"I cannot understand how is possible i paid to do something similar"
I mentioned about tubing in this here, and in this post i will continue describing this activity really popular in Vang Vieng and that you can also find on Don Det, one of the “1000 islands” you can find on south Laos (almost on the border with Cambodia).
Well Tubing as i already said should be just an outdoor experience compared to Kayaking or Stand Paddling, but here in Laos, probably because of some “smart” idea of a bunch of backpackers or from an foolish mind who cares only about money (local?expat?), this innocent outdoor activity it became an aberration of it.
In fact nowadays, if you mention tubing is implicit of everything is around of the mere meaning of it, and it means you’re going to get drunk, on this gummy tube on the middle of the river.
Yes because while you will be on your tube, people who works on the “bar” on the edge of the river, will throw to you a rope, and you and your friends ( yeah because tubing is an experience to share with more people as possible otherwise will not be fun at all) will start to drink cocktails, beers or other alcohol until you’re ready for the next part of the river, until the next “bar”.
Maybe for this reason (alcohol) or maybe other many reasons (drugs, backpackers that were working illegally in Vang Vieng with not correct Visa or even without Visa) the tubing and more shops, activities shut down for a while especially after the 2011 when the Vang Vieng's hospital recorded 27 tourist deaths (as you can read from an article of the The Guardian), due to drowning or easily due to hit rocks with the head while too drunk to even be able to walk.
As i decided to do not try this activity i would like to share Doris's experience ( the Chinese girls mentioned here), because i found it really funny, and an honest description about tubing by someone who just did the day before.
"I cannot understand how is possible i paid to do something similar"
With this sentence Doris concluded her story about tubing.
But coming back a bit earlier, the first sentence that captured my attention was:
"Tubing is just another way to get drunk, but you just need to pay much more to do it"
She continued telling us about the 4/5 bars where you will spend most of the time of this "experience".
Of course on these kind of bars the drinks are over overpriced, but you can easily share a bucket with your friends to cut down the cost.
But where people trying to charge you more for something there will always be someone who will try to avoid that, and how avoid an extra charge for drinks?!?
Obviously preparing yourself with your own alcohol, as Doris was telling to us, they had their own Rum bought on the minimart before getting on the Tube.
"We were ordering only juice, and we used our own Rum to 'Pimp" our drink, so we had a strong cocktail at cheap price. After few rounds of ordering juices the people who were working on the pub started to ask us if we went in Laos (Vang Vieng) to just drink juice."
Some people continued Doris, were directly making a pre-drink cocktail to cut even more the expenses so they could get drunk without ordering anything during the "tubing".
The disappoint on her voice starting talking about the flow of the river.
"The problem is the river's flow, it is really weak and at the end you end up in any bars with the same people you met in the previous bar."
She continued describing her experience, where guys without a GoPro (or any waterproof camera), were going to her asking to take a pictures that were going to claim afterwards once the tubing was finished.
So she ended up shooting photos about people who she didn't even know, just because she had one waterproof camera and maybe she's too kind to say no.
The price is something affordable, so even for this reason the activity appeal many backpackers.
You will pay 55.000 kip (around 7$ USD)
The thing she mentioned about the price was about the hidden cost.
Because if the price was affordable the people who provided you the "tube" they ask you to give them a 60.000 kip (7.50 $ USD), and if you're late (after 6.00 pm) to drop off your "tube" back to the point where you picked up, well they will not give you back the whole amount of the deposit.
A ride on the Tuk-Tuk to go back will be around 10.000 kip per person (1.25$ USD) but if you're running off the time the Tuk-Tuk will even drive slowly for the benefit of the tubing's shop (maybe even getting a commission) so keep one eye on the time.
Another thing Doris mentioned was about the depth of the water.
We were in fact discussing about the problems happened in the 2011 and the 27 people who died drowned. And she continued like this:
"I cannot understand how it could possible for people drown in the river, the water is so shallow that while you are on the tube your bump will always hit some sharp rocks while you're "pushed" by the water stream"
So i guess many people during the tubing while will fall from the tube or trying to swim, will have scratches on their body caused by the the rocks but in these case if you are completely wasted, will be easier been hit by a rock, and if this happened on your head, well you might be one of the next dead body on the next article about Vang Vieng.
Yeah also because, continued Doris, due to the slow water stream, some people were trying to swim or even walk, but the funniest thing i remember of that moment, was when she was describing (using the movement of he arms) how she and her friends where trying to paddling using their flip flop to increase their pace.
"I paid to get drunk, paddling with flip flop down to the river, where i was hitting rocks all the way because the water wasn't deep at all, and i have been harassed by these guys who were asking to take pictures for them all the time"
This is how she ended up the story about tubing, and i don't want to judge something that popular or the people who decide to do something similar, especially because many backpackers who're traveling around southeast Asia, they might end up with big groups, traveling together in the most popular destinations, trying to share the cost sleeping in 5 people in a triple room, following the "Banana Pancake trail".
At the moment i'm looking for something different from my travels, but i don't dislike this kind of things, and probably in another occasion in the past i would even be keen to do something like this.
But this time i avoided it, end of the story.
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