Things to Do at Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon sits about seven kilometers from Vang Vieng's town center, tucked at the base of limestone karsts that rise like green-furred teeth from the rice paddies. The water itself is the color of melted turquoise glass, fed by an underground spring that keeps things cool even when the Laotian afternoon turns oppressive. You'll hear it before you see it. The splash and whoop of backpackers launching themselves from a rope swing tied to an old banyan. The creak of bamboo platforms. The occasional thump of someone hitting water from the wooden jump tower. The lagoon isn't large. You could swim across it in a minute if you were motivated. Yet it has a way of pulling people in for hours. Locals from Vang Vieng come on weekends with picnic mats and Beerlao. The foreign crowd tends to arrive mid-morning on rented scooters, dusty from the unpaved track. The banyan tree leaning over the water is the main event. Two platforms, one around four meters up, another roughly seven, and a rope swing that arcs you out far enough to land in the deepest part. It's the kind of place where you watch other people jump for twenty minutes before deciding you can probably do it too. There's a cave above the lagoon, Tham Phu Kham, that most visitors skip. That's a shame. The climb up takes about fifteen minutes of scrambling over limestone. Inside you'll find a reclining bronze Buddha lit by whatever sunlight angles through the cave mouth. It smells faintly of bat and damp stone. The silence after the lagoon's chatter is unexpectedly welcome.

The lagoon sits about seven kilometers west of Vang Vieng town. Most visitors rent a scooter or motorbike. The going rate in town is budget-friendly per day. You'll need to navigate a mix of paved road and unpaved track. A small toll booth charges a token amount per vehicle. Tuk-tuks from town will run you a round trip for a mid-range fee. Usually with a few hours of waiting time included. Bicycles work too if you're fit. Don't mind the dust. The unpaved final stretch is rough going. The route crosses a rickety wooden bridge over the Nam Song River. It charges a tiny crossing fee. Part of the local character.