Kayaking down the Nam Song River, lazing underneath wooden shacks and partying until the early hours of the morning – Vang Vieng’s appeal to the young and adventurous has only grown since it first exploded onto the travelling scene in the late 1990s.
What was once an agricultural community in Laos soon became a haven for Western backpackers, with cheap bars and wild parties earning its reputation as a destination on the Southeast Asian “Banana Pancake Trail”.
However, the idyllic town, which sits against the backdrop of Mount Nam Xay, is now at the centre of an unfolding tragedy after six people died from suspected alcohol poisoning, with a number of others believed to still be in hospital.
Australian teenager Holly Bowles, 19, has become the latest tourist to die, just one day after her best friend Bianca Jones, also 19, was pronounced dead on being rushed to a hospital in Thailand for treatment.
Also declared dead is “talented” British lawyer Simone White from Orpington in south-east London, who was part of the group that became violently unwell after drinking alcohol, which is now suspected to have been laced with menthanol.
A colourless liquid, methanol is similar to ethanol – which is the pure form of alcohol and is found in consumer spirits. However, methanol is toxic to humans and is commonly used as a solvent in industrial processes, regularly seen in antifreezes, fuel and paint thinners.
According to the NHS, as little as 4ml of methanol can cause hallucinations and blindness, which can soon lead to vomiting, severe abdominal pain, convulsions and death.
Homemade alcohol is popular in southeast Asia, with tourists regularly given shots or cheap drinks. Little would Simone, Holly and Bianca know that a celebratory drink could lead to their deaths.
Duong Duc Toan, the Nana Backpacker Hostel’s manager, where many of the tourists allegedly fell ill, told reporters that his staff had handed out more than 100 free shots to guests on Tuesday, 12 November.
He claimed that tourists had received Lao Tiger vodka mixed with ice and Coke Zero as a gesture of hospitality, and that the spirit, which is 40 per cent alcohol, was from a certified distributor.
He told the Australian broadcaster ABC: “The police in Vang Vieng and [the capital] Vientiane already came to the hostel to check, the shop where we buy the vodka, check the shop where we buy the whisky.
“We don’t do anything wrong, for sure. I really take care of all of the customers who stay with our hotel and our hostel.”
Police have now detained staff at the hostel, including the owner and manager, for questioning. It remains open but is not accepting new guests, while police have told bars and hostels in the town to stop selling alcoholic drinks as the investigation continues.
Ms White’s friend Bethany Clarke, a healthcare worker who is also from Orpington, had written on the Laos Backpacking Facebook group earlier this week: “Urgent — please avoid all local spirits.
“Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars. Just avoid them as so not worth it. Six of us who drank from the same place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”
Tourists who are currently in Vang Vieng have expressed concerns about drinking alcohol at the party town as a result of the tragedy.
Toni Shahar, an Israeli tourist, said: “I won’t drink from a glass. I won’t drink from an opened bottle and I won’t drink homemade alcohol. And I think that’s the actions I’m going to do.”
It is unclear how many more tourists remain in hospital, with the Australian authorities confirming that “several foreign nationals” had been victims of the poisoning.
The US State Department confirmed that an American had died and Denmark’s Foreign Ministry said two of its citizens also died in “the incident in Laos” but neither would comment directly on a link to the methanol poisoning.
Speaking in parliament, Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese described the death of Bianca as “every parent’s worst nightmare”.
She had travelled to Laos with Holly, who was described as her “best friend” by their football club in Melbourne, with both rushed to hospital on 13 November after failing to check out from the hostel.
In a statement released to media on Friday, Holly’s family said they were taking comfort from the fact she had brought so much “joy and happiness to so many people”.
They added that she had been living “her best life travelling through South East Asia meeting new friends and enjoying incredible experiences” when she became ill.
On Friday night, the heartbroken parents of Simone also paid tribute to their “beautiful, kind and loving daughter”.
The devastated family added: “Simone has been taken from us too soon, she will be sorely missed by her brother, grandmother and entire family. Our hearts go out to all other families who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.”
A one-party communist state with no organised opposition, Laos officials have kept a tight lid on information, with almost no details released about the case.
One of the poorest countries in south-east Asia, tourism is a key source of revenue for the landlocked nation, which has benefitted in recent decades from backpackers who have also visited Vietnam and Thailand.
While a relatively secure country, official guidance from the Foreign Office warns tourists that both men and women have reported having their food or drink spiked, and to “be cautious about accpeting drinks from strangers at bars, clubs, restaurants and parties”.
They added: “There have been deaths and cases of serious illness caused by alcoholic drinks containing methanol.
“Methanol has been used in the manufacture of counterfeit replicas of well-known alcohol brands or illegal local spirits, like vodka. You should take care if offered, particularly for free, or when buying spirit-based drinks.”
Back in Vang Vieng, Neil Farmiloe, a New Zealander who owns the Kiwi Kitchen restaurant in town, said: “I think it’s never happened before, so it is hopefully just a one-off incident.
“It’s very sad all around. I’m sure nobody intended to cause injury, but it’s happened.”