Historically accepted drugs, such as marijuana, mushrooms, and opium are freely available in many bars and restaurants around town. The majority of bars have 'magic menus' with most of these things on. Consuming these drugs on the premises is fairly safe, although drugs are illegal in Laos and nothing is totally safe.
Southeast Asian 'Crystal Meth' is known as Yabba and is available in both pill and smokeable forms. Formerly legal in Thailand as a way for longhall truck drivers to keep awake, Yabba is an epidemic due to its highly addictive qualities. Manufactured locally, the drug can be cut with any number of substances.
Aside from the drugs already mentioned it is inadvisable to attempt to purchase any other substances not freely available on the 'magic menus' around town. The dangers of most drugs should be well known to travelers, and additionally there is also a police presence. Plain clothed policemen frequently take unsuspecting tourists to the local police station for smoking a joint. The usual outcome of this involves having your passport seized until you cough up a hefty "fine", typically between 3-5 million Kip. Once the fine is paid however the matter is generally taken no further and the passport returned; however, the punishment will depend on the officer you are dealing with. Local criminals sometimes set you up. Never surrender your passport if you can help it, and often the best way out of the situation is simply to pay up.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Vang Vieng
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Vang Vieng - updated Apr 2024
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Vang Vieng Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
