The 100 Waterfalls Trek - A Day Out Hiking From Nong Khiaw
The 100 Waterfalls trek takes you from the northern Laotian town of Nong Khiaw, down the Nam Ou river, through villages and farms untouched by time and into a hidden jungle wonderland of falling water. The walk takes you deep into the Laotian forests and follows a winding jungle river as it cascades down from the surrounding limestone mountains. The One Hundred Waterfalls is one of the best one day options for trekking in Nong Khiaw. Read on to find out why!
All over the northern Laotian town of Nong Khiaw are signs and sandwich boards offering treks, camping and expeditions. Written across many of these chalked billboards was the intriguing “100 Waterfalls Trek”. The trek had grabbed our attention on our first visit to Nong Khiaw in January but, as it was the heart of the dry season we had been advised the waterfalls would not be at their best. This time we were visiting in October, at the tail end of the rainy season.
It was time for us to see some waterfalls, maybe even 100 of them.
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The rivers of Laos are endlessly pretty!
The 100 Waterfall Tour - Our Experience
The tour started in the way many do in Laos: a tour agency, followed by a scooter ride followed by another tour agency. Most of the agencies in Nong Khiaw offer the same “menu” of treks and tours. When you book onto a trek, you will be ferried around town to the people that actually provide the tour.
Our group was small for the 100 Waterfall trek, just us and one other British couple. After introductions and a brief description of the day ahead we walked down to the Nong Khiaw dock.
Dock is a grandiose word, Nong Khiaw doesn't have a dock, it barely has a pier. Nong Khiaw has a small 2x4 metre floating blue plastic pier that doesn't quite line up to the steps down from the riverbank. After a precarious boarding, we pushed off from the riverbank, revved up the engine and set off. Our transport downriver was a compact, flat-roofed boat with wooden planks as seats. Like lots of things in Laos, it was simple, practical and did the job!
There is something magical about river transport in Laos. Even with a modern engine growling and sputtering in the background, the journey feels timeless. On the river’s banks herds of buffalo wallowed in the mud and shallows with birds and insects flitting overhead. Farms with bamboo and wooden houses appeared, seemingly at random, from the dense jungle clad banks. Other river users cruised past our boat, their craft laden with supplies from the markets in Nong Khiaw. We love travelling by river in Laos, it is such a great way to get out and really see the country. If you haven't already, make sure you check out our article on the slow boat journey between Luang Prabang and the Thailand border at Houayxay.
After around 45 minutes down the Nam Ou river, our boat pulled up to a set of stairs leading down from a temple. We (gracelessly in John's case) disembarked, climbed the stairs and entered the small village of Don Khoun.
The village had no cell reception and, our guide explained, most of the power came from a few solar panels that were fitted on a some of the houses. If the town needed something it didn't grow or farm itself, it had to go upriver to the market at Nong Khiaw. The houses were a mix of breezeblock, woven bamboo and corrugated iron and the roads were packed earth. Chickens clucked whilst their chicks panicked and ran about everywhere, in the shade next to the houses dogs lazed and lounged. It was the middle of the day so there were not many people around. Our guide told us that everyone would be out working the fields. It was nearing harvest time for the rice, a busy time for any Laotian farming community.
The village was, for better or for worse depending on your perspective, what we had imagined a Laotian forest village to look like, humble but proud at the same time, a traditional village on the slow but inexorable transition into modernity. Our mobile phones had no signal but the reed walled houses were slowly sprouting satellite dishes.
We walked through the town and quickly came out onto the rice paddy farms surrounding Don Khoun - beautiful would be an understatement. Rice paddies, like the tea gardens of India or Sri Lanka, are just a ridiculously good looking form of farming. Now, at the end of the wet season, the rice was bright emerald green with some of the grains just starting to turn amber gold.
Some of the fields were just ripening.
Some of the rice had already turned gold!
We walked along narrow paths around and between the rice terraces, the sheaths of rice tickling us as we passed. We had a water break under the stilts of a farmers house. Under the raised floor was a small anvil and forge as well as a fishing pond, vegetable garden and chicken coop. Our guide explained that the farmers were mostly self-sufficient, not requiring much from town throughout the year. We sipped our water next to a swelling patch of squash.
We continued on and soon left the farmland behind and entered the forest. It was a gloriously hot and sunny day and the shift from baking, blazing sun to the dappled light of the forest was very welcome. We could soon hear the sound of running water. This is where the 100 Waterfalls began in earnest; we had reached the jungle river.
At first we hopped across stepping stones and jumped from bank to bank but soon it became clear that there was no escaping getting our shoes wet. The 100 Waterfall Trek is a hike up river - literally up a river! We were to walk, climb and wade through the 100 waterfalls winding up through the gorgeous Laotian Jungle.
We clambered through the rushing clear water of the stream, up old wooden ladders and across moss covered rocks. It was beautiful. The forest all around was filled with the mysterious chirps, whines and buzzes of insects. We spotted massive millipedes on the path and our guide pointed out (and sometimes removed) colourful spiders.
The trail on the 100 Waterfall trek is not so much a path as a river!
As silly as it sounds, on a tour from a tourist friendly town like Nong Khiaw, the trek made us feel like explorers. At least it made us feel like what we wanted explorers to feel like when we were kids. We were deep in a beautiful jungle, wading through rushing clear water, out on an adventure!
An adventure cannot be an adventure without a little peril or discomfort. On the 100 Waterfalls Trek the “peril” (not really a peril at all) was provided by the leeches. These tiny wiggling bloodsuckers could be found slinkying their way across our shoes and attempting to gain access to our ankles. Our guide was great and somehow managed to spot most of the ‘orrible little critters, even when they were on John’s black shoes!
Leeches are ugly and unpleasant but, realistically, much better than mosquitoes. They may turn your stomach but their bites are painless, they don't carry the diseases mosquitoes do and, when they are done feeding, the bites itch half as much!
We reached the pinnacle of the trek about an hour or so after leaving the farmland behind. At the top of a set of wooden ladders, their predecessors still visible, mouldering away underneath, lay the final waterfall of the trek.
It was hard to take close up photo’s, the waterfall kept soaking the Go-pro!
Falling from above in a ribbon of frothing white, the fall cascaded down into a plunge pool before coiling around fallen rocks and dropping again downwards on to the trail that we had just climbed. It was a stunning spot. The forest around opened up and gave a phenomenal view over the jungle we had been walking through. We stripped off and soaked in the waterfall spray.
The waterfall and viewpoint was also our lunch stop. A bench table had been fashioned out of bamboo and wood. Our guide cut some long green leaves for a tablecloth and we unwrapped our meals. It was simple and delicious; rice noodles in a sesame / lime sauce with eggs and vegetables, followed by a sweet banana. Just what was needed after a hot jungle walk! The table was set up in the perfect aspect - looking out at the view and across the green carpet of trees that made up the forest.
Lunch with a view!
It was one of those meals where you have to, every so often, put down your chopsticks and look at where you are dining!
After lunch we looped back down a different and slightly quicker path to the farmland and back to Don Khoun. We re-boarded our boat and chugged a short way back upstream to another small hamlet. We walked through this village dodging flocks of ducks and the occasional excited puppy. All the while our guide was pointing out important village practices and interesting facts.
It was the day before schools began again and there was a ruckus coming from the local schoolhouse. It honestly sounded like a loudspeaker was playing the sounds of an orchestra tuning up very very badly. What it was, in fact, was the sound of a large group of 8-10 year old boys attempting to rearrange and clean a classroom. If you ever need a lot of noise made (and not much cleaning achieved), 8-10 years old is the demographic to ask!
From this final village we jumped back on our boat and put-putted our way back upstream to the pier at Nong Khiaw.
It had been a brilliant day. We usually avoid doing organised tours but, on this occasion, it had been well worth the money and time. We don't know if there were 100 waterfalls that we climbed that day but it was one of the most beautiful jungle hikes we have ever done. The scenery; from the villages to the rice terraces, the jungle streams and the waterfalls was like something out of a children's book. We are always worried that we romanticise what we see but, honestly, it was like the exploration of our imaginations. We had waded through amazing jungle rivers, up crumbling ladders and had lunch at an overgrown, waterfall flanked viewpoint - it had been fantastic.
The 100 Waterfall Trek - Tips, Tricks and Practical Information
How long is the 100 Waterfall trek?
The walk itself is around 3.5 to 4 hours. The tour takes most of the day - We met up at 9:00 and got back to Nong Khiaw around 15:00. This includes the boat rides there and back, the village visits and having lunch.
How difficult is the 100 waterfalls trek?
The trail is not difficult at all. It is slightly uphill for a large portion of the walk. You will need to balance on rocks and pick your way through running water but the guides are great and will help out at any slippery points. There are a few wooden ladders to climb but they are not very high and there are only a couple of them. The heat is the only real challenge with this trek, and this can be countered by drinking lots of water and wearing light clothing. We are not any sort of athletes and found this to be an easy but rewarding trek.
What should you wear on the trek, what should you bring?
Dress for a day of outdoor activity! Light, breathable, quick drying clothes are great. Ellie wore active leggings and a running top and John was in running shorts and an athletics top.
As to footwear, it is a little more difficult. You need good grip so do not attempt the trek in flip flops! Do be aware though that whatever is on your feet is going to get soaked in river water - there is no avoiding it. Sections of the trail are in knee-deep running water so no matter how “waterproof” your shoes are, your feet are getting wet.
Drying your shoes in Nong Khiaw
We both have waterproof hiking shoes, but all this means is they take much longer to dry! Make sure you factor in drying out wet shoes to your travel plans after doing the waterfall. In Nong Khiaw there are several guesthouses and laundry services that will clean and dry shoes for you so check one of them out if you are short on time.
If you have hiking sandals they would get you around the “soaked shoe” problem but expose you to another issue: leeches. Our shoes delayed or stopped either of us getting leeched but, if you have your toes wiggling and free you will not be so lucky! If you are worried about the leeches use insect repellent that has DEET in it.
On the subject of DEET: Do make sure you have mosquito repellent on as well as sunscreen. Take sunscreen with you so you can reapply after wading in the waterfalls
If you are on a tour they will supply you with drinking water but you will need to carry it yourself so bring a rucksack.
For food, you will have lunch provided on the tour (bring your own if you are doing a DIY adventure), but you may want some snacks in case you get peckish! We recommend the deep fried banana chips you can find at any stall in Nong Khiaw.
You can bring a camera but we would keep it in a dry bag whilst walking. A GoPro is great idea as you can have it out on the trek itself.
Dressed to impress!
Can I do the Trek without a tour or a guide?
This is a controversial question and we honestly do not know who is in the right.
You can definitely get a private boat to Don Khoun village and pay a local to take you to the falls. It would be much cheaper than the cost of a tour from town. Our tour guide said that they actively discourage people from doing this as the money that goes back into the town is less and it is not regulated as to where the money goes. We met a couple of other travellers who were doing the trek independently and had paid two young village kids to take them up the trail. Our guide told us that the treks arranged by the Nong Khiaw agencies were regulated and the trail/tour had been made to bring money into the local communities. Going around the tours, he said, was taking the benefits of the community's work but depriving them of the full money.
Conversely however, the Google reviews for the 100 Waterfall Trek, tell the opposite story. The reviewers on Google state that the agencies in Nong Khiaw are taking all of the money and are exploiting the local villages. We are not experts but we really did not feel that this is what was happening; the villagers all seemed to like our guide, he knew everyone by name and was from a neighbouring village. We stopped at village shops and were encouraged to buy snacks or beers from them. Our guide spoke perfect English and was extremely knowledgeable about the local customs, plants and animals. We do not regret spending the extra money and taking the tour.
We do not know enough to say who is right in this debate and our knowledge is biased (we took the tour) and anecdotal. We had a brilliantly organised day out with a local guide, who spoke English and was from the area. The travellers we ran into paid a man in the village for a guide and were given two ten-year olds to show them to the top…
Doing the trail alone - No guide or tour.
We would not recommend trying the trail without a guide. The way is not always clear and the trail is not marked or mapped. Also, this is Laos and you should not go off piste in the forest. There is always the risk of unexploded ordinance from the ‘Secret War’. Locals and guides will be confident in the area and know where to avoid.
The countryside of Laos is beautiful but not one to explore without a local!
How much does the 100 Waterfalls Tour cost?
The 100 Waterfalls Trek costs $30.00 (around 660,000 kip) per person from any of the agencies in Nong Khiaw. If you have a large group you will be able to negotiate a lower per person price. The cost includes all transport, drinking water, lunch and an English speaking guide.
If you do want to do the tour independently then expect to pay 300,000 - 500,000 kip for the boat to and from Don Khoun and another 100,000 - 200,000 kip per person for a guide (who may be a child and will almost certainly not speak much English) for the trail.
What season should you do the 100 Waterfalls Trek?
The dry season in Laos runs from November to April. In the peak of the dry season the 100 Waterfalls will be nearly nonexistent. We visited once in January and were advised the tour was not running as the falls were dry. If you come at the start or end of the dry season you may be able to do the tour, just check with the tour agencies, google reviews and other travellers before booking.
In the wet season (May - October) the falls will be in full swell and the trek will be at its most impressive. We visited at the start of October, at the tail end of the wet season, and the trek was fantastic with full falls and clear skies. Just keep an eye on the forecast, it would not have been so much fun in the rain!
Is the 100 Waterfalls Trek worth it?
Absolutely, 100%, no doubt whatsoever! The trek is great fun and takes you through some unbelievable scenery. From the villages to the rice terraces, shady forests and fast flowing streams, to clambering up waterfalls and dining on the viewpoint, the trek is a series of unforgettable moments. Nong Khiaw is an amazing place full of opportunities for adventure and the 100 Waterfall trek is one of the highlights of the area for us.
Other things to do in Nong Khiaw
If you are staying in Nong Khiaw make sure you have read our complete guide to the town. We have been to Nong Khiaw multiple times now and it is one of our favourite places on planet earth. Our guide covers everything about the town, from what to do and where to stay to where to find the best food and a good night out.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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