One of my favorite things to do when I travel is to try out new studios and join classes with new teachers (read more on how to choose a studio while traveling). To date, I have written about my experience with The Yoga Room in Hong Kong, Satori Yoga in San Francisco, Move Yoga in Melbourne, and now Yoga in Vang Vieng in Laos.
You may have heard of, or even visited, Vang Vieng in the past: Vang Vieng is located between Luang Prabang and Vientiane (the capital), which makes it a popular spot for travelers to stop for a few days. It used to be Party Central and popular for its intoxicated tubing excursions down the river, but many of the riverside bars were shut down after a government crackdown; since then, the town has mellowed out and become a haven for nature and outdoor sports lovers. It’s no surprise that yoga has become increasingly popular in this area and Yoga in Vang Vieng has spearheaded the movement.
Want even more ideas of things to do in Vang Vieng? Read my post on 5 Places You Must Visit in Vang Vieng That Aren’t the Blue Lagoon or 14 Things to Do in Vang Vieng!
I am currently wrapping up five weeks of teaching Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin and restorative yoga at Yoga in Vang Vieng and am extremely impressed with the set-up both as a teacher and a student. Yoga in Vang Vieng’s teachers visit from around the world – Australia, Russia, America, Portugal, France and so on, and I can tell you from firsthand experience that the selection process is not a cakewalk.
Photo credit: Yoga in Vang Vieng
The studio is a beautiful (air-conditioned!) haven on the 2nd floor of the Silver Naga Hotel. The space is clean and spacious with brand new Manduka yoga mats and plenty of props. The studio, while housed within a hotel, takes in any students regardless of whether they are staying at the hotel or an outside guest (and the idea is to expand and host classes in other locations around Vang Vieng as well). There are no designated changing rooms per say, but there are clean bathrooms outside that you can use to get ready before class.
Two 90-minute classes are taught each day at 7:30 am and 5 pm, and the schedule can be found on Yoga Trail or the Yoga in Vang Vieng website. Different styles of yoga are offered at the studio including Kundalini meditation, Vinyasa flow, restorative yoga, Yin yoga, Ashtanga and Hatha flow, and classes are suitable for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
Photo credit: Yoga in Vang Vieng
Pricing is US$10 for one class, US$15 for two classes, US$35 for for five classes or US$60 for ten classes* and tickets can be purchased from the reception desk on the ground floor. Bonus: Your yoga ticket includes entry to the hotel’s infinity pool! Traveling through Laos and the neighboring countries of Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand can be extremely exciting but draining – both physically and mentally – have you tried being on a bus for seven hours? Hectic! Yoga in Vang Vieng is a great place to stretch out any tense muscles, calm the mind and balance out your nervous system!
*Prices as of September 1st 2016
Guess what? Practicing physical Yoga poses are not the only way to practice Yoga while you’re on the road! Click here for 20 easy ways to incorporate Yoga into your travels!
Have you visited Vang Vieng or Laos? Tell me all about your trip in the comments section below!
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No compensation was received for this review. I worked as a yoga teacher at Yoga in Vang Vieng between mid-August and mid-September and was able to attend other teachers’ classes (and them, mine) free of charge. All opinions are, as always, my own.
Nice review, Flo. Hated it. ;0) Loved it. Damn it.
Haha – thanks for reading this, Mike!
Flo! great post and pics (as always)!
love reading about your yoga adventures around the world! And as a yogi, I find your tips&reviews of yoga studios extremely useful! Hugs
Thank you so much Anna! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I’m hoping to visit as many yoga studios as I can in the world!
What a breathtaking location for yoga!
The studio here is absolutely beautiful! Definitely stop by if you’re ever in the area 🙂
Love this. I have ‘yogalust’ – the desire to do yoga around the world, but never have actually been good enough to photograph my yoga poses 😛 I’ve found a great place in Fiji though where we are currently staying, just trying to convince my husband to join me! It looks out onto the Denarau marina with all the boats with big wide open windows to let the breeze in.
Amazing! Yoga is so amazing when it’s out in nature with a cooling breeze. Hope you guys have a blast in Fiji!
What a lovely review of this place. I love that a Yoga ticket also includes access to the infinity pool. I’ve never been to Vang Vieng, but it’s on my list of places to go.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read through, Raya! I’m going to miss teaching here – it’s the only yoga studio in Vang Vieng and I love that we’re seeing more and more people come through our classes!
Flo! Amazing post as always! Like I told you, I’ve never tried Yoga ever and haven’t even been interested until you came along! I’m seriously considering it now, especially with views like this! Can’t wait to read more Yoga posts! Thanks for sharing and joining Fly Away Friday! xo
Thank you so much for the kind words, Kana! I really want to play a part in sharing Yoga and helping people to understand that it’s not about flexibility or putting your leg behind your head! <3
I love this! I do yoga whenever I get stressed and need to zen out and I especially love catching a class when I’m traveling. I did a class while in Thailand and it was one of my favorite things I did. It was so amazing how there so many of us, from so many difficult cultures and languages, all coming together through the practice of yoga. It’s just the coolest thing!! Thank you for sharing on #FlyAwayFriday and cannot wait to see what you have next!
I love that yoga really has no borders! In my first week at Yoga in Vang Vieng I taught one lady who didn’t speak any English – but together we practiced the Ashtanga sequence. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, Chloe!
So cool! I’ll have to come by and take a class when I’m there next month! Yoga is definitely my favorite travel work out routine, but I usually end up using an app in my hotel room rather than going out and finding a studio where ever I am.
Unfortunately I taught my class there on Monday evening, but my friend Tye is still there! Enjoy your classes! 🙂 The studio is absolutely stunning (and air conditioned!)
AC and closed in the building when you have so good warm conditions outside is a plus?
No way 🙂
Hi Tomasz, thanks for checking this out! I would say that Vang Vieng is not just “warm”, it is hot! Plus during the rainy season it rains almost non-stop which makes practicing outdoors impossible. This is a good option for all seasons 🙂