Laos: Backpacker Deaths Lead to Crackdown on River Tubing

By Larry Habegger and Laurie Weed | Permalink | No Comments | September 20th, 2012 | Trackback

Following a string of accidental tourist deaths in the backpacker haven of Vang Vieng, authorities are cracking down on the town’s most popular tourist activity: tubing down the Song river while drunk. Under the latest regulations, dozens of bars that served drinks and shots right on the water have been shut down, and operators that rent the tubes are now required to provide life jackets. While the number of people floating down the river has dropped from 500 to about 100 per day, according to recent reports, a high percentage of them were still drinking while tubing, and life jackets were either not provided or not worn. Even if the rules are enforced, river tubing in Laos—where most locals cannot swim and medical care is almost nonexistent—should be considered an extremely high-risk activity.

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