and head back to Thailand?

Boredom

I’ll summarize it in one simple statement:  We were bored.

Despite it’s unspeakable natural beauty, we just found ourselves bored more often than not.  It was too laid back for our tastes.  And the curious thing about this is that we really enjoy some good, laid back, lazy time.  I have no problem plopping myself in front of a TV all day on a Sunday while at home, or sitting in a lounge chair on the beach all day with a book.  But travel in Laos just ended up boring us to tears.

Off on the Wrong Foot

After crossing the border and heading north to Luang Nam Tha, our plan was to do some trekking in what was supposed to be a pristine area that prided itself in ecotourism.  After meeting with several tour companies, we didn’t get the vibe that the environment and respect for the local, indigenous people was tops on their priority list.  They were very nonchalant (the Laos fluffers would describe it as laid back) about everything, and we just didn’t have a good feeling about it.  So we trusted our instincts and decided to cut our losses and move on.

Oh, Vang Vieng

Talk to any backpacker in Southeast Asia, particularly the younger ones, and you would think that Vang Vieng was Heaven on Earth.  I may sound like a cranky old man here, but good God, people, this place is good for a party.  Nothing more, nothing less.  We enjoyed our few days in Vang Vieng.  Tubing was an absolute blast.  I get the fun and appeal of coming here to spend a drunken day on the river with amazing scenery around it.  Not only do I get it, I condone it.

But I have to cringe when I hear people talking about it as a highlight of a trip to the region.  Look, I like getting plowed just as much as the next guy, but if getting shitfaced while floating down the river is a highlight of a trip to Southeast Asia, well, I honestly feel sorry for you.  People set up camp in Vang Vieng for days, sometimes weeks, and go tubing every day then come back to the wretched little town to watch Friends and Family Guy in one of the myriad of bars in town.  All of which serve the same exact tourist menu.  Ugh.  And for the record, I have absolutely nothing against the happy menu items.   I may or may not have ingested some happy items myself.

Should you go to Vang Vieng when in Laos?  Absolutely!  Will you have a great time tubing?  If you like to drink and party, then yes, absolutely you will have a great time.  We had a blast.  But is it really necessary to cross the border into Thailand and then decide you just have to back to Vang Vieng for a few more days of tubing (this happened with a couple of younger girls we met in Pai)?  That may be taking it a bit too far.

I Just Don’t Get It

Maybe we would have felt differently if we continued on with our itinerary and made it down to the southern parts of Laos.  The 4000 Islands area did look and sound pretty cool, but the way it was described made it seem like a more laid back version of Vang Vieng.  The Plain of Jars looked enticing as well.  We actually loved Luang Prabang.  And while the food was really good in Vientiane, we didn’t find much else of worth there besides the usual boring laid back vibe evident everywhere else in Laos.

It may seem like we hated Laos.  We didn’t.  The landscape was breathtaking and scenery amazing.  The intricate wats and bright orange robed monks made for very cool photo ops.  The food was really good at times, but we also had some really bad meals, more than in any other Southeast Asian country.  The people were nice enough, but they certainly took laid back to a whole new meaning.

Please, someone enlighten me.  What were we missing?  What makes other travelers act as though Laos is the best place on Earth?  Did we do it wrong?  Out of the eleven countries we visited on our RTW trip, Laos was hands down our least favorite without even having to think about it.  I’d love to hear someone convince us to go back.  Comment below to tell us why we are seemingly the only people who didn’t fall in love with this country.