New resort brings water sports to Laos

Laos is a landlocked country without any beaches, but is nevertheless blessed with an abundance of freshwater sources, including the vast Nam Ngum reservoir where the Blue Lagoon Resort recently opened.

The resort is located in Tha Heua village of Vangvieng district, Vientiane province, about 20km from the famous tourist town of Vangvieng. It opened six months ago and is already popular with domestic and international visitors due to the wide array of water sports on offer, including rides on jet skis, speed boats, banana boats, pirogues and kayaks.

Vientiane Times journalists visited Vangvieng recently and decided to make the 20 minute drive to the resort where the mind-boggling range of water activities on offer is akin to that at beach resorts in countries abroad.

“Our resort is the first place in Laos to provide visitors with the opportunity to enjoy various kinds of water sport activities, including windsurfing, kite surfing, wake boarding, and super jets, all supervised by our French instructors and friendly team,” said resort owner Mr Christophe Lo Cascio.

More excitement will be on offer in November when he plans to introduce parasailing, where people are attached to a parachute and towed behind a boat so they can float high in the sky above the reservoir.

Mr Lo Cascio said he came to the area nine years ago when on holiday in Laos and fell in love with the clear water and dozens of islands. He and his wife decided to move from Thailand, where they ran a restaurant and bar, to build a resort in Tha Heua village on the shores of the reservoir.

He received a 30 year concession to operate on an area of 25 hectares. The resort is located 7km from the area where visitors can partake in various water sports. Mr Lo Cascio had to remove dead trees left in the water after the reservoir was created to ensure it was safe for water sports.

“We plan to offer camping trips to the islands in the near future. In addition, we are preparing to ask for a concession on a further 50 hectares on one of the larger islands to set up a nature reserve and create the ideal destination for new couples to enjoy their honeymoon,” he said.The resort has bungalows to accommodate overnight visitors, with prices ranging from 100,000 kip to more than 300,000 kip per night. He also plans to build four more luxury suites at the resort.

Blue Lagoon Resort is located 120km north of Vientiane. Visitors can catch a bus or drive along Road No. 13 North and stop at Tha Heua village in Vangvieng district. There you will see a billboard on the right-hand side of the road indicating it is a further 800 metres to the resort.

Source = laovoices