North Eastern Laos Adventure 15 days

Morning 

When you arrive at the airport, you will be welcomed by our tour guide, and the driver will transfer you to Nong Khiaw.

On the way, we will get onto the dirt road to Ban Na Yang (12km from the main road), which is the Thai Lue Minority Village.  It’s a unique village with traditional houses and handweaving techniques.

We will arrive at Nong Khiaw around noon.

Afternoon

Get on a one-hour boat trip upstream of Nam Ou River to Muang Ngoi. We will check in at the hotel before passing by Tham Kaang, which is one of the most important places for the locals. Free time for the rest of the day.

Morning

After breakfast, we will take a cruise downstream to look around the nearby village. We can visit the neighborhood school to observe the endearing students participating in their classrooms (If during weekdays).

Take a 1-hour trek from the river to Tad Mork, which is close to the Khmu village of Ban Sop Kong. There, we will have an opportunity to swim and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Afternoon

Get on a cruise to Ban Sopvan - home of the Tai Lue people, then you will visit a farm that is home to many different types of animals, including pigs, chickens, ducks, and buffalo.

Lastly, we will take a 30-minute cruise down to Nong Khiaw before getting back to the hotel.

Free time for the rest of the day.

Morning

We will start the day with a quiet boat ride on the Nam Ou River to explore a Lao village’s daily life along the riverside.

Begin “100 Waterfalls Adventure Trail” - you will walk through some small streams and rice paddy fields, then get to the bottom of the 100 Waterfalls. 

A local meal will be provided to you as you are guided around the cascades surrounded by stunning greenery.

Afternoon 

We will climb back down into the valley through a little village route at the summit of the "100 Waterfalls", which will provide us with broad views of the vast Nam Ou valley.

We will experience the daily life of the Nam Ou riverside village before heading back to Nong Khiaw by boat.

Morning

To kick off the day, we will arrive from Vieng Kham to visit Muang Hiam - a hidden gem of the north. The drive can be challenging on some parts of our journey due to poor road conditions; however, the verdant and rugged mountain scenery combined with the colorful local population will create memorable experiences.

When we arrive in Muang Hiam, we will check in at a simple guesthouse to have some rest before taking a walk to explore this small village. 

If time allows, we can visit the nearby hot spring and take a dip to refresh.

Stay overnight in Muang Hiam.

Morning

08:00: The English-speaking guide and driver will meet you to visit the National Park’s headquarters and Visitor Center in Muang Hiam. The guide will share an introduction to the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park and the on-the-ground efforts in protecting wildlife.

After a 1.5-hour drive to Ban Nam Soy village, we will start trekking on a 5km trail overlooking agricultural fields to the remote Khmu village Ban Navene. A village tok tok may give us a lift (depending on the availability). When you arrive in Ban Navane, meet the ecotourism staff and guide.

Enjoy a late lunch provided by the village cooking group at the visitor center in Ban Navene. 

Afternoon

After lunch, you will have a look at the village and be introduced to your homestay /dinner family. 

We will have free time to explore the village for the rest of the afternoon.

Evening

Experience the tranquility of life in a remote, off-the-grid village. Dinner with the local family.

Option: Bring pictures and maps from home and your travels to show to your homestay family.

Note for overnight: It’s possible to be a guest of a homestay family, or to enjoy more privacy and overnight in the village visitor center. Please inform our guide regarding your preferences

Morning

We start our two-day ascent to Phou Louey Mountain's top after an early breakfast and bidding farewell to your homestay family.

The path ascends for the first 5 kilometers through a patchwork of varying agricultural fields. Your guide will go through the regional agriculture that locals depend on for both food and income.

The trails will enter the National Park after a 2-hour walk. We will trek through the forest for 2 more hours until we arrive at Tad Ang Waterfall - a stunning waterfall with bowl-like jungle infinity pool. Enjoy diving in the chilly water while the lunch is being prepared by the village cook.

Afternoon

We continue trekking until we reach the Houay Kaneng camp, where you will stay for the night. The camp is near a waterfall where, if luckily, you might spot some animals.

Follow the guide to the nearby camera trap to change the memory card. Once back at the camp, you would have the chance to see the camera trap photos and enjoy a traditional Khmu dinner by the campfire prepared by the village cooks.

Morning

Tourists will have a climb to the Cloud Forest and Phou Louey Peak, which is a very steep 5 - 6 hour climb (average slope +18%), followed by a very steep 4 - 5 hour descent (average slope -17%). The relatively short 12 km trek of today can easily take 10 hours or more!

The Phou Louey peak is typically shrouded in clouds, but if the weather is cooperative, you could be treated to a stunning view of Forever Mountain's old-growth forest. 

NOTE: To lessen your impact on this unique plant ecosystem, kindly refrain from picking any plants from the Phou Louey Peak region and reduce the footprints on this rare plant community.

Afternoon

After a 6.5km (five to six hour) climb, lunch will be provided close to the peak. Additional camera traps will be opened at the top to change memory cards, and tourists will be able to examine the images taken by the animal camera traps there. 

The trail descends down to Tad Loy camp, which is 5.5 km (4 - 5 hours) from the top.

Our arrival at the camp will be in the late afternoon. Enjoy some free time to unwind and take a dip in the river nearby.

Evening

Take in the rugged outback of Nam Et-Phou Louey and enjoy a traditional Khmu meal served by the local cook and porters around a campfire. Your guides could share some Khmu folktales with you.

Morning

Wake up at the crack of dawn to hike up a mountain nearby for some wildlife photography with camera traps, bird observation, and the chance to hear the sounds of the endangered Northern White-Cheeked Gibbons.

We will hike from Phou Louey Mountain's foothills to The Nests campground after breakfast at the campsite. The trek is approximately 12km and takes around 7 hours with a steep ascent to the top of Phou Phamai Mountain Pass (Elev. 1’500m) followed by a gradual descent down to the camp.

Great views of the National Park may be had from the summit of Phou Phamai Mountain Pass. Lunch on a picnic while enjoying the view.

Afternoon

When you arrive at The Nests camp, you will be led to your accommodation, a hanging "Nest" with a spherical shape. Enjoy some free time to unwind, take a bath in the adjacent river, and admire the scenery.

Evening

A briefing on animal watching at the Poung Nied Salt Lick, one of the biggest salt licks in the National Park, will be given to you after dinner. The guides will explain the rules and expectations for spotlighting as well as provide information on the kind of animals we could observe.

It's crucial to abide by the set rules, such as the prohibition against eating or chatting at the Salt Lick observation tower. We will stay at the observation tower for a few hours until no later than 23:30.

The most typical creatures you could encounter are sambar and barking deer. If you're lucky, you might also see other protected wildlife like bears or wild cats.

The late evening and nighttime hours can be chilly, so please dress warmly.

Morning

In the early morning, your guide will offer you two options:

Option 1:

06:00: We'll get up and make our way back to the salt lick to look for various animal trails. Spend about an hour watching birds from the observation tower. Follow the guide’s directions to the camera traps afterward.

Option 2: 

05:30: Get up early and make the 20-minute ascent up the mountain in the hopes of hearing the sounds of the rare Northern White Cheeked Gibbons. Watch the dawn while observing birds from a small observation platform in a tree. 

06:30: Follow the guide to the camera traps.

Enjoy breakfast and view wildlife camera trap photos taken by the camera trap once back to the camp.

Afternoon - Trek from The Nests to Ban Nam Poung Village

You will go 7.5 kilometers along a wooded route on your last day of hiking. Along the journey, the local guide will point out medicinal plants and animal footprints.

Enjoy a picnic meal close to the forest. You may go to Ban Nam Poung Village, an ethnic Khmu community, by using a tok tok (a small tractor used for plowing rice paddies and convertible to a vehicle for transportation) across the village's corn and rice fields for about 5km.

You will be driven in a private truck or van from the village back to Muang Hiem.

Morning

Before transferring to Samneua, we enjoy breakfast and have some rest

We will stop at the standing stones at the Hin Tang archeological site along the road, which are estimated to be at least 1,500 years old, with a unique, unfenced collection of standing stones

When we get there, we'll take a quick tour of this sleepy mountain city, Samneua. The journey will include a stop at the Nam Sam River Promenade, followed by Wat Phoxaysanalam, which is home to a Buddha statue dating back to 1565.

We observe the beautiful cotton and silk fabrics being created when we visit weaving houses close to the shrine. Our final visit is to the market where exquisite Houaphanh textiles and clothing made by many ethnic groups are sold. 

We will come back to the hotel and call it a day.

Morning

After breakfast, we will drive to Viengxay - the town contains hundreds of caves that have sheltered local people and the country's future leaders in wartime.

Don’t hesitate to take the audio tour that tells the history of the 'hidden city' and discover the area's charming landscape. We will return to Samneua in the late afternoon and stay overnight in Sam Neua.

Morning

We will take a 7-hour drive to Xieng Khouang, a rebuilt town after it was destroyed during the secret war in Laos. We will break the trip at Muang Kham to visit the town and its hot spring if you wish. 

Upon arrival, we will check in at the hotel. Overnight in Xieng Khouang.

Morning

We will visit the Central Market of Phonsavanh to watch the different hill tribe people barter and exchange merchandise.

After breakfast, we will get to know Muang Khoun, home of some unique sitting giant Buddha and some old pagodas.

Tourists have a trip to Wat Pia Wat, a Buddhist temple, for a view of an old 30m stupa that was constructed in the Lan Xang /Lanna period.

Afternoon

We will visit the thought-provoking UXO Information Centre, run by the British organization MAG (Mines Advisory Group), that's been helping to clear Laos' unexploded ordnance since 1994.

While in Xieng Khuang, we are also going to sightsee its mysterious Plain of Jars, a huge archaeological complex littered with mysterious 2000-year-old stone jars.

You have time today to visit the Plain of Jars Site 1, the biggest and closest to town that is open to tourists.

Attention: The Plain of Jars has been heavily bombed during the war, and you have to respect all the signs and stay along the defined trails due to bombs, UXO, and landmines.

Before returning to Xieng Khouang, we will have the chance to explore local daily life while walking around the town.

Overnight in Xieng Khuang.

Morning 

The driver will take you to the next stop Luang Prabang - a UNESCO World Heritage City. On the way, visitors will stop by some small hill tribe villages to take photos.

Before traveling to a stop at Ban Kiew Nya for the panoramic view, we will stop for a photo in the Ban Phoudam Village, where we could see the H'Mong and Khamu Hill tribal minorities.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

NOTE: Before having dinner, we recommend heading to the Lao Red Cross to enjoy a traditional Lao massage, which will help you recover from the exploration in the last few days. (Not included - pay on spot)

Morning

Eat breakfast at the hotel. Before the driver takes you to the airport for your departure flight, you have free time to explore Luang Prabang.

We appreciate you joining us and look forward to seeing you again.

NOTE: we recommend joining a morning Yoga class at Luang Prabang Yoga, which will take about 1 hour starting at 07:30 at Utopia Bar & Restaurant before returning to your hotel for breakfast. Class fee is KIP80,000 /person ~ $6 /pax (payable on spot in KIP only - pre-reservation not accepted). You need to come on time if you are interested. In case you come late, you are not allowed to join.