Another Aussie tourist killed in Vang Vieng, Laos, a remote jungle party town
Lao people splash water on tourists during Songkran festivities on April 13, 2008, in Luang Prabang, Laos.
Two Aussie tourist deaths in a month, both in the same jungly, boozy party town in Laos: Vang Vieng.
Both the U.K. and Australian tabloids are overly fond of "Holiday in Hell"-style pieces describing well-meaning travelers sucked into some Southeast Asian third-world hell scenario.
But the recent scrutiny of Vang Vieng in the Aussie press is probably warranted.
Once a remote base of operations for CIA-backed guerrillas, the town is now a major backpacker destination. You go to Vang Vieng to rent an inner tube, float down a chocolate-brown river and, with the help of farmers-turned-bartenders set up along the shore, get totally plastered.
It's all great fun provided you aren't fatally injured or you don't go missing — the fates of the two Aussie tourists, according to news.com.au. If travelers do run into trouble, they're a full five hours along potted roads to the Lao capital, Vientiane, which is not known for its world-class healthcare. Laos is among Southeast Asia's poorer countries and has the hospitals to match.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.