Vang Vieng is a small town lying south of Luang Prabang about halfway between there and Vientiane. The town can be reached by bus in four hours from Vientiane and six hours from Luang Prabang. Traditionally Vang Vieng was nothing more than a stop off point between the capital and the north of the country however over the last decade, it has been transformed into a backpacker’s haven with literally dozens of businesses springing up to cater to the budget traveller.