If you’re traveling to Vang Vieng in Laos then you can’t miss out on visiting one of the many caves in the area.
The most important cave, which is very dear to the locals, is Tham Chang cave.
With its easy accessibility, only one and a half kilometers from the center of Vang Vieng, it makes for a great half day trip.
Tham Chang cave, also locally referred to as “Tham Jang” is a cave in Vang Vieng in Laos.
It is of historic importance to the locals as it provided shelter from the Chinese invaders in the 19th century.
The cave is located in a rocky outcrop only accessible by a 200-step staircase. From the top, you have a magnificent view of Van Vieng town and the surrounding mountains.
While the cave offers some nice chambers with beautiful viewpoints, lovely stalactites and stalagmites and a small buddha shrine, the area around the cave is maybe even more fun to explore.
Next to the cave, you can find another small secret cave with a large Buddha statue, a spring with a small blue lagoon, and grassy meadows with bamboo shelters perfect for a picnic by the Nam Song river.
- WHERE IS THAM CHANG CAVE
- HOW TO GET TO THAM CHANG CAVE
- ENTRANCE FEE TO THAM CHANG CAVE
- WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THAM CHANG CAVE
WHERE IS THAM CHANG CAVE
Tham Chang cave is located in Vang Vieng in Laos. Vang Vieng was long considered a party town with a lot of drugs, heavy drinking, and tubing.
his resulted in a lot of deaths of young backpackers and was shut down by the government in 2012.
Today, you can still find a “party strip” in the center of Vang Vieng with a few bars selling things like shots and “happy cupcakes” but in general, it was quite peaceful, especially if you pick accommodation outside of the center.
The karst cliff mountains, Kaeng Nyui waterfall, caves, and lagoons are definitely worth a stop for a few days on the road from Vientiane to Luang Prabang.
HOW TO GET TO THAM CHANG CAVE
You can easily walk from the center of Vang Vieng to Tham Chang cave. Depending on where you’re staying it should not be more than a two-kilometer walk. The location is clearly indicated on Google Maps .
As you walk towards Tham Chang cave, you will see an orange gate just before you reach a bridge to cross the Nam Song river. You will be charged 5000 LAK/per person here to go through the gate.
Apparently, this is the entrance of a resort called “Vang Vieng resort” but to be honest, it didn’t feel like a resort to us. It was rather a deserted parking space with a few cars and motorbikes.
As you walk toward the water, you will see a wooden bridge. I was a bit surprised, as all the other articles online stated there should be a photogenic orange bridge here, but it wasn’t there.
After inquiring, it became clear that due to the flooding of the river a few months ago, the bridge collapsed. After walking the wooden bridge over the water, you can still see the remains lying around next to the mountains.
If you look well, you can see that the locals tried to paint the new wooden bridge orange but it has already faded. It was a popular photo spot among Instagrammers but alas, the bridge is not here anymore!
ENTRANCE FEE TO THAM CHANG CAVE
The grassy area around the river with picpic platforms and the small lagoon and cave with the buddha statue can be visited free of charge.
To enter the stairs to access the Tham Chang cave you will be charged 15 000 LAK. The opening times are from 8 A.M. to 4 P.M.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THAM CHANG CAVE
Inside the Tham Chang cave are a few chambers on different levels with some lovely stalactites and stalagmites.
Walking the pathways you will pass by a small Buddha shrine and some nice viewpoints to soak in the surrounding countryside.
At the top of the 200-step stairs there are some benches offering a lovely view over Vang Vieng.
The cave is well-lit and most of the lamps are in a soft white color. There are however a few colored lamps inside the cave which kind of nullifies the serene experience making a bit carnivalesque.
After walking down the 200-steps stairs, look for the orange walkways on your right hand to the smaller buddha cave and the secret blue pool!