Laos Day 3 Itinerary 2026: Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang
Experience an action-packed Day 3 in Laos! Dive into Vang Vieng's Secret Lagoon, savor authentic Khao Piak, and explore the bustling Luang Prabang Night Market.
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Experience an action-packed Day 3 in Laos! Dive into Vang Vieng's Secret Lagoon, savor authentic Khao Piak, and explore the bustling Luang Prabang Night Market.
"Let's enjoy this trip 'leisurely'!"
or so I thought!
Day 3 of our Laos trip, and we're enjoying it 'more intensely' than any other trip!
Bright and early in the morning!
Instead of the bland breakfast at our accommodation, we visited the place that Na PD and the staff of 'Youth Over Flowers' apparently came to every day for a hangover cure!
It doesn't even have a name, but
"Na PD Khao Piak" is what everyone calls it, and we went to that very spot.
It seems this place was already famous among Koreans even before 'Youth Over Flowers' aired.
After all, I saw posts written as far back as 2012.
Khao Piak (fried rice chicken) 15,000 LAK
Tom Yum Goong (tom yum shrimp soup) 25,000 LAK
Total 40,000 LAK (approximately ~$4)
The prices in Laos are incredibly cheap ㅠㅠ
Can you believe two menu items only cost around ~$4?
The Tom Yum Goong... looked watery, but it had plenty of shrimp and was deliciously sour and refreshing.
As for the Khao Piak, it felt a little less authentic (less of the local flavor),
but with bean sprouts, cabbage, and chili, it was so incredibly refreshing that I realized why many people eat it as a hangover cure.
The noodles were round, which was unique and reminded me of udon noodles, and the texture was quite good.
The woman taking our order was quite cool, so I was a little flustered at first,
but in a tsundere-like way... she was cool yet friendly.
After a hearty breakfast,
we went to Nolja Tour, where we had reserved our buggy,
picked up our buggy, and drove off! Yay!
If you rent a buggy, they lend you masks and life vests, so you don't need to prepare them separately.
Determined to overcome my 'closet license' woes (a license holder who rarely drives), I bravely sat in the driver's seat,
and the Nolja Tour owner looked quite anxious, lolllllll.
Just trust me this once!!! *___*
After passing briefly through the bustling Vang Vieng town,
we hit the unpaved roads!!!
It was bumpy enough to make my whole body ache, but
it was so, so much fun!
Occasionally, herds of cattle passed by,
local kids waved as we drove past,
and there was no traffic congestion, lol.
So, we drove like crazy without a care in the world! Buggy riding is super fun! Highly recommended!
After driving for about an hour, and asking a passing Laotian local for directions,
and checking Google Maps, we finally arrived at Blue Lagoon 3, also known as Secret Lagoon!
After perfectly parking the buggy, we paid the entrance fee and went in.
Compared to other lagoons, this one seems more open and refreshing.
On one side, there's an apparatus for swinging/riding while hanging (a zipline/rope swing?),
and on the other, there was equipment for diving while hanging on, lol!
Men and women... kids and adults alike were all jumping and flying around!
But was it just during our trip, or generally like this? Vang Vieng was really cold and the water was freezing.
I was shivering so much that I eventually got out. T_T
In Laos, there probably isn't anyone who had less fun playing in the water than me...
What's the perfect thing after water activities??
We ordered the famous Ttukbaegi Ramyeon (hot pot ramen) that Secret Lagoon is known for!
If you play for a bit, you'll see everyone sitting in rows, enjoying ramyeon – quite a sight to behold, haha!
We ordered the Ttukbaegi Ramyeon and an omelet, but
the omelet was practically a Pajeon (Korean savory pancake)!! LOL what the heck??
The omelet was a bit salty, but the ramyeon, as expected, was delicious,
and they even gave us kimchi, so we thoroughly enjoyed our meal ^____^
On the way back, we had to rush even faster than we came because of our hostel's checkout time, haha!
After returning the buggy to Norja Tour and checking out,
we went to Hollys Coffee to get to Jin Massage.
If you tell the owner of Hollys Coffee, 'I want to go to Jin Massage',
they'll call and arrange a pickup vehicle for you.
(FYI, it's available for groups of 2 or more people.)
Four other Koreans also requested it, so six of us rode this tuk-tuk
and arrived at Jin Massage.
It's located somewhat in a corner of the Walking Street (or so I think???), so it's a bit far,
You can walk there, but I definitely recommend taking a tuk-tuk.
Since there was only about 1 hour and 10 minutes left until our mini-van to Luang Prabang,
we decided to get a 1-hour Lao massage.
There were mats laid out on the floor,
and these comfortable pants (momppe-baji) were folded – all you had to do was put them on and lie down.
A little later, a lovely Laotian lady came in.
But she didn't even ask if the pressure was okay or not,
and just massaged me diligently, in her own way.
It was so incredibly half-hearted~~
with a look that said, 'When will these 60 minutes be over~~~'
She was pressing here and there,
but I wanted to ask, 'Do you even know where you're supposed to be pressing?'
I came to Jin Massage because it's supposedly famous, even though I was short on time, but...
This was the first time I'd ever experienced such a half-hearted and wasteful massage. Definitely NOT recommended!
First, the Jokbal-bap (pig's trotters with rice) the day before... I started to think that places run by Koreans (except Hollys) should be avoided.
(The four family members who came with me, and other Koreans I met later, all said Jin Massage was not good either.)
Well, after those 60 minutes passed, we returned to Hollys by the same tuk-tuk that brought us,
and boarded the van to Luang Prabang.
Ah...
Another long-distance minivan ride, I guess...
Oh, that minivan – just when you think you're getting used to it, you're not!
Still, they were kind enough to stop at a rest area midway so we could stretch our legs,
and the minivan ride to Luang Prabang wasn't as bad as the one to Vang Vieng on our first day.
The sun was slowly setting.
The van dropped us off near Joma Bakery in Luang Prabang,
and our accommodation, Rathanakone,
was less than a 10-minute walk from there, so we quickly headed in to check-in.
I'm sure I took photos of Rathanakone's exterior,
but they've vanished now that I'm trying to post them. Ugh, so frustrating! ㅠㅠㅠ
Rathanakone was categorized as a guesthouse,
and while it might not quite reach hotel standards, the facilities were decent,
and the staff were incredibly friendly, which always makes for a great mood.
Upon arrival, they had welcome fruits and drinks waiting for us at the table right in front of our room.
The fruit was also the most delicious I'd had since arriving in Laos,
and they told us we could enjoy breakfast right outside our room the next morning. Talk about convenience!
Bundling up in warmer clothes, we grabbed the bicycles from our guesthouse and headed out to the night market.
They say Luang Prabang's night market is huge with lots to see.
Let's be honest, many Southeast Asian night markets share a similar charm.
I get that it stretches on endlessly, making it vast, but the items for sale can feel a bit repetitive everywhere you look~~
Still... while browsing around at various stalls,
I spotted some coconut bread and decided to give it another try, haha.
Just by looking at it, you could tell it was different from the Vang Vieng coconut bread –
it looked soft and fluffy, and the taste was totally different! *______*
Now I finally understand why it was such a sensation on 'Youth Over Flowers' (a popular Korean travel show)!!
For coconut bread, you absolutely MUST
try it in Luang Prabang, not Vang Vieng!
After enjoying the freedom of cycling around,
we popped into a place called sena restaurant.
I was already a bit tired of traditional food,
so when I saw a picture of pasta, I just had to go in... haha.
The interior was clean and tidy too.
We sat at a terrace table,
and since I was even tired of Beerlao, the local Lao beer, I ordered a Hoegaarden, haha.
Bolognese pasta always tastes great, no matter where you are!
It was a safe bet, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
This little guy is the neighbor's dog; he kept coming over and looking at us with those sad, puppy eyes. So cute!
We also ordered a T-bone steak.
It was more of a reliably good, comforting taste rather than mind-blowingly delicious.
Who else starts craving familiar, comforting flavors by day three of a trip? I know I do! ㅠㅠ
For a T-bone steak, pasta, and 2 bottles of beer,
the total was 290,000 LAK (about ~$29).
What a fantastic and affordable meal we had!!
Luang Prabang... it's totally my vibe... !!
If you order Khao Piak (15,000 LAK) and Tom Yum Goong (25,000 LAK) at 'Na PD Khao Piak', the total comes to 40,000 LAK. This is equivalent to approximately ~$4.
We drove for about an hour to reach Secret Lagoon (Blue Lagoon 3) after renting a buggy from Nolja Tour. We were provided with masks and life jackets when we rented the buggy.
To request a pickup vehicle for Jin Massage, you can ask the owner of Holly's Coffee, and they will call it for you. This service is only available for two or more people.
The coconut bread at Luang Prabang Night Market has a soft texture, unlike the Vang Vieng coconut bread. The article recommended eating it in Luang Prabang, stating that it now understood why "Youth Over Flowers" raved about its deliciousness.
We paid a total of 290,000 LAK for a T-bone steak, pasta, and two beers at Sena Restaurant. This is equivalent to approximately ~$29.
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