Vang Vieng, a small town in central Laos, has been the subject of international scrutiny after six tourists died last week from suspected methanol poisoning. For young western travellers on the South East Asia backpacker trail, Vang Vieng is famous for “tubing”, an activity that has been described as a waterborne pub crawl. It involves groups of friends in swimsuits and bikinis clambering aboard huge inner tubes that are normally used on trucks and drifting downstream, pulling in from time to time at riverside bars where vodka shots are liberally administered, before plunging back into the water.
The recent deaths are believed to have occurred due to alcoholic drinks that may have contained methanol, an industrial chemical that is often used in bootleg alcohol production. The young female travellers in particular are more vulnerable, as they comprised five of the six fatalities. Local bar owners strongly denied serving any illegal or homemade alcohol. A short walk away beside the river, JaiDees Bar has also been raided.
While business in Vang Vieng booms, it is still a dusty rural town that is undergoing transformation by Thai and Chinese money. Fancy new hotels are springing up with riverside cocktail bars and infinity pools. Local business owners glide past in big black Land Cruisers and Range Rovers. Vang Vieng is a popular destination. The rainy season is over, the skies are clear, and the temperature is a relatively cool 28℃ (82°F).
Out on the river, there is currently little sign that the recent poisonings are stopping people from coming to Vang Vieng. Hostel owners along the main drag reported being fully booked. While European and Australian travellers comprise the minority, by far the largest groups are from neighbouring Thailand and China, the latter travelling south on the newly finished Chinese-built Laos high-speed rail line.
Most tourists appear unflustered and report that they are still having a good time. They are aware of what has occurred, but they are avoiding spirits and being careful with their drinks. The feeling in the air is cautious and the bars are on edge, with no-one wanting to go to jail. However, there is still a sense of fun and easy-going atmosphere that draws tourists to Vang Vieng from all over the world
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