Smile Beach Bar

Top choice in Vang Vieng


This mega-chill riverside bar is a slice of the old Vang Vieng, before the buggies took over. Order a Beerlao (we don't recommend eating here) and swing in a hammock or dip your toes in the river; it's ideal for an afternoon or sunset drink and swim. Reach the bar by crossing the footbridge to Don Khang.

Smile is also the end point for yellow-route rafting trips along the Nam Song.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vang Vieng attractions

1. Wat Si Vieng Song

0.25 MILES

Located at the northern end of town, Wat Si Vieng Song is an active Buddhist temple.

2. Wat Kang

0.27 MILES

A Buddhist temple in Vang Vieng.

3. Wat Si Suman

0.64 MILES

One of a handful of Buddhist temples in Vang Vieng.

4. Tham Phu Kham & Blue Lagoon

3.25 MILES

Located west of Vang Vieng, the vast Tham Phu Kham is considered sacred by Lao. The main cave chamber contains a Thai bronze ­reclining Buddha, and from…

5. Tham Jang

4.2 MILES

The most famous of the caves around Vang Vieng, Tham Jang was used as a bunker to defend against marauding jęen hór (Yunnanese Chinese) in the early 19th…

6. Tham Sang

7.66 MILES

Tham Sang, located a few kilometres north of Vang Vieng, is a small cavern containing Buddha images and a Buddha footprint, plus the (vaguely) elephant…

7. Tham Nam

7.72 MILES

Tham Nam is the highlight of the cluster of caves north of Vang Vieng. The cave is about 500m long and a tributary of the Nam Song flows out of its low…

8. Tham Loup

7.9 MILES

Tham Loup, located a few kilometres north of Vang Vieng, is a large and delightfully untouched cavern with some impressive stalactites.