Methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, northern Laos.

How should this information be interpreted before traveling to Laos?

After widespread international media coverage of the deaths that occurred in Vang Vieng in 2024, we felt it was important to communicate with our community of travel enthusiasts. We are neither journalists nor part of the judicial system, but it seemed essential to clarify the situation surrounding these tragic events.

Our entire team sends its sincere thoughts to the victims and their families.

Vang Vieng is located 130 km north of Vientiane, the country’s capital. It is a popular destination for tourists thanks to its water activities along the Nam Song River and its outdoor adventures set among dramatic karst mountains, such as rock climbing, hiking, and hot air ballooning.

In recent years, Vang Vieng has become a key stop for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia, who enjoy spending a few days there in youth hostels. The main street is now lined with numerous hostels, bars, restaurants, internet cafés, and travel agencies.

Vang Vieng was long known among backpackers for its “tubing” activity; floating down the river on an inner tube and stopping at riverside bars to drink alcohol and party. However, after numerous deaths in 2011, the Lao government decided to curb the excesses by closing most of the bars and hotels along the river. Tubing remains a popular activity today, but it is conducted in a more controlled manner.

Vang Vieng still retains a festive atmosphere, sometimes with excesses, especially among university students traveling independently, without a travel agency, to unwind after long periods of study.

Residents of Vang Vieng have stated that out-of-control behavior from thrill-seeking travelers : “wow… let’s jump off a cliff into the river,” only to realize afterward that there wasn’t enough water depth at that season; has harmed the town’s reputation. These tourists, often young, allow themselves to take risks they would never take at home without proper precautions.

Today, although the number of Western visitors has decreased, tourists from Japan, China, and South Korea are increasing significantly. However, they do not choose the same style of travel or the same type of accommodation as Western backpackers.

Despite its controversial past, Vang Vieng remains a popular stop for travelers. Following the deaths of six people last week, Laos, and Vang Vieng in particular, has once again been placed in the international media spotlight.

As a reminder, “hostels” are shared accommodations where travelers can rent a bed in a dormitory room at a low daily rate. These establishments often cater to young travelers and provide communal spaces such as lounges, billiard rooms, pools, dining areas, or bars. They may also organize day tours or social events to encourage interaction among guests. Some hostels run by foreign managers compete aggressively to increase revenue by offering “happy hours” or free drinks to encourage higher alcohol consumption among young travelers.

As appears to be the case in this unfortunate situation, based on what credible media sources are reporting at the time of writing, a foreign hostel manager allegedly served alcoholic drinks containing methanol, resulting in several cases of severe poisoning.

This tragic methanol poisoning incident in Vang Vieng, northern Laos, unfortunately damages the image of the Lao people, who are traditionally very welcoming toward tourists. Laotians are known for being friendly, warm, kind, and deeply family-oriented.

Today, we would like to reassure you that Laos is a very safe country where you can travel with complete peace of mind. This isolated incident, that made headlines around the world, can be compared to a university party that went wrong due to the actions of a single troublemaker, who is now unfairly damaging the reputation of Laos and its seven million inhabitants in certain media outlets.

At ORLA Tours, we guarantee that our travelers will not be affected during their stay, as they travel with the security of being accompanied at all times by experienced guides. Furthermore, this type of accommodation is not included in our itineraries. We sincerely hope that this isolated case will not further harm the reputation of a country that remains deeply authentic and truly wonderful to discover.