Vieng Xai - Adventures in Lesser Travelled Laos
Vieng Xai is not on the normal tourist trail of Laos. Read our guide for why you should visit this cave riddled, history rich and overall beautiful area of Laos! From hikes to enormous waterfalls, the famous “Victory Caves” to unexpectedly delicious Indian food, there is so much to see and do. Vieng Xai is a place few travellers have heard of but is 100% worth your time!
Sometimes it pays to go off the beaten path, sometimes the road less travelled can lead you to amazing places. Vieng Xai is a little known, unexpected, diamond of a destination. With beautiful natural scenery, a fascinating history as well as great food and cheap accommodation, Vieng Xai is something different in Northern Laos. Very few Western visitors brave the long journey to Vieng Xai and this lends the town a truly authentic, relaxed Laotian feel. The daily market, sweeping viewpoints, waterfalls and incredible history caves mean that there is plenty to do for those intrepid enough to step off of the tourist trail.
The town and surrounding countryside are also gorgeous! Set on a flat plain surrounded and punctuated by craggy mountainous peaks, Vieng Xai is seriously pretty. The valley floor is a patchwork of forest, lakes and paddy fields, it is a wonderful place for a wander. If you don't mind a longer walk you can even trek to some incredibly impressive, absolutely massive waterfalls!
This is our guide to Vieng Xai, how to get there and how to get the most out of a stay in this lesser travelled, beautiful Laotian town.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
In this Guide to Vieng Xai
Where is Vieng Xai and how to get there.
Sam Neua to Vieng Xai
Buses from Phonsavan / Vientiane to Sam Neua
Buses from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua
Taxis from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai
Scooter Rental from Sam Neua
Exploring the town
Vieng Xai Market
Vieng Xai Viewpiont
The Nam Neua Waterfall Walk
How to Get to Vieng Xai - Where is it?
Vieng Xai is located in the North East of Laos, near to the border with Vietnam and sandwiched between the Nam Et Phou Louey National Park and the Nam Xam National Biodiversity Conservation Area.
Vieng Xai is a little harder to reach than the more popular tourist destinations in Laos. The best way to get to this small town is via the nearby provincial capital of Sam Neua (sometimes spelled Xam Neua or Samneua).
Vieng Xai is around a 45 minute drive by bus from Sam Neua.
You can find Vieng Xai on a map here.
Buses to Vieng Xai / Sam Neua
There are buses (or flights for the well-heeled or short on time) from the capital Vientiane to Sam Neua. You can also get to Sam Neua by bus from Phonsavan (a useful detail we used later to visit the Plain of Jars).
The journey from Phonsavan is around 7-9 hours. If you are travelling from Vientiane it can take well over 15 hours by bus.
If you’re travelling from Vang Vieng to Vieng Xai it will be a long travel day - you will need to take 3 buses. One to either Phonsavan or Vientiane and then another bus to Sam Neua before finally hoping on the short ride to Vieng Xai.
Once you make it to Sam Neua you will have to change to the local bus stop, which is, annoyingly, on the other side of town. We used a taxi to do this. There are taxis waiting at either bus stop or you can (like us) get their number from the wall of a noodle shop in town.
Most intercity buses will arrive at the Southern Bus Terminal, located here. To go to Vieng Xai you need to get to the Na Thong Bus Station (located here) and jump on a local bus. The bus will drop you on the side of the road (around here), next to the junction with Vieng Xai town. From the drop-off point, it is a short 10-15 minute walk into town.
It is a little difficult to book tickets online for buses to or from Sam Neua (and impossible for buses from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai).
This was the diplay timetable at Sam Nuea when we visited.
If you are travelling from Phonsavan or Vientiane you will need to either use a tour agency or go to the bus station and book them directly yourself. If you are in Vieng Xai the Cave Tour Centre has a very helpful timetable with all the local services. Not much English is spoken at the Sam Neua bus station but we had no problems getting our tickets to Phonsavan, we just said where we wanted to go and they told us the price using a calculator. In Sam Neua city there is a Tourist Office that will be happy to help those who do not want to handle the booking themselves.
Taking the bus from Nong Khiaw to Vieng Xai
For us long term backpackers, we wanted to do things a little differently: Vieng Xai provided a route through Northern Laos that meant we did not have to shuttle backwards and forwards through Luang Prabang - on this trip we had already spent a fortnight in the beautiful UNESCO cultural hub.
We wanted to travel from the backpacker haven of Nong Khiaw (read all about this slice of heaven here) down to Phonsavan and the famous "Plain of Jars". The most common route for tourists would be to double back to Luang Prabang and get on a long bus all the way to Phonsavan. We are slow travellers and are always interested in the road less trodden. We wanted to get off the traditional tourist trail and travel from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua and Vieng Xai allowed us to do just that. It also stitched together a route to the "Plain of Jars" as we could, after Vieng Xai, catch a bus from Sam Nuea to Phonsavan. However, as we found out, the way was not for the faint of heart!
It was a 12-16 hour minivan adventure, overnight on some of Laos' worst roads. We rocketed from the riverside of Nong Khiaw, careened through bone bouncing roads, tiny villages and epic mountain passes all the way to Sam Neua. It was not restful or comfortable but, if you are looking for adventure on your travels we cannot recommend it enough! It was an amazing journey full of unforgettable moments and sights. Read all about the route here:
Our adventurous route allowed us to not only avoid going back and forth to Luang Prabang but brought us nearby to Vieng Xai, allowing us to add this little known gem to our Laos itinerary.
To book onto this route you need to speak to a tour agency in Nong Khiaw, check out our full article for more details. If you are doing this in reverse and want to travel from Sam Neua to Nong Khiaw, you will need to speak to the bus station in Sam Neua. The bus is the one that goes all the way to Luang Prabang, but it will stop in Nong Khiaw to pick up or drop off passengers.
Taxis Between Sam Neua and Vieng Xai
The quickest but most expensive way to get to Vieng Xai from Sam Neua is by private taxi. The price from all three companies we contacted was the same at 500000 kip. Sometimes, even if you are on a backpacking budget, you need to spend money to get places. We took the local bus from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai but, when it was time to leave, we had to spend the cash and book a very early morning taxi.
We needed to be at the Sam Neua bus station early enough to get our Phonsavan bus tickets and get our luggage on board, so we had to get a taxi from our guesthouse in Vieng Xai. Anyone who has travelled by minivan in Laos knows what happens if you are the last one on board.... beer crate seats are not ideal for 8 hour plus journeys!
Renting a scooter for Vieng Xai
There are no scooter rentals in Vieng Xai. If you want to rent a scooter you will need to do so in Sam Neua. Just be aware that the roads are mountain roads, full of potholes and lorries travelling from Vietnam. Also as there seems to only be one shop in Sam Neua that rents to foreigners, the price is quite high. We did not rent a scooter on our trip but you can do it from here.
Vieng Xai - A Very Brief History
Vieng Xai is a small but incredibly important town in the history of Laos.
After the defeat of the colonial French and the chaos of the Second World War, Laos found itself in a "War of the Brothers". The Laotian Royal Family had fractured over the future of the country. One royal brother wanted the monarchy to remain in charge, another wanted to remain neutral whereas the third brother wanted power to be given over to the Pathet Laos Revolutionary Party.
The conflict was dragged into the wider "Cold War" with the Royalists being supported by the USA and the Pathet Laos siding with, supporting and being supported by Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam and the Communist Parties of China and Russia.
This set the stage for the USA's "Secret War". The "Secret War" is the reason why, despite never officially being at war, Laos is the most bombed country on the planet. The USA did not want the Pathet Laos in power and wanted to stop Laos’ support of Northern Vietnam so it attempted to bomb them into submission. Vieng Xai is where the Laotian leadership sheltered from the onslaught.
Originally just a tiny village surrounded by tall mountains, Vieng Xai was selected as the safest place to relocate the Pathet Laos government to. This tiny, pretty slice of Laos became the seat of power for the Laos People's Revolutionary Party. It sheltered and protected the leaders of the party as they orchestrated their war effort and tried to unify the country under communist ideology.
Hidden in the craggy cliff sides and limestone mountains ringing Vieng Xai are the "Pathet Laos Victory Caves" - The homes, offices, schools, hospitals and theatres built into the rock to protect the people from the falling bombs.
It was in these caves that the Pathet Laos leadership sheltered, planned and administered their war effort. After the ceasefire and the end of the bombing the leadership emerged from the caves and continued to govern from the small town. Although the capital Vientiane is now the seat of the government, Vieng Xai is seen as the spiritual home of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). The caves that kept the government sheltered are now preserved and open to visitors.
Visiting the Victory Caves at Vieng Xai
To visit the Victory Caves you need to have an official tour guide. We are normally not tour people, we much rather explore by ourselves. For these caves though we made an exception and we are so glad we did, they are seriously impressive and have really interesting histories.
To get on a tour you need to go to the Vieng Xai Caves Visitors Centre (located here). There are two tours a day, one at 9am and one at 12 midday. The tours are very reasonably priced at 70000 kip for foreigners or 40000 for visitors from Southeast Asian countries. If you need a tour at a different time (or want to gaurentee a private tour), you could pay an additional 50000 kip. When you book a tour they advise you on which caves you should visit. If you have transport you can get to and see more of the caves. There is the offer to rent pushbikes from the visitors centre (20000 kip) but we were happy to walk so we passed on a cycle in the midday sun.
There is no real way to see all the caves in a single day - there are just too many of them. We were on foot and decided to see the "main three” caves. This would take from midday to early evening so we thought that would be plenty.
The tour comes with a guide who will let you into all the caves (they are all locked) and explain more of the history. We say more of the history as the tour also includes an audio guide. Now we normally hate audio guides, we just aren't a fan of not going our own way at our own pace, however, this audio guide was actually great. It was well read and really interesting in the way it was written. We suppose there has to be an exception to every rule!
When we visited we had a guide just for us, from the Google reviews this is not uncommon so it is really good value!
The Prince's Cave
(location)
Our first stop was the cave residence of the man the west called "The Red Prince" - Prince Souphanouvong - the royal brother who went against the monarchy, his own family, to support Pathet Laos.
The cave was surrounded by a beautiful garden full of fruit trees, purple bushes and soft green mosses. Inside a cave garage the Prince's old cars sit mouldering. Our guide knocked some fresh pomelo fruit from the branches overhead and we gorged ourselves on the juicy fruit. The whole place smelled of flowers, citrus and growing, green plant life.
Inside, the cave was split into rooms for the Prince, his family, doctors and other staff. Some of the Prince's possessions were still there and the audio guide explained through story and first hand account what had happened there.
We cannot describe how lovely the cave’s garden smelled! For those who don’t know what a pomelo is; it's a huge green skinned orange fleshed citrus fruit that tastes very similar to grapefruit. You can see some smaller pomelos in the trees in the right hand image.
The Leader - Kaysone Phomvihane's Cave
(location)
The cave that the leader of the LPRP lived and worked from was humble but functional. It housed bedrooms, a meeting room for the cabinet, inside and outside kitchens (depending on the bombing situation) as well as blast walls and a gas proof bunker. Outside the caves were the buildings constructed after the ceasefire where the government could meet and house foreign diplomats.
Even the caves couldn’t completely protect the people from the falling bombs. You can see the extra blast wall here, outside one of the “secretary caves” in the presidents cave complex.
Xanglord Cave - The big one
(location)
Xanglord Cave is also known as the Elephant Cave. The nickname comes from a local legend that states the cave was so large that an historic King rode his elephant through it. The cave definitely lives up to its name - it is enormous. A warren of tunnels, some only big enough for one person, some wide enough for a tank, criss-cross inside the mountain.
The paths twist and burrow through the mountain, we were glad to have a guide!
Xanglord Cave is so big that it houses a full stage and theatre area. The space was used for government functions as well as weddings, movie nights and dances. It really drove home that people didn't just hide in the caves from the bombs, they lived in them for nearly 10 years!
All the caves were well maintained and the guide and audio tour were fantastic. The audio guide was interesting, engaging and didn't distract from the experience. Our human guide, Bounpanh, was also brilliant, filling in the gaps in the history and adding local anecdotes and stories.
You cannot visit the Vieng Xai Caves independently, they are all locked up after every tour goes through. When we visited our guide literally unlocked the history and led us through the labyrinth of caves. There are many, many caves scattered around Vieng Xai, all the different branches of government had their own offices and shelters - there is no way you could see all of them. We felt our tour of three of them was the perfect amount, it lasted the whole afternoon and was interesting without being overwhelming. As we said we are not normally ones for tours, but the Victory Caves at Vieng Xai are definitely worth it!
What Else is There To Do in Vieng Xai - Beyond the Caves
Vieng Xai Town
Vieng Xai is small, charming and very pretty! It is great just for wandering around and seeing what you find. We loved ambling around next to the pretty lakes and down the back streets, occasionally being honked at by inquisitive geese or sniffed at by curious canines. Throughout Vieng Xai we were constantly being helloed at by the village children all of which wanted to practice their English with us. The town is not very large and you can easily walk around most of it in an hour or two.
On the outskirts of the town are several "attractions" that are still under construction. There is the Japan Friendship Sakura Park (here on a map) - The trees have been planted but have not yet matured into a garden. There is a café attached to the park but we couldn't work out when it was open. Despite its posted hours, it was not open when we trudged back from our long waterfall walk, (see more about this later) much to our disappointment!
Past the park, if you are walking into town, is a formal garden with a large memorial statue in the centre. The memorial was for the first president - Mr Kaisone/Kaysone. Unfortunately this too was shut whenever we passed it by.
Just because the gates are closed doesnt mean we cannot take a photo through the fence! The Kaysone memorial park did look pretty and well cared for.
If you stay anywhere in Vieng Xai you cannot miss the huge, ornate red and white building that sits on the edge of town. It is massive, easily 5x the size of the next biggest building in town. It is/was meant to be a museum dedicated to the history of the province but it currently stands empty and abandoned. Let us know if you visit and it has opened, those we spoke to in town were not holding out hope it would ever be completed. Even so, it is a very impressive building!
You can see the abandoned museum in the top right of the photo - it is truly massive, especially compared to the rest of the buildings in town! We do hope it opens someday.
Three lakes split the town in half. Most of the commerce, shops and guesthouses are on the eastern side of the lakes with the west being more residential (but still with a few restaurants and shops).
The lakes themselves are very picturesque, framing and reflecting the dramatic, cave riddled mountains. The southernmost lake has hotels and restaurants on its banks and you can even rent pedal-boats if you are in the mood. Unlike in Da Lat (read more about our time there here) we resisted the swan boat’s siren call on this visit.
In the main part of town there are shops selling everything from phones to farming equipment. There are plenty of good places to eat (see later in this article for our recommendations) and even a couple of places to grab a coffee. Remember that you are out in rural Laos so do not expect any single-origin, barista crafted specialist roasteries. We had some lovely cheap rocket fuel at a small shop near the market (around here).
Speaking of markets…
Vieng Xai Market
(location)
Vieng Xai has a great market. Open all day, every day, the stalls changed depending on when we visited. There was always plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, as well as meats and prepared meals. It is a proper working market, interesting and eye opening to wander through. It was also a super friendly market! Sometimes markets can be a little intimidating or standoffish for tourists - after all we are camera wielding interlopers inconveniencing people who are just going about their day. The market at Vieng Xai was full of cheerful people who wanted to show us all their produce, even if we weren't buying anything!
We found the market was at its best early in the morning, when it was busiest with people getting their ingredients for the day. It is also a good place to pick up snacks, fruit or a bit of breakfast.
Vieng Xai Viewpoint
(location)
We love viewpoints, just look at our time in Nong Khiaw. So we were not going to miss out on a little hike for a view! The Vieng Xai Viewpoint is in the middle of town, rising up on a huge spiked and jagged rock. If you are visiting, the entrance to the stairs is on the eastern side.
John looking as happy as every to be climbing up another viewpoint! The stairs start out as wide stone steps but quickly become….
Much narrower metal stairs! The top is not too high but still not recommended for those with vertigo!
The entrance fee is 20000 kip. The climb is easy, far shorter than any of the viewpoints in Nong Khiaw, Muang Ngoi or Vang Vieng. It took under 10 minutes for us to climb the metal staircase to the top of the rock. Despite its smaller size the view from the top was fantastic. From the top we could see right out over the countryside. Around the town the landscape is flat with lakes, paddy fields and farms punctured by craggy limestone peaks. It is a unique landscape.
There are two viewing platforms at the top which give you great panoramic views all over the area. It is a stunning place, even without its famous history Vieng Xai would be worth a visit.
Ellie taking a breather after a short, sharp climb up the viewpoint.
Nam Neua Waterfall
(location)
The Nam Neua Waterfall is incredible, to get to it however, turned out to be more of an adventure than we anticipated.
Waterfall hunting is a great excuse to get out and explore the countryside. It had served us well in Nong Khiaw with our expedition to Tad Mok Falls and our day out doing the 100 Waterfall Trek so when we saw some impressive looking falls on a map we decided to investigate.
The usually reliable app Maps.me led us here its notes and comments confidently stating that this was the easiest and quickest route to the falls. On the road the place was obvious with a bridge crossing a river, next to an older, much more dilapaded bridge. Our first red flag was that the river appeared to be flowing the wrong way! If this was the correct way to the falls then we would be approaching the top of the falls, however all the pictures we had seen were from the foot of the falls... Still we trusted in our phones and forged ahead.
Maps.me states this is where you turn off the road - do not believe everything your phone tells you!
We found a tiny very overgrown path hugging the side of the fast flowing river. We followed the path as it grew narrower and narrower, it was clear no one had come this way in a long time. We eventually admitted defeat when our way was blocked by an enormous spider sitting in the middle of a path-spanning web. We did not want to disturb Mr 8-leg and he didn't look like he wanted to be disturbed by us. We turned around.
Checking our phones we couldn't immediately see where we had gone wrong. We checked the satellite view on Google Maps (always a good tactic where maps are unreliable) and saw what looked like another route on the other side of the falls. It was another good 4-and-a-bit kilometres away but we are not quitters, so we set off again.
The scenery around Vieng Xai is stunning, totally worth the extra walk!
The road was quiet with only a few cars, vans and bikes passing us on our lonely wander. It was baking hot and approaching midday but there were plenty of small villages and roadside shops where we could duck into some shade and grab a drink.
After a crossroads around a petrol station the road began to climb and wind into the mountains. The scenery was fantastic, towering cliffs and green forests with the view occasionally opening up to sweeping mountain top vistas.
Eventually we came to a turning off of the tarmac onto a dirt road. The way was marked with a sign in Laotian and nothing else. This was where the satellite said we should go so, slaves to technology that we are, we turned off the main road.
The dirt road was clearly still being constructed; it was cratered and dug out by the caterpillar tread of heavy machinery. The path wound down into a hidden valley and to a wide, fast flowing river.
The bridge looked sooo safe….
Spanning the river was one of the dodgiest bridges we have ever seen. A skinny plank and pole walkway was held above the raging water by cables and what looked like chicken wire.
This place was definitely under construction.
We could see a fording point a little way downstream, but as we were not driving a JCB it would have meant a swim for us, so across the bridge we went. After balance-beaming our way across the water we climbed earthen steps up the near vertical riverbank. Our ears slowly filled with the sound of thundering water. We picked our way through a construction site, climbed one more steep path and then, promptly, lost our breath.
We just cannot explain how much bigger the Nam Nuea falls are in person v.s on camera!
The Nam Neua waterfall is immense, incredible, impressive and many other words beginning with "I". A huge falling river of white water, cascading over the cliffs in three tiered layers. It was one of the tallest falls we have ever seen and we were also the only ones there! Around us were obvious signs of development, a new viewing area was being gouged out of the hillside below us and behind us was a building site for some kind of large structure. But then and there it was just us, a rusting selfie swing and one of the most amazing waterfalls we have ever seen!
The falls were brilliant, some of the best we have visited. However, as a day out it had been the adventure we have loved the most. No guides, just a spot on a map, getting mildly lost but sticking at it, persevering until we had really earned our waterfall views. We didn't even mind the 11 kilometre walk back to our guesthouse!
If you too like an adventure and don't mind a long walk, this pin marks the start of the dirt road down to the falls. Please let us know if you visit, and if they finish the development there.
Also, you could just take a scooter if you have rented one in Sam Neua, but where is the challenge in that?!
Where to eat in Vieng Xai
Stir fry, fried rice and the backpacker essentials - Ketnapha Restaurant
(location)
We did not have a quick journey to Vieng Xai. By the time we arrived in the town we had been on the road for around 20 hours. On our first night we did not feel like venturing too far from our comfy accommodation (more on that later). Luckily for us our guesthouse has its own restaurant, set just across the road from the rooms.
The restaurant was being renovated when we visited but, despite half the floor being freshly poured concrete, the place was busy with locals tucking into dinner. The menu had English translations (a rare thing in Vieng Xai) and was full of hearty backpacker favourites: fried rice, noodle soups as well as whole fried fish or chicken. Everything was reasonably priced and the smells wafting from the small kitchen promised a tasty meal.
We, through exhaustion and a lack of imagination, ordered two portions of pork fried rice. Our meals came out quickly and steaming hot from the wok. The food was great, each grain of rice coated in delicious flavour and smoky wok caramelization. We were also given a heavily herbed bowl of bone soup that was the perfect accompaniment to the hearty fried rice. It was just what we needed after a long travel day.
Beef noodles at Mrs Sengalouns
(location)
We rose late on our first full day in Vieng Xai, too late for breakfast but too early for lunch. We emerged from a well earned lie-in hungry and eager to explore. We were in the mood for noods - we nearly always are! We walked down the road towards the Caves Visitors Centre and found Mrs Sengaloun's restaurant on the side of the path.
Lured in by the smell of boiling broth we grabbed a table. We were dining at an odd time so we had the whole space to ourselves. The lovely lady who ran the shop (we guess this is Mrs Sengaloun?) spoke very little English but enough to understand "noodles please!".
The lady served us up two huge bowls of meltingly soft beef noodles. They were hearty and delicious, very similar to a Vietnamese pho but with a stronger, more garlicky broth. It was the perfect start to our first day in town and very reasonably priced at 40000 kip a bowl.
Market grazing
(location)
Markets are always a good budget friendly option for backpacker dining. The market at Vieng Xai is stuffed full of fresh fruit and small portable snacks for dining on the move. We would recommend some grilled Laotian sausage alongside sticky rice for a cheap, yummy and filling meal.
Saibadee Odisha: One of the best Indian restaurants outside of India - No seriously!
(location)
Sometimes you find the best things in the most unexpected of places. We certainly did not expect to find one of the best Indian restaurants we have ever eaten at in a small Laotian town!
Sabaidee Odisha is utterly fantastic. The food is authentic, delicious and tastes like it is straight out of India. The restaurant hides its greatness; from the outside it doesn't look too different from the other Laotian noodle shops in town but don't let this fool you! Most of our favourite restaurants don't have pressed white table cloths and a sommelier on hand. Especially during our Indian adventures we learned that it doesn't matter what the restaurant looks like, what matters is what it serves. As the old phrase goes, do not judge a book by its cover or a restaurant by its dining room!
Sabaidee Odisha was so good that we ate three meals there; two dinners and a breakfast. We stumbled on the restaurant on our second night in town and had a fantastic dal with a potato curry and vegetable biriyani, all scooped up in divinely flaky paratha. As we were leaving we saw a whole chicken, slathered in a fragrant spice paste, being roasted over a wood fire - we knew we would be back. The next day saw us munching on butter chicken, aloo gobi, jeera rice and yet more paratha (we cannot not order paratha that good!). We enjoyed our final breakfast there as well; some of the best puri we have ever eaten. We have no idea how you deep fry a puri without it becoming greasy, some form of wizardry we presume.
You really never know when you will find greatness - we are not exaggerating this was our favourite restaurant in Vieng Xai and one of the best Indian meals we have had since leaving India!
Apart from serving delicious food, the man running Sabaidee Odisha was brilliant, full of knowledge about the local area and brimming with enthusiasm about both Laos and his hometown in India. He runs a YouTube Channel about Vieng Xai and was super helpful to us during our visit.
Where to Stay in Vieng Xai - Accommodation in the Town
Vieng Xai town has loads of guesthouses and hotels dotted around. It is a popular holiday spot for Laotians and Vietnamese crossing the nearby border. It also seems like there are a lot of government retreats and trips to the town so there is plenty of accommodation set up for visitors.
That all being said, there is not a giant amount of accommodation that you can book online, at least not if you cannot speak Laotian! We found that one of the best ways of booking accommodation in places without Booking.com was through WhatsApp and Google Maps. We would find a place that looks ok on Google then add them on WhatsApp and use Google Translate to talk with the accommodation directly.
With our backpacking budget we chose the Ketnapha Guesthouse. You can have a look at them here. We spotted them on Google Maps, added them to WhatsApp and agreed 200000 kip a night for our stay. The images in Google do not do this cosy little place justice. We were very pleasantly surprised by our cute chalet. Our little place was the perfect size for our needs with loads of light, a good shower, air conditioning and even a small patio / seating area.
Our comfy little pied-à-terre in Vieng Xai - the accommodation had everything we needed at the right price.
If you want to sort out accommodation further in advance, or do not feel like relying on a translation app for your room, you can find some accommodation on Western booking sites. We found that Agoda has the most options, you can see what they are offering here.
Conclusion - Is Vieng Xai Worth the Trip?
We hate this question, of course we would say it was worth it, we loved it and wrote a whole article about it! That all being said, a trip to Vieng Xai won't fit into everyone's Laotian itinerary, if you do not have the luxury of time it may not be possible to fit Vieng Xai into your adventures. It takes time and effort to get to Vieng Xai, it is really only accessible from Phonsavan or (with a bumpy journey) Nong Khiaw. But despite this inaccessibility, or maybe because of it, we would recommend Vieng Xai to anyone looking to go a bit beyond the normal in Laos. Vieng Xai is fantastic, full of stunning scenery, history and friendly people.
We also have to mention that Vieng Xai boasts phenomenal sunsets!
If you have the time and a sense of adventure, Vieng Xai is 100% worth the effort. We would highly recommend our lesser travelled route through Northern Laos. Going from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua, Vieng Xai and then down to Phonsavan gets you out of the well trodden tourist itineraries and gives you a glimpse into a Laos most visitors do not get to see. The road is long and (very) uncomfortable, but the rewards are there for those who take it. For those like us who are long-term backpacking, Vieng Xai is very, very affordable with good food and accommodation.
Vieng Xai was an unexpected treat. We came there due to our stubbornness and refusal to backtrack through Luang Prabang but it turned into a fantastic, off the beaten track adventure. From the rich modern history of the caves and town, to the amazing natural beauty of the craggy mountains and surrounding countryside, the incredible Nam Neua Waterfall and the hospitality of the locals, Vieng Xai had been a beautiful surprise.
Vieng Xai is not on the "traditional" Laos tourist trail, so visiting it allows you a little traveller smugness: You made the extra effort, went a little further and were rewarded by getting to see a truly special corner of Laos, far beyond what most tourists get to experience.
Vieng Xai was stunning, interesting and well worth our time… Also the Indian restaurant was worth the journey all by itself!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua - A Road Less Travelled
If you are looking for a less travelled route through Northern Laos, you have come to the right place. Read our guide and story of the journey between the mountain backpacker town of Nong Khiaw and Sam Neua and finally the caves of Vieng Xai. The journey is not for the faint of heart!
The mountainous, river-laced region of northern Laos can sometimes be a bit of a headache for tourists to navigate. Transport between places frequently seems to require shuttling to and from the city of Luang Prabang. If you want to go to most places, the advice will be to travel through or via Luang Prabang. On our third trip to the beautiful country of Laos, we wanted to avoid doing the "Luang Prabang shuffle".
We were staying in Nong Khiaw, one of our favourite places on Planet Earth (read all about it here). We knew we wanted see more of the north before, eventually, heading down to Phonsavan and its mysterious Plain of Jars. The only issue was that there was no obvious route between Nong Khiaw and Phonsavan, we thought that we would need to go back to Luang Prabang and then catch an onwards bus.
As we have mentioned, we did not want to do the Luang Prabang Shuffle. We had just spent nearly a fortnight in the amazing Laotian cultural capital (read more about that here) and did not want to go straight back. So we broke open the maps (ok the Google map at least) and had a look at our options.
After checking with Google, the Nong Khiaw bus station and the minibus operators in town we quickly found that the only routes away from Nong Khiaw that did not involve Luang Prabang were:
North, taking a boat trip up to Muang Ngoi, Muang Khua and the border with Vietnam
West to Luang Namtha (or on further still to Huay Xay)
East towards Sam Neua and Vieng Xai. From Sam Neua we could see that there were buses down South to Phonsavan.
The choice for us was easy, we had already been to Luang Namtha and had spent three months in Vietnam (check out what we got up to!). We had found our route to Phonsavan, we could go from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neau, From Sam Neua stay in and visit the caves at Vieng Xai and then catch a bus to Phonsavan. We would take the road less travelled, we would head East.
Sam Neua is the hub town for the less visited north-eastern corner of Laos. The town itself has a market and a few guest houses but it acts as a gateway to mountains, national parks and the beautiful, cave-riddled town of Vieng Xai. Sam Neua also has bus links to Phonsavan and onwards further south, it sounded like the perfect cure for the Luang Prabang Shuffle. We decided that we would take the slow road, travel from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua and then take the short hop on to Vieng Xai.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
It is hard to leave Nong Khiaw, but eventually you will have to!
Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua - Getting to Vieng Xai
Decision made we had to buy our bus tickets. The first issue is that the Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua bus does not stop at the Nong Khiaw bus station. The bus departs from Luang Prabang and, if it is not completely full, will stop just after the bridge in Nong Khiaw to pick up more passengers. We had heard that this can be a little bit of a gamble, if the bus was busy there would be no space for us let alone our large, backpacking rucksacks! We (inventively or shamefully depending on your outlook) solved this issue with money. We, through an agent in Nong Khiaw (see the end of the article for all the practical tips and information) bought tickets from Luang Prabang to Sam Neua, with the driver being informed that we would actually get on the bus at Nong Khiaw. This would mean we were guaranteed actual seats on the bus and that there would be space for our bags. It really helped having local assistance with this, our agent phoned the driver and made sure what time he would arrive and that we would have proper seats. The seats were just as well due to issue number two...
We were warned that the road between Sam Neua and Nong Khiaw is atrocious, like completely awful. Imagine a mud crusted, crater-pocked landslide of a road, then constantly run massive haulage lorries across it and you get the idea. From Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua it is only around 320km but we had been warned that the journey could take around 16 hours. Oh and that it would be happening overnight so we would have the fun of a bone breaking, heart shaking ride in the dark!
We do love an adventure and were very determined not to retrace our steps to Luang Prabang so we paid up and booked on the bus to Sam Neua.
Crammed in the minibus and ready to go! - How little we knew….
The Journey - Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua
Our overnight journey started off well enough. The minivan pulled up exactly when our travel agent in Nong Khiaw said it would. We were not relegated to the beer crate seats but had normal car seats. The leg room was Laos-typical, as in there was some but not much, especially not if you have brought enough snacks and supplies for a 16 hour road trip! We folded ourselves into our seats and settled in for the long ride.
The scenery around Nong Khiaw is breath-taking, deep forest-shadowed valleys and soaring cliff edge roads. The initial ride was fantastic, with beautiful views and stunning scenes only occasionally interrupted by spine wrenching collisions with potholes.
Just as the shadows were lengthening and the light was turning gold we pulled into a small village. We hopped off the bus and stretched out. There was a small restaurant and a couple of stalls selling crisps and drinks. We had eaten just before leaving Nong Khiaw and were fully stocked with snacks and supplies. The shops out there in rural Laos were very different, there was the occasional recognisable brand but mostly it was brands we had never heard of, imported from China or Vietnam.
The minivan driver; a tiny man apparently made entirely of steel (he had lifted Ellie's bag in one hand whilst balancing on the minivan roof), had another motive for the village stop. Whilst we perused the shops he was with the local mechanic, checking and refilling the spare tyre, it was almost as if he knew what was ahead....
As the night drew in the road got worse and worse. Initially we had been on badly maintained roads but the tarmac had now all but disappeared. We were now on mud and gravel roads which were very much unsuitable to the heavy haulage running alongside us. Deep wheel troughs were gouged out of the muddy road surface and potholes the size of bomb craters littered the way. We bounced and crashed through these obstacles, being frequently flung out of chairs and crushed back by the seat belts. It was worse being sat near the back, you could never see what it was that caused the crash; you would just be dozing off and smash! We would be jolted into full panic wakefulness. We did not get much sleep.
We had nearly no stops at all, after our short spare-tyre-check at the start of the ride we had only stopped once and that was for a five minute toilet break. We had been travelling for 9 hours but had nearly no breaks from the bone bouncing ride. Luckily our hard working drivers stamina finally gave out just before dawn and we pulled over for a nap. It was only an hour and a half of respite but it was like water in the desert, very very needed!
As the first light of dawn started to turn the black sky grey we were treated to a fantastic sight. Sam Neua is at a much higher altitude than Nong Khiaw (1200 metres v.s 400). We had climbed though the night and now had incredible views across the cloud filled valleys below. We were on a mountainous island in a sea of clouds. Other little hill tops punctured the ocean of clouds around us. It may have been the sleep deprivation but it seemed magical!
We pulled into the cold and misty bus stop at Sam Neua at around 5 in the morning, 12 hours after setting off from Nong Khiaw. Around us the breakfast barbeques of food stalls were just lighting their charcoal. We had been bounced, shaken and rattled but we had got there. We were feeling all adventurous and smug when we were brought swiftly down to earth; the lady who had just spent 12 hours wedged between the door and another passenger, whilst sat on a beer crate, cheerfully hopped on a waiting motorbike and sped off into the dawn. For us it was an adventure, for her it was Thursday.
It may not look like much, but this little warrior got us through the rough roads to Sam Neua!
Sam Neua to Vieng Xai - One last stretch
Of course we werent done yet! We had made it to the hub town of Sam Neua but not our final destination - the limestone cliffs and caves of Vieng Xai. From Sam Neua it was another 30-40 minutes to the east by bus before we would get dropped off near Vieng Xai.
To complicate matters further, the bus to Vieng Xai did not leave from the bus station we had arrived at in Sam Neua. Our bus station was a good hours walk from where we had been dropped off. We therefore did what we always do when unsure of our next move - Went to find food.
We had hung around the bus station for a little while and the fires of the stalls were now wafting the small of roasting meat at us. We resisted the urge to just stay put and gorge on grilled meats, hoisted our backpacks on and set off for the short walk into town.
After our Vieng Xai adventures we found ourselves back at the original Sam Neua bus stop for our connection to Phonsavan. On this second occasion we did get some sticky rice and grilled pork - It was delicious, filling and the perfect pre-bus meal!
15 minutes walk down the road and we found ourselves in the slowly waking town of Sam Neua. We headed first for some noodles at a busy early morning street side eatery. The noodles were just what we needed, warming and comforting after our long journey. On the wall of the noodle shop were a selection of phone numbers for local taxi firms, we jotted down some numbers for later, finished our bowls and headed back out into the morning light
Sam Neua, as we have said, is a lot higher up than Nong Khiaw and was positively chilly in the early morning. This unexpected cold was the perfect excuse to treat ourselves to some upmarket coffee! We had spotted the Yuni Coffee Co Cafe on Google maps during our research and our noodle stop had given it time to open (7am). The coffee, which was made from locally grown beans, was delicious and desperately needed.
The coffee at Yuni’s was desperately needed!
Not fancying a long walk with our backpacks we started casting about for a taxi. Dialling the numbers we had got from the noodle shop, we quickly heard back from one firm and booked our ride to the Nathong Bus Station.
From the bus station multiple buses go to (or rather past - see later), Vieng Xai. We bought two tickets (30,000 kip each), boarded a bus and waited for it to fill up with locals.
The bus set off in the glow of the morning and wound up and around incredible mountains, passes and gorges. After only about half an hour we came up to the turning for Vieng Xai, the bus rumbled to the side of the road and decanted two weary backpackers.
The bus dropped us on the main road where a smaller road forks off for Vieng Xai (around here), it was not a long walk (luckily!) into town from there. We trudged the final 10 minutes to our guest house and collapsed. After 12 hours on the worst roads we have experienced, 3 and a bit hours in Sam Neua and a final bus ride we had made it!
We had avoided the Luang Prabang Shuffle and now found ourselves somewhere completely new, unknown to us and exciting. This is what our kind of travel is all about!
The Practical Stuff
Why Go to Sam Neua?
Sam Neua Town is the gateway to Northeastern Laos. It is not on the normal "tourist trail" but is an amazing jumping off point for several hard-to-reach locations. From Sam Neua you can:
Explore the incredible Nam Et - Phou Louey National Park. This is now on our list of missed opportunities. We would love to explore the waterfalls, pools, jungles and amazing biodiversity of this National Park. It is best explored with a guide. Have a look at the tours (and unique accommodation) on their official site. It just didn't fit our plans or budget on this trip but looking back we are regretting not trying harder to accommodate it.
Technically part of the above; the Night Safari at Nam Nem is meant to be absolutely stunning. Travellers we met on the road told us it was one of the best things they did in Laos. Again a missed opportunity for us :(.
Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars. This is what made us look into the area around Sam Neua, if you are coming from Northern Laos - Nong Khiaw or Luang Namtha, then the only way to get to Phonsavan is to shuttle back to Luang Prabang and catch a long bus from there. Sam Neua provides another possible route, allowing you to skip going back to Luang Prabang. Of course this route only really makes sense to do if you then make the most of the area around Sam Neua, speaking of which...
Vieng Xai - This was what brought us to Sam Neua on that long and bumpy bus journey. Vieng Xai is a gorgeous little town surrounded by towering, dramatically shaped limestone mountains. You can find Vieng Xai on a map here. The area is the birthplace of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary party and the caves and mountains became homes, classrooms and cabinet offices for the party as it fought for independence from the French, then against the Americans in the "Secret War". The area is stunning, with amazing waterfalls, viewpoints, caves and history.
Sam Neua offers a route out of Northern Laos that not only saves you from traveling back and forth to Luang Prabang but also takes you to some 'off-the-beaten-path' destinations you might not have considered. It brings you out of the well-trodden places and let you see a little more of the country than the average traveller.
How to get to Sam Neua From Nong Khiaw
You need to ask at one of the tour offices in town. The bus stop does not sell the tickets as the bus does not technically stop in Nong Khiaw. We would recommend finding a tour office that does this regularly and knows the driver / company. After a couple of visits to different offices that did not fill us with confidence, we found this place. We are pretty sure that the google listing is for the wrong name but it is in the right place and you cannot miss it on the side of the road - just look for the sandwich boards offering tours and you will be in the right place. The helpful man on the counter booked us seats right from Luang Prabang so we were guaranteed an actual seat (as opposed to a mid-aisle beer crate) on the long journey. He also had the drivers phone number and let us know exactly when the minivan would be arriving.
How much do tickets from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua Cost?
Our tickets cost 225,000kip each. This was for guaranteed seats and space for our two sizable backpacks. This was worth paying for the peace of mind, we did not want to find ourselves balanced on beer crates for 16 hours whilst rocketing through potholes!
Can you catch the minivan without using a tour agent?
If you are feeling lucky and want to chance doing it by yourself, just wait at the bridge around 5-7pm (bus timings are seldom exact in Laos) and flag down the minivan as it passes. It would be worth making a sign with the Laotian for Sam Neua (sometimes called Xam Neua or Samneua) written on it. It will be cheaper than buying tickets through an agency but you run the risk of a beer crate seat!
How long is the bus ride from Nong Khiaw to Sam Neua?
Our journey took 12 hours including a couple of shorts stops and a mini-nap for the driver. We were warned the journey can, if the roads are especially bad or busy, take up to 17 hours.
Ellie and our bags - safely deposited at the Southern Bus Station in Sam Neua
Can I stay in Sam Neua - Is there accommodation
There are plenty of guesthouses and hotels in Sam Neua. Staying in Sam Neua would be a great idea if you need somewhere to recuperate from the long journey before moving on to the national parks or elsewhere. You can find your accommodation choices here.
Sam Neua has markets, temples and even a viewpoint to explore. It is a much more industrial feeling town than Nong Khiaw - much less picturesque. However, it is a true Laotian town full of great food, coffee and people. You could easily spend a night there
How to get from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai
If you are coming from Nong Khiaw You will arrive in Sam Neua at the Southern Bus Station (located here). This is not the station that the Vieng Xai bus leaves from! You need to get to the Nathong / Na Thong Bus Station - located here. From the Nathong bus station several buses a day leave that will take you past the turning to Vieng Xai. Bus tickets from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai cost 30,000 kip per person. We caught the 10:30am bus, but beware - the schedule changes frequently and the times are just a suggestion! We would advise to check with a local when you arrive.
Our bus to Vieng Xai, waiting in Nathong Bus Station.
You can take a taxi from Sam Neua to Vieng Xai. Taxi’s cost around 500,000 kip so the it is a much more expensive option. However, a taxi may be necessary for your return to Sam Neua as there was no information on flagging down a bus to get back to the larger town! We caught the bus to Vieng Xai and took an early morning taxi for our bus connection in Sam Neua to Phonsavan.
Another option is to rent a scooter in Sam Neua and ride it to Vieng Xai. There was no where we could find to rent scooters in Vieng Xai so this might not be a bad idea. Just make sure you can carry your luggage safely on the bike and be careful on the mountain roads! Also be warned - the scooter prices are a lot higher in Sam Neua (250,000 - 350,000 kip per day) than elsewhere in Laos.
Tips for Long Journeys in Laos
Eat beforehand, the bus does not stop often and, on our journey at least, did not stop for a meal.
Bring snacks and plenty of water / drinks. It is a long journey, have some snacks available. You have much more choices of bus snacks in Nong Khiaw than you will get at the few roadside stops the minivan makes.
Bring a charger, the ride is long and can be delayed significantly by road conditions - make sure you don't run out of battery.
Bring a jacket or a hoodie - you will be travelling high up in the mountains overnight and it will get chilly.
Headphones are a must. You won’t want to be reading from a screen as it will be liable to be catapulted out of your hand when the minivan hits another pothole! Stock up on downloaded music and podcasts for the journey.
If you suffer from motion sickness then bring and take your meds! The roads are forever winding up or down the mountains of Laos.
Go with a sense of adventure - you will need it! All joking aside this is not a restful or "pleasant" bus ride it is a real adventure!
The road may be rough but the destinations are worth it. Happy trails!
Thanks for reading.
John & Ellie xxx
#adventuresofJellie
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Muang Ngoi - A Hidden Riverside Treasure In Northern Laos
Sitting on the banks of the Nam Ou River, Muang Ngoi is a perfect riverside escape in Northern Laos! Read our ultimate travel guide for everything you need to know about visiting from how to get there, what guesthouse to stay at and what to do.
Hidden on the banks of the Nam Ou River and bordered by towering limestone peaks, rice paddies and traditional villages, is the beautiful town of Muang Ngoi, a secluded riverside escape.
One of the hidden gems of Northern Laos, Muang Ngoi lets travellers experience the beauty and serenity of riverside life without sacrificing too many home comforts. Surrounded by stunning nature and full of things to do, Muang Ngoi is a fantastic addition to any Laos backpacking itinerary.
Many travellers will visit Muang Ngoi as part of a day trip or have a single overnight stay in this laid-back riverside town. We recommend staying longer and exploring further. There is so much to see and the serene, relaxed vibes will draw you in and make it hard to leave. We wound up staying 4 nights here, chilling on the banks of the river, exploring the local villages, hiking the viewpoints and generally just enjoying this sublime slice of traditional Laos.
Just as a side note - Muang Ngoi is also known as Muang Ngoi Neua and sometimes spelt Muang Ngoy. We will stick with Muang Ngoi in this article.
In this Muang Ngoi travel guide:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Where is Muang Ngoi?
Muang Ngoi sits on the banks of the Nam Ou River deep in the mountains of Northern Laos. The town is tiny and resides within the Luang Prabang Province.
The nearest larger towns are Nong Khiaw in the south and Muang Khua to the north.
You can find Muang Ngoi on a map here.
How to get to Muang Ngoi?
The town of Muang Ngoi is only really accessible by catching a boat either up or downstream on the Nam Ou River. This extra effort protects the town from being overrun by visitors and helps keep its laid-back, secluded vibes.
Muang Ngoi from Luang Prabang / Nong Khiaw
Most travellers heading to Muang Ngoi will either be starting their journey in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang or the mountainous backpacker haven of Nong Khiaw.
If you are starting from Luang Prabang, your first step will be to get to Nong Khiaw. Buses depart multiple times a day and the journey will take between 2 and 3 hours between Luang Prabang and Nong Khiaw. Click here to see your bus ticket options.
From Nong Khiaw you will need to take a boat upstream. There are two public boats departing from Nong Khiaw’s small pier everyday - you can find the pier here.
Boat tickets from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoi are sold on the day of departure and cost 70,000 kip per person. The first boat to Muang Ngoi leaves at 11.30AM and the second leaves at 2:30PM.
The journey to Muang Ngoi will take around 1.5 to 2 hours. The boat will stop at a few villages along the way.
When you’re looking to leave Muang Ngoi the same boat will set off from Muang Ngoi pier at 9AM.
If you miss the public boats, you can always charter a private boat upriver. This should cost you around 500,000 to 700,000 kip.
The boats from Nong Khiaw fill up quickly so our advice is to buy your tickets as soon as the ticket counter opens around 9AM. If you’re travelling with large luggage you can store your bags at the front of the boat. You can of-course book tickets through any of the tour agencies in town but they will add their own commission to the cost.
The boat trip from Nong Khiaw up to Muang Ngoi is very picturesque!
Muang Ngoi from Muang Khua / Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam
If you’re entering Laos from the Dien Bien Phu Border Crossing in Vietnam you can transfer by bus (around 6 hours) to the northern riverside town of Muang Khua in Laos.
From Muang Khua you can take a boat all the way down to Muang Ngoi. Public boats depart Muang Khua daily around 10AM and will cost 300,000 kip. The journey from Muang Khua downstream to Muang Ngoi will take around 4 to 6 hours.
What is there to do in Muang Ngoi?
Soak up the chilled village vibes
Muang Ngoi is simply gorgeous. A small town focussed along one main high street with traditional wooden houses and shops on either side of the road. As soon as you step off the boat you can feel the pace of life slow down and relax. The town is a great place just to wander and chill. Muang Ngoi is packed full of cafes, restaurants and guesthouses and you can spend a great afternoon just sitting down and watching the world go by.
It’s hard to explain but Muang Ngoi feels real and genuine. Despite the restaurants and guesthouses it doesn’t feel like a show for tourists. Chicken and ducks roam free about the high street whilst children chase each other and play cards on the floor. There are very few cars in Muang Ngoi, the 4 wheeled transport usually takes the form of a tractor so it's a very relaxed place!
There are several craft stores and weaving huts in the village and you can always catch one of the little old ladies hard at work on one of their intricate looms out in front of the houses. Several of the villagers will offer weaving lessons or sell you traditional handicrafts.
Come nightfall the charm really ratchets up. All of the houses lining the main road bring their dining tables out, stoke their barbecues and enjoy al-fresco village dining. The main road is full of people eating, delicious charcoal smoke and children running amok under the glow of the street lights.
Muang Ngoi really is a special place.
Even in Muang Ngoi, teenagers are still the same!
Watch the sunset from the banks of the Nam Ou River
Muang Ngoi sits in the privileged position on the eastern bank of the Nam Ou River. The sun sets behind the dramatic peaks that line the opposite, western bank. This means that you get some truly spectacular sunsets!
The river and its banks are always a hub of activity with fishermen, boats, buffalo and children playing. It’s always a great view watching the river at Muang Ngoi but sunset makes it extra special.
You can watch the sun go down from many of the cafes and restaurants that line the river or for a more backpacking, budget friendly alternative you can just sit on the banks of the river and watch the fiery display.
We’d recommend grabbing a pew on the steps down to the pier or on the pier itself for a prime sunset spot.
Click to watch the sun set over the beautiful Nam Ou River!
Hiking up the viewpoints - Muang Ngoi from above
If you have read any of our Nong Khiaw guides you will know we love trekking up for a good view! Luckily Muang Ngoi has several great viewpoints to hike up to.
There are two viewpoints right outside of the town that, unfortunately, have the same name - Phanoi / Phanoy / Pha Noi, Laotian sometimes can be a bit laissez-faire with spelling. Just to add to the confusion, they are both on the same road and very near to each other. Just for one more layer of complication - there is another Pha Noi viewpoint in Nong Khiaw! The way to tell the two viewpoints in Muang Ngoi apart is: one is called “Phanoi Viewpoint” and the other is “Phanoi Viewpoint and Caves”
Before heading to Muang Ngoi we would highly recommend getting Maps.me and downloading an offline copy of the Muang Ngoi area. Google Maps is not detailed enough and didn't have half of what Maps.me showed. These viewpoints are clearly separated and marked on Maps.me but are hard to tell apart on Google.
Phanoi Viewpoint
(GPS location - 20.712325, 102.677318) We have included GPS coordinates as the Google Map location isn't particularly helpful. Again you will have an easier time if you get Maps.Me!
This viewpoint is a very short walk to the right of the northern village temple, near the Bamboo Garden Restaurant. To get to the ticket counter you will need to clamber over a small stile and walk through a rubber plantation.
Tickets for the viewpoint cost 30,000 kip per person.
Once we had bought our tickets, we headed off through the small farmstead, dodging around chickens, puppies and even a peacock! There are two routes to climb up the viewpoint:
A short sharp 500m scramble up rocks
or
A longer 700m, more gentle climb
Being at the peak of physical perfection (sorry had to stop writing as we fell over laughing), we chose the easier, longer option.
We have since heard that the 500m option is in a state of disrepair, not impassable but certainly more of a challenge. It is not recommended to attempt this for sunset as the way becomes dangerous with lower light levels.
The 700m route started off rocky and steep with tall steps winding their way up through the jungle. As we climbed through the foliage, the route got easier and less vertical. The steep rocky terrain, giving way to a smoother staircase carved into the forest floor. As we neared the top of the viewpoint there was another brief scramble and a couple of precarious wooden ladders to climb.
The whole climb only took about 20-25 minutes but the view from the top was spectacular. The river frames the town and the valley perfectly!
Tickets: 30,000 kip per person
Climbing time: 20-25 minutes up and less back down (easily doable in an hour)
Difficulty: Easy
Phanoi Viewpoint and Cave
(GPS location - 20.715217, 102.675011)
To reach the Phanoi Viewpoint and Cave take the same route as the previous viewpoint but continue on down the road. There will be a small turning to your right (at the back of the temple) - the way is clearly marked. Take this road and head down the dirt track
Tickets for the viewpoint and cave are bought from a riverside cafe selling snacks and drinks. Tickets for the viewpoint cost 30,000 kip per person.
Once we had bought our tickets we set off up the steps that wind up the limestone cliff. We found this viewpoint much easier and very quickly we reached the entrance to the cave.
The entrance to the Phanoi Cave is full of lightwells but as you go deeper, it gets a lot darker!
The cave didn’t look like much from the outside, just a small opening in the rock, however after walking for 5 minutes inside we realised the scale and length of the cavern. It just kept going deeper and deeper into the mountainside. We lit our way with phone torches which illuminated amazing rock formations as well as old fire pits and remnants from the ‘Secret War’. It was a linear path and once we had reached the cave's deepest point - marked with a small Buddhist shrine - we headed back towards the light.
The viewpoint itself is up a few sets of wooden ladders all in various states of repair and decay. It never felt unsafe but at the same time, you should definitely watch your footing!
At the top there are two platforms with incredible 360 degree views over the town, river, surrounding countryside and mountains.
The viewpoint is not as high as the other Phanoi trek but the view is still fantastic. This hike, cave and viewpoint also features on many day-trip itineraries so it can get a lot busier. If you can, aim to hike early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid sharing the mountain with too many day-trippers.
Tickets: 30,000 kip per person
Climbing time: 45 minutes to an hour including a lengthy cave visit and photos at the top
Difficulty: Easy
Pha Boom Viewpoint
Honesty time, we did not climb this viewpoint. We visited Muang Ngoi right at the end of the rainy season and the way to the viewpoint has been completely cut off by the river. Normally, you would come out the south end of town, following the signs, cross a small bridge before making your way to the ticket counter.
When we visited, the bridge was long gone and the water far too high to wade. It also looks like there has been a significant landslide on the mountain which may have affected the way up. If the viewpoint is open it is meant to be a considerably more challenging climb than the other 2 viewpoints in town. This being said, the photos from the top look amazing!
Let us know in the comments if the way reopens and you climb to the top of Pha Boom viewpoint.
You can see the landslide wasn’t exactly small!
Explore the countryside - Walk to Ban Na Village and Houay Bo
This was our favourite “activity” we did during our stay in Muang Ngoi. The countryside surrounding the riverside town is simply beautiful with rice paddy fields creating a patchwork between the towering green peaks.
From Muang Ngoi you can walk around the area, visit the local villages and generally just enjoy the beauty of rural Laos. The village of Ban Na (location) is not far away and, if you're willing to go a little further you can wander all the way to Houay Bo village (location).
Did we mention that the Laotian countryside is stunning!
The road away from Muang Ngoi mainly follows the river and there are several paths you can take. We are going to share with you the route we took from Muang Ngoi to Ban Na and then on to Houay Bo. Our route involved a little bit of getting lost and fording a couple of streams.
We started our day by picking up some grilled sticky rice pancakes in town (see the food section later for more about these tasty morsels), before heading out along a dusty rutted country road (here on a map). The road wound away from the riverside village and out into the countryside. We passed the gorgeous cave and pools at Tham Kang, avoided the man asking for money (see later) and made our way out into the Laotian countryside.
We really cannot overstate how pretty rural Laos is, especially if you are visiting at the end of the wet season. The rice was just ripening and the paddy fields were emerald green, shading to gold.
Google Maps does not do a good job of showing this route. The road on Google goes straight through the paddy field whereas the road in real life runs a little higher than the fields. Again, we very much recommend Maps.me for navigating rural Laos, Google Maps was frustrating at best and completely wrong a lot of the time.
If you are stuck with Google Maps our advice is to switch it to satellite mode. You can clearly see the correct paths on the satellite images and it helps you avoid the “roads” Google thinks are there but do not in fact, exist.
Ban Na Village
Our dirt road wound around and down towards the small village of Ban Na.
At one point in the valley approaching the village we had to take off our shoes and ford a fast flowing (but thankfully shallow) brook.
It was a scorching day so the clean cold water was a welcome respite and, socks over our shoulders, we dried nearly instantly under the Laotian sun.
Ban Na is a quiet village full of wooden buildings, sleeping puppies and wandering ducks. There are a couple of guesthouses for those looking for an even more secluded escape. A few places sell drinks, snacks and food. There are also a couple of restaurants in town.
The town is surrounded by mountains and rice paddies, it is truly idyllic. A slice of Laos that, other than a few tv aerials, scooters and mobile phones, would look the same as it did 100 years ago.
We walked up to the Thong Restaurant (location), which had incredible views out over the paddy fields. We had meant to explore the nearby Peung History Caves but a fellow traveller advised us that they had been unable to find them and they didn't think they had reopened from the wet season.
Houay Bo Village
From Ban Na village we followed signs for Konsavan Restaurant and Guest House (location) in Houay Bo village. For some reason (possibly something to do with John's amazing sense of geography), we thought that Houay Bo was closer to Muang Ngoi and would be a perfect circular route…. Spoiler alert, it wasn't. Houay Bo is a good deal further south than Ban Na.
The road to Houay Bo was, again, beautiful. We started out by having to ford another, this time much wider, stream just outside of Ban Na. After drying off on the grassy banks we wandered through narrow country paths, over small hills and alongside farms and fields.
This far down the valley, the rice had already ripened and as we walked the narrow lanes towards Houay Bo we could see the locals harvesting, drying and threshing the golden crop. As we neared the village, our way was blocked by a small family of friendly buffalo.
We arrived at Houay Bo in time for a late lunch in the small wooden restaurant we had seen advertised. The menu was simple and all the meals were cooked over a charcoal fire behind the dining room. It was proper village cooking, simple but yummy.
You can actually stay in Houay Bo. The restaurant also has a guesthouse attached. The lovely owner came and talked with us when we were ordering. You can stay out with him and his family in the tiny village and learn about local life and crafts. He would pick you up at Muang Ngoi pier and drive you out in his tractor.
Speaking of tractors, you can actually get a lift with the lovely owner back to Muang Ngoi if you do not feel like the long wander home. You can also hire a scooter driver from Ban Na to ferry you back as well if you didn't get all the way to Houay Bo. We would definitely not recommend renting your own scooter and driving unless you are an expert at off road motorcycling. The road is only suitable for local experts and tractors.
The way back to Muang Ngoi
Not wanting to retrace the route we had already walked, we decided to take the backlanes back to Muang Ngoi. Maps.me and Google showed another easy route home that would take us up through the paddy fields and then rejoin the road near the Tham Kang Cave.
This was a lovely route, with only one more river fording (that resulted in a very soaked sock for one of us).
A cute addition to Team Jellie - meet out four pawed navigator!
Paddy fields, it turns out, are deceptively hard to navigate. We wove and wiggled through the small paddy-side paths without ever getting nearer our destination. We accidentally joined a harvest crew and wandered into another farmers lunch spot. We backtracked, got lost again and nearly just gave up. Then we finally spotted the way out. Socks squelching, we finally left the rice labyrinth. We probably made this a lot harder on ourselves, we tried to go straight back to the road when we should have stuck to the bottom of the fields and exited around here. It was a very pretty place to be lost though…
After leaving the fields behind us we found ourselves back on the “main” road to Muang Ngoi and a short walk from Tham Kang Cave.
The whole walk had taken us most of the day, including stopping to admire the scenery, our village lunch, chilling in the streams and getting lost in the paddy fields. It was a stunning walk and just what we hoped to find off the beaten path in rural Laos.
We keep saying “off the beaten path” and rural Laos but Muang Ngoi is far from being “undiscovered”. It seems to feature on quite a few tours so you will see plenty of other groups of travellers exploring the area. We like to keep it real on this blog and don’t want you thinking you’re going to be some kind of intrepid explorer hacking your way through the Laotian jungle!
That all being said, Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi and the areas of Northern Laos are much less travelled than the cultural capital of Luang Prabang or the backpacker haven of Vang Vieng.
We’d recommend packing swimwear as a dip in the Tham Kang Cave or one of the many nearby streams would make a fantastic end to a day's exploration. Speaking of which…
Tham Kang Cave
(location)
Set around 2.5km outside of Muang Ngoi, the Tham Kang Cave is an easy walk from town. We paired a visit to Tham Kang Cave with our exploration of Ban Na and Houay Bo villages (see above).
Tham Kang Cave has mixed Google reviews but this is just due to the overly enthusiastic ticket counter man who attempts to persuade gullible tourists to pay him for the privilege of just walking past the caves. If you’re just passing the caves on your way to Ban Na, don’t mind him, just agree not to take photos of the caves unless you want to pay the fee.
To explore the caves, the entrance fee is only 20,000 kip per person and is well worth this small expenditure.
The cave comes at a dip in the valley, with pure, bright blue waters flowing out from inside the mountain. The caves were used as shelter during the “Secret War” and there are signs outside showing rocks that were blown from the top of the mountain as well as what is meant to be the only surviving tree from the time.
There are two parts to the cave, one up a small set of stairs that leads into a really deep cave system that seems to completely disappear into the heart of the mountain. Watch your footing and bring a torch as it is pitch black with large drops deeper in the cave. We only had our phone torches with us which were completely useless in the deep dark of the cave so we didn’t venture too far in.
Outside above the turquoise water there is a smaller cave with a hidden swimming cove. The water is diamond clear and very inviting, so make sure you pack your swimwear as you can swim in this pool, the secret pool just inside the cave or in the river on the other side of the road!
If you’re hungry / thirsty there is a small restaurant called Sabaibeer (brilliant name) a short walk back towards town.
Swimming in the Nam Ou River
In the afternoon, when most of the boats had gone and the day-trippers had left, the pier at Muang Ngoi became the unofficial diving board for children, locals, backpackers and anyone who fancied a dip.
It’s a great place to swim, with shallow banks on either side of the pier. Just make sure you get out of the way of any boats!
It is the same pier you will get off the boat when you arrive at Muang Ngoy, you can find it here on a map.
Muang Ngoi Pier is not exactly high-tech!
Kayaking on the Nam Ou River
You can rent kayaks from near to the pier, either as part of a kayaking trip or just for a few hours of fun splashing around on the water. We wished we’d done this for a sunset view as we had a brilliant time doing just that in Nong Khiaw!
Tad Mok Waterfalls
(location)
A short boat trip downstream will bring you to the village of Sop Keng and the short trek to the incredible Tad Mok Waterfalls.
Make sure you check out our guide to these unmissable falls below:
Take a boat to the weaving village of Sop Chem
(location)
If you’re into your arts and crafts, we heard great things about the nearby weaving village of Sop Chem.
In town you can arrange a day trip there or even stay overnight in the small village. If you want to visit Sop Chem independently just head to the pier and negotiate for a ride upstream. The boats leaving for Muang Khua may well stop here if you request it.
If you can’t make it to Sop Chem there are plenty of places in Muang Ngoi to try your hand at some traditional Laotian weaving!
Head downstream to Nong Khiaw
The backpacking haven of Nong Khiaw is ringed with incredible viewpoints, historic caves and amazing activities. Most travellers would head from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoi for a short trip but you could do this the other way round if you’re strapped for time and want to focus your stay in Muang Ngoi.
If you’re planning a trip to Nong Khiaw, check out our massive ultimate guide to the town. It’s one of our favourite places on the planet and we’ve spent nearly a month there. Read more below:
Where to eat in Muang Ngoi
The sticky rice pancake lady
(location) - approximate, she moves around!
Setting up shop on the roadside a little way up the street from the Gecko’s restaurant we encountered one of favourite breakfast stalls we’ve found on our travels so far.
The pancake lady of Muang Ngoi has a very simple setup. A little steel pan was balanced on top of hot coals, whilst next to her sat, a pile of sticky rice patties and a bowl of coconut milk. In some kind of Laotian wizardry, the discs of sticky rice were quickly dunked in the coconut milk before being fried in the oil for just a couple of minutes on each side. For just two ingredients, what the lady produced was phenomenal!
It may not look much but it was soooo tasty!
Nutty, chewy and yet crispy, these steaming pillows of rice soaked up the sweet coconut milk and became a hearty, filling, super cheap and utterly delicious portable breakfast. If you’re in Muang Ngoi, make sure you head down the highstreet to find her, trust us you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re greedy like us, we’d recommend splashing the cash and ordering 2 pancakes each which will keep you full for hours.
Each pancake cost us 10,000 kip - a complete backpacking bargain!
Barbecued meats, stuff on a stick and deep fried goodies
Up and down Muang Ngoi’s main ‘high street’, shops and stalls will sell a variety of snacks to go. In the morning the shops will deep fry various crispy treats both sweet and savoury and when the sun goes down the barbecues fire up and small stalls selling skewers of vegetables, tofu and meat spring up on the roadside.
We highly recommend buying some grilled Laotian sausages, deep fried, sweet sesame balls and maybe even some of the barbequed mushrooms. It’s super cheap with sticks coming in at around 10,000 kip each.
The sticks also make a perfect accompaniment for sunset beers on the river!
Gecko Restaurant
(location)
Gecko’s was probably our favourite place to treat ourselves during our stay in Muang Ngoi. Set in a stylish, renovated shophouse complete with a reclaimed 7-11 sign, Gecko’s serves excellent coffee, delicious homemade cookies and lots of fantastic food.
Sometimes even us long-term travellers crave a bit of home comfort and Gecko’s could happily supply. We enjoyed a delicious ham and cheese sandwich served on freshly baked, proper baguette bread and one evening we treated ourselves to a fantastic pizza. Again, the bread base nearly stole the show. We don’t know what’s in the water in Muang Ngoi, but they bake fantastic bread up there!
All the food was made with imported ingredients and you could really taste the quality. It is more expensive than eating street food or the traditional Laotian food on offer in town, but sometimes you do need to treat yourself!
Penny’s Place
(location)
Probably the most popular restaurant in town, Penny’s sits at the main crossroads between the town and pier. Penny’s is run by a lovely friendly lady (Penny we presume) and serves a full menu of backpacker favourites, Laotian classics as well as pizza and sandwiches - all baked fresh in-house!
We enjoyed a delicious “suzy”, a Muang Ngoi specialty curry made with coconut milk, root vegetables and spices. It was sweet yet savoury, creamy yet light and very moreish. If you’re in Muang Ngoi, seek out some suzy, it’s available everywhere or be like us and head to Penny’s Place for a great one.
Veranda
(location)
As budget backpackers you can’t go wrong with some fried rice and the Veranda restaurant serves up a brilliant plate! Slightly charred from the wok and stuffed full of pork, egg and green vegetables, it was exactly what we needed to fill us up after a day of hiking. We’d always recommend adding some of the chilli for extra punch, if it's not on the table just ask for it.
Veranda is located almost in the middle of the main high street and was always busy when we passed by.
Vita Restaurant
(location)
Located opposite Gecko Restaurant with seating on an open wooden veranda, Vita Restaurant serves up excellent Laotian food. We ordered a plate of chicken larb (or laab), a pumpkin curry and some sticky rice all of which were brilliant.
Unlike the larbs we’ve eaten before, the chicken larb came out piping hot and laced with fresh herbs and zingy citrusy goodness. The pumpkin curry was pure comfort in a bowl. Sweet, luxurious and delicately spiced, it was the perfect counterpoint to the fresh larb.
If you haven’t tried pumpkin curry in Laos make sure you seek it out, it’s super moreish!
Where to stay, accommodation in Muang Ngoi
Muang Ngoi has plenty of guesthouses both on the riverside and set further back in town. Most of the accommodation is geared towards 1 night visitors so if you’re staying a little longer you can usually negotiate a better price.
In the high season Muang Ngoi can get busy so you may want to book in advance. You can have a look at the online booking options here or check out our handy booking map below:
We were travelling in the quiet period at the end of the rainy season and rolled the dice at finding our accommodation when we arrived. This worked out really well for us as we got a prime air-conditioned room overlooking the river with a private balcony and en-suite for under £10 per night (275,000 kip) at the Say Lom Guesthouse. We found that there were a lot more places to stay than showed up online.
Our balcony riverside view from our room at the Say Lom Guesthouse!
If you haven’t booked accommodation there will be people from the guesthouses waiting on the pier ready to offer you a room.
As we mentioned you can also stay in Ban Na and Houay Bo villages. You can either book to stay with these as part of a tour or directly with the guesthouses themselves.
What to pack for Muang Ngoi?
Pack comfy clothes you can hike in, swimwear and lots of sunscreen and mosquito repellent!
If you have been staying in Nong Khiaw and are going to return there after your Muang Ngoi trip you can try asking your Nong Khiaw guesthouse to look after your larger luggage and pack a lighter bag for Muang Ngoi. This will make it much easier getting on and off the public boat.
Where to go after Muang Ngoi
From Muang Ngoi you realistically have 2 choices.
North to Muang Khua where you can reach the Vietnamese border or head deep into the true north of Laos.
Or you can go downstream south to Nong Khiaw which has links to Luang Prabang, Luang Namtha or, for the more adventurous, Sam Neua and Vieng Xai.
The boat ticket office in Muang Ngoi opens at 7.30 AM. Boats leave for Nong Khiaw from Muang Ngoi pier everyday at 9 AM. Tickets cost 70,000 kip per person. If you’re planning on heading north to Muang Khua, the boat departs from the pier at 1 PM and tickets cost 300,000 kip per person.
You can book onward bus tickets to Luang Prabang or Luang Namtha at the bus station in Nong Khiaw, via a travel agent in town or online via 12Go.
Is Muang Ngoi worth the trip?
Um… yes obviously! Muang Ngoi is wonderful. A laid back, tranquil, slice of rural Laos. There are no cars, no resorts (yet) and the whole town has a rustic realism to it. There are creature comforts here but for the most part it's just you, the river and the beautiful scenery.
The town has plenty to do to keep you occupied when you’re not relaxing on the riverside. As backpackers it was a fantastic destination as we could go anywhere and see everything either for free or for a super cheap price. If you have planned a trip or are enjoying Nong Khiaw it is 100% worth your time to add a stay upstream to Muang Ngoi to your itinerary. Whether you’re travelling solo, a backpacker couple looking to unwind, or you're travelling with a group of friends and want to really explore Laos, Muang Ngoi is a great addition to any Laotian backpacking itinerary.
We planned to stay just 2 nights in Muang Ngoi, but within 2 hours of arriving we doubled this and stayed for 4. It is a really special place, where you can just unwind and appreciate the beauty of Laos.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Tad Mok Falls - Waterfall Hunting in Northern Laos
The Tad Mok Waterfalls are a perfect day trip from Nong Khiaw or Muang Ngoy. Accessible via a short boat journey and a hike across beautiful paddy fields, the Tad Mok Waterfalls make for an adventure filled expedition! Read our guide for all the information you need for visiting these incredible falls, from how to get there, ticket prices and what to wear.
Located upstream from the backpacking haven of Nong Khiaw, lies the beautiful Tad Mok Waterfall. These cascading falls tumble down through dense jungle, over limestone rocks and across shelves of stone to form small pools and rapids. Accessible via a short boat trip on the Nam Ou River followed by a hike through a stilted village and across picturesque paddy fields; the Tad Mok Waterfalls are a true natural hidden gem of Northern Laos.
Read on to hear about our day visiting the falls and find out all the information you’ll need to have your own day Tad Mok Waterfall hunting!
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Our Day Exploring Tad Mok Waterfall
The morning started, as most of our mornings do in Nong Khiaw, with a lazy brew in Home Coffee. After a fantastic day climbing up the 100 Waterfalls Trek (read more about our day trip here), we were eager to escape town and find our own waterfall adventure.
The Tad Mok Waterfall is advertised all over the tour agencies in Nong Khiaw as part of a longer, multi stage trip. We fancied making our own adventure. Unlike the 100 Waterfalls Trek, the Tad Mok falls looked easily accessible from the river's edge. All we needed to do was get a boat there!
Caffeinated, picnic acquired and swimwear packed, it was time to head to Nong Khiaw’s main boat pier to find transport upriver.
At the pier, we were offered a large private boat for 600,000 kip which then, after some moderately unsuccessful negotiation, went down to 500,000 kip for a smaller boat. Being the budget backpackers that we are, we knew we could get the price down lower. So we decided to hang around the banks of the pier in the hopes that a cheaper boat driver would come to our aid.
Sure enough, within a couple of minutes, a man appeared. After some quick negotiation on prices and a few phone calls from our new local friend, the sound of an engine quickly appeared and we had our boat for 400,000 kip!
Our colourful boat all ready to depart!
We hopped in and the small boat roared to life and drove out under Nong Khiaw’s main bridge. The journey to the falls was beautiful. As soon as we had left the houses of Nong Khiaw behind, it was just us, the river and rural Laos.
We passed by stilted villages, riverside vegetable gardens and herds of buffalo. On the banks of the river, the sounds of laughter and splashing rang out as children played in the water.
After around 45 minutes, the boat pulled alongside a steep, muddy riverbank. The only indicator that this was our stop was a small floating log that marked the pier and entrance to Sop Kong village. We hopped out, precariously balancing on the small (now moving) log and headed up the mud steps to the village.
Just like this pig - Sop Kong is a very sleepy Laotian village!
We followed the main road through the stilted wooden houses, past chickens pecking, dogs sleeping and women washing at the communal village tap. It was a world away from the backpackers, bars and restaurants of Nong Khiaw downstream.
We wandered through the sleepy village and turned left towards the Tad Mok ticket booth. Tickets purchased (20,000 kip each), we followed the dusty path out of the village towards the vibrant green rice paddy fields.
The short hike to the Tad Mok Waterfall can only be described as beautiful, in fact it’s probably the most picturesque hike we’ve had to find a waterfall. Following a small raised path, the trail to the waterfall wound its way through paddy fields, across small streams and past cows, chickens and buffalo. We were visiting at the end of the wet season and the rice was ready for harvesting. On all sides, a thick blanket of green and gold spread out in front of us.
A minor blockage on the path to Tad Mok Waterfall!
We continued through the fields until we saw a line of locals all bent over the golden grains. The rice harvest had begun! We stopped in the shade of the tree and watched as the locals worked in unison to cut, harvest and thrash the rice.
After 40 minutes we reached the paths to the falls. We took the left hand path (read on to find out which route you should take) and climbed a small hill. At the top we could hear the thundering roar of water. We followed a right hand fork in the path that took us to a steep set of steps down, the trail disappearing into the thick jungle. We clambered down and were greeted by a huge sheet of white. We had arrived at the Tad Mok Waterfall.
The beautiful Tad Mok Waterfall!
The curtain of white, churned down over smooth and jagged rock into a turquoise pool surrounded by mossy green boulders with the dense jungle on either side. It looked like the perfect spot for a swim!
The water was amazing. Shockingly cold at first (one of those places where it’s worse to go in slowly) but once you’re fully in, super energising. It felt so nice to wash the sweat off of us and cool down under the ferocious water. We had arrived just as a tour group was leaving, so it was just us and the waterfall. It was perfect. We spent the next hour floating around in the cool water, sitting on rocks and photographing the mighty falls.
After our refreshing dip, it was time to change, head back up the hill and across the rice paddies. As it was mid afternoon, the once hive of activity in the fields had now come to a halt and the paddies were empty. Instead, the smell of meat cooking on charcoal wafted through the air and the sounds of beer bottles and singing could be heard from the small houses lining the fields. From the sound of it, we guessed it had been a successful day's harvest!
We wound our way back across the raised paths, jumped over the streams and arrived at the colourful gates of the Yensabai Organic Farm (location), it was time for some quick refreshment!
Following the bamboo path we entered the garden of the farm. On all sides were trees laden with colourful fruits and vegetable patches covered in a thick carpet of green leaves.
We ordered two mango smoothies that hit the spot perfectly. The mangoes for our two smoothies were harvested straight from the trees behind us.
The Yensabai Organic Farm is open Monday to Friday from 8AM until 6PM and has a small menu of fresh fruit smoothies, tea and coffee, sweet treats as well as fried rice and noodles. The farm also offers basic lodgings as well as volunteering opportunities on the farm.
Refreshed, it was time to leave the peaceful farm and head back to the village to find our boat driver.
Back on the boat, our driver let the boat float back to Nong Khiaw with the current. Above us, the mid-afternoon sun was at its fullest, beaming rays down across the jagged limestone mountains. The light rays interlaced with the shadows of the rock, creating a tableau of shadow and highlight where the mountains rose and fell.
We continued floating downstream, whilst rural Laotian life passed us by. Herds of buffalo were sunbathing in the shallow waters, whilst local fishermen wrangled with huge silver nets. We bobbed along with the current, passing golden spires of hidden temples, children swimming in the river and women folding up colourful pieces of laundry. It was one of those journeys where we sat in silence and appreciated the world as it flowed past us.
The silence was eventually broken as we rounded the corner and started to see signs of modern life - we were approaching Nong Khiaw. The dense bushes on the riverside gave way to wooden guesthouses and other travellers could be seen paddling their way upstream in kayaks.
As we pulled back up to the pier, the fiery sun created a golden glow, bathing everything in the warm light. Disembarking, we both looked at each other and smiled. It had been a successful day waterfall hunting!
Tad Mok Waterfall, Laos - Essential Information for Visiting
Where is the Tad Mok Waterfall?
The Tad Mok Waterfall can be found on a map here.
You will be dropped off at the banks to Sop Kong Village (also known as Sop Keng). From the village head to the ticket counter and then it is short hike through the Laotian countryside to reach the falls.
We’d recommend downloading Maps.me beforehand so you can have an offline copy of the walking trail.
How to get to the Tad Mok Waterfall
To reach the Tad Mok Waterfall you’ll need to catch a boat upstream from Nong Khiaw or downstream from Muang Ngoy (also known as Muang Ngoi). From either place, just ask for a boat to Sop Kong.
From Nong Khiaw the boat ride will take around 45 minutes to reach Sop Kong. From Muang Ngoi it will be a lot quicker!
Once you’ve disembarked from the boat, head through the village until you reach the temple. At the temple take the path to the left to reach the ticket booth. Once you’ve bought your tickets, it’s a 2 km walk (around 45 minutes) through paddy fields to reach the waterfalls. You can’t get lost, the path is linear and there are signs showing you the way.
Tad Mok Waterfall - Which Path to Take?
Near to the base of the waterfall, there are two paths. Both paths will take you to the Tad Mok Waterfall.
The first route (the path to the right) will take you through up through the river and will involve some clambering. This route follows the river upstream and you will need to haul yourself up and over the rocks to reach the waterfall. This route is the wet option!
To avoid getting wet, at least until you swim in the waterfall, take the left hand path which winds up the hill. As you reach the top, you’ll hear the water tumbling and see a right hand fork in the path. The right hand fork is not at the top of the hill but on your way up, just keep an eye out! Take this route and head down where you will find a small hut. To the right of this hut there is a steep staircase that leads down through the jungle to the waterfall and swimming pool.
We were warned by a local guide that the right hand route should only be used to reach the waterfalls. This route gets extremely slippery and can be dangerous to walk down. His advice was to take the staircase (left hand path from the bottom) when leaving the falls.
Our advice would be to do a circular route - take the right hand path and climb up over the waterfalls and then, when you’re ready to leave, take the steep staircase up which links you to the left hand pathway.
If you’re heading to the falls during the wet season or during rainy weather, consider taking the left hand route to get to and from the waterfalls.
The two different paths that lead to Tad Mok Waterfall!
Entrance Fee - Tad Mok Waterfall
Tickets to the Tad Mok Waterfall cost 20,000 kip per person.
On top of this cost you will need to arrange a boat ride. We paid 200,000 kip per person to take us to Sop Kong. The price included our boat driver waiting for us and driving us back to Nong Khiaw. The 400,000 kip price was for a small boat that could have easily fit 2 more people. This would bring the cost down. The larger boats we were offered could fit more people still so might actually be cheaper if you have a larger group.
If you’re extremely energetic, you could kayak to Tad Mok but just beware that it is not the most obvious landing site and you may be risking your canoe. Also if you’re coming from Nong Khiaw you’ll be heading a couple of hours upstream by kayak so it will definitely be a workout!
Opening Times
There are no official opening times. Unless you’re volunteering at Yensabai Organic Farm you’ll need to arrange a boat from wherever you are staying to get to the village of Sop Kong, therefore you won’t be arriving until mid-morning.
We’d recommend planning a full day out to the waterfall - have a lazy brunch and head upstream around midday / early afternoon, so that you can be back in time in Nong Khiaw for sunset.
What to Pack / Wear
Swimwear is a must, but other than that it’s completely up to you. We’d recommend something comfy / breathable and shoes to hike in.
Make sure to put lots of suncream on and douse yourself in mosquito repellent. At the falls there are lots of ants, mosquitoes and a number of other flying critters that’ll be eager to make you their lunch!
We wore quick drying athletic-wear and trainers that were perfect for the short hike to the waterfalls. At the waterfall we changed into our swimwear and dove in.
There are a couple of streams and water channels to cross on the trek but these all had some form of stepping stones. If you’re planning to climb up the waterfalls (see routes above) the rocks will be slippery and your feet will get wet so make sure you plan accordingly!
How Long to Spend at the Falls
It should take you around 45 minutes to reach the waterfalls from Sop Kong village. The trail is just over 2 km in length.
Once there, it all depends on how much of an aquaphilic you are. We spent around 45 minutes there having a swim, taking photos and drying off after our dip.
If you’re visiting the Tad Mok Waterfall independently, confirm with your boat driver what time they will be picking you up from Sop Kong pier. Our driver requested we were back at the pier by 3.30pm to 4pm to get back to Nong Khiaw before sunset.
Facilities at the Falls
As you can imagine, the Tad Mok Falls aren’t Niagara and are located in the middle of the Laotian jungle so facilities are at a minimum!
There is a small wooden hut for changing in and a couple of benches to sit / store your things on near the waterfall pool.
If you need the toilet, your best bet is to make a stop at the Yensabai Organic Farm either before or after your waterfall visit.
There are a few shops in Sop Kong Village selling soft drinks, water, and snacks.
Where to Stay in Nong Khiaw or Muang Ngoy
We visited the falls from Nong Khiaw which is full to the brim with small guesthouses. We can highly recommend staying at Meexai Guesthouse - perfect for budget backpackers. Comfy, en-suite rooms with a small outdoor seating, it had everything we needed.
To book a stay at Meexai Guesthouse or to take a look at all the other accommodation available in Nong Khiaw, click here.
If you’re heading to the falls from Muang Ngoy, there’s plenty of riverside accommodation. To book your accommodation in Muang Ngoy check out what's on offer here.
Other Things to do in Nong Khiaw
If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, Nong Khiaw is the perfect place to base yourself for some outdoor adventuring. With plenty of viewpoints to hike to as well as kayaking and plenty of water based activities there’s lots to keep you occupied. We’ve spent nearly a month in the town and absolutely love it there.
Click below to read our ultimate guide to Nong Khiaw!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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The 100 Waterfalls Trek - A Day Out Hiking From Nong Khiaw
The 100 Waterfalls Trek is an easy one day hike from the Northern Laotian town of Nong Khiaw. Follow our day as we trek up the waterfalls (was there 100 of them?) and find out all the essential information for trekking to the falls. From the costs to whether you should go alone, our blog covers everything.
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.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
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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The Secret Shrine of Luang Prabang - A Jungle Walk
Come with us as we explore a lesser known side to Luang Prabang. On the other side of the Mekong River we find a string of beautiful temples leading along the river to a secret, overgrown hilltop shrine. Escape the busy streets of Luang Prabang and discover this off the beaten path adventure!
Luang Prabang is the cultural capital of Laos and is stuffed full of some of the world's most beautiful temples and shrines. From the peak of Phousi Hill, the city spreads out studded with gorgeous Buddhist temples. However, there is another, lesser known, lesser travelled temple near Luang Prabang. Come with us as we explore off the well trodden paths and alleyways of the colonial Old Quarter and find a side to Luang Prabang we did not know existed.
On the other side of the Mekong River, away from the popular museums, bars and shops of Luang Prabang, is a small village and a trail that winds past beautiful temples. The end of the trail holds a secret hilltop shrine, overtaken by the trees and plants of the Laotian jungle.
This little day trip only takes a few hours and was one of our favourite things we did on this stay in Luang Prabang. If you are looking for something different to do when in Luang Prabang, then this is a great trip to take.
The idea came to us in a bar. For those who know us this should come as no surprise as most of our best (and worst) ideas tend to happen this way. The whole idea for our multi-year travel adventure had started in a bar in Vang Vieng so we have learned to trust our instincts when it comes to bar birthed plans. Sitting with a Beer Lao, watching a sunset over the river, Ellie spotted a white temple standing out against the green of a hill on the opposite bank. “We should go there!”
So we did.
“We should go there!” - So many of our adventures start the same way.
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Crossing the Mekong - Getting Out of Luang Prabang
Our trail started in a small village on the far shore of the Mekong. To get to the village on the opposite bank we, obviously, needed to cross the river, this meant catching the local ferry. The ferry sets off from here next to where most of the tour boats and day cruises depart. This detail is important as, if you look like a tourist (as we definitely do), you will have to run the gauntlet of people offering boat trips and tours. Passing up many offers of trips and water taxis to the other side (with some frankly quite amazing price tags) we settled into a short queue of motorbikes and people waiting for the local ferry.
Anything and anyone can be transported across the Mekong River on Luang Prabang’s public ferry!
The ferry is not a sophisticated affair, it has a job and it does that job efficiently and easily with no mod cons or extra comforts. The ferry is a large flat, blue barge with chain operated loading ramps on either side. On board there is lots of space for vehicles and standing pedestrians as well as a couple of wooden benches.
The ferry floated up to the concrete landing pier and the ramps crashed down. Cars, minivans, tuk-tuks, chickens and people all flowed off and we hopped on. We paid 5000 kip each (much less than the several hundred thousand being asked by the private water taxis) to the attendant, found a wooden bench right in front of the driver and took a pew.
Ferry Crossing Ticket Price
The tickets cost 5000 kip per person for pedestrians.
If you’re driving a motorbike or scooter onto the ferry, then it’s 10,000 kip.
Have the correct money on hand! Most of the negative Google Reviews of the ferry state that the attendant will just take whatever note you give them and not give any change!
The ferry only leaves when it is full so we had to wait a little while. Soon enough though, the flat barge was stuffed with people and vehicles, the chains were raised and we floated across the wide river. The whole journey only took about 5 minutes, the Mekong is quite wide at Luang Prabang but, even in the wet season, it is only a short boat ride from one bank to the other.
The ferry operates from early morning to well past sundown. At quieter times you will have to wait longer for it to fill up.
Getting to Wat Chomphet - Crossing the Mekong River from Luang Prabang
Dodging the disembarking cars and bikes we left the ferry and walked up the steep slope of the river bank. The difference between the river sides is instantly obvious. Next to the “pier” on the Luang Prabang side is a high end cafe and several restaurants; on this side, nothing of the sort. Around us flowed locals returning from shopping in the city, their bikes laden with green vegetables and the occasional squawking sack. Ahead the dusty road led up to bamboo lean-to buildings, it was a world away from the UNESCO preserved colonial beauty on the other side of the river.
We wandered up from the pier to a small set of market stalls and grabbed some water. Our destination temple was on top of a hill so we knew we would have at least a little climb ahead of us. Whilst fishing around in pockets and bags for the correct change (Laos bank machines only ever give us 100,000 notes!), Ellie found an intriguing marker on Google Maps - “Jungle Shrine”.
We had learnt that the temple Ellie had spotted from the bar was named Wat Chomphet. To get to the newly found “Jungle Shrine”; there was a path past that wove past several temples, including Wat Chomphet - it looked like we had a plan!
We are not going to pretend we are some kind of intrepid explorers, we did not “discover” this area or anything, it is clear from the English language signs and directions that this is all part of the Luang Prabang Heritage area. That all being said, for the whole of this walk we only saw two other tourists! It is definitely a good way to escape the crowds in Luang Prabang.
Between the market and the pier the road forks and there is a signpost signalling the way to the various temples on this bank of the river. We took the fork that ran parallel to the river, this one path should lead us all the way through and past the temples and up to the “Jungle Shrine”.
For those uninterested in the local legends - skip past the story here!
Th legends of the Phou Thao and Phou Nang Mountains
The mountains on this bank of the Mekong have a rather . . . interesting myth associated with them. The legend goes that a poor father could no longer afford to feed his 12 daughters. In a display of frank practicality, he decided to leave his 12 lovely daughters in a clearing for the local Giant to eat (‘Father of the Year’ right there).
The Giant didn't want any skinny morsels for dinner so decided to fatten up the abandoned girls before making them into supper. The girls were fed, regained their health and blossomed into beauties.
The luckless 12 managed to escape from the Giant and found their way to the local King - King Palusen. The King promptly fell in love with their beauty and married all 12 of the lasses … because of course he did!
The Giant found out that the King was in bed with their 12-course dinner and became beside itself with jealousy and rage.
So the Giant (deep breath here): shape-changed into a gorgeous woman, seduced the King, became his favourite lover, faked a deathly illness then pretended to be a doctor and advised the King that the only cure for his (now favourite) fake-ill-giant-wife was to … wait for it … Pluck out the eyes of all of the other 12 wives and send them away to live in a cave…
Did we mention the ladies didn't have much luck?
Displaying the insight and wisdom only a King can, he obeyed the orge-wife. He blinded and sent the 12 wives away to live in a cave. However, one of the 12 ladies was pregnant and gave birth to a boy.
Now the story gets wild..
The son grew up in the cave whilst, in the palace, the Giant and the King had a daughter (we guess the Giant forgot about the 12 course girl meal?). The daughter of the Giant and son of the blinded wife met, fell in love and married. Do not think of the shared genetics (half-siblings?)
All was well until, one day, the son found a secret room in the King's palace. In the room were the 24 eyes of the luckless ladies and the heart of the Giant. The son stole the eyes and the heart and legged it.
His giantess daughter-wife pursued him with an army. She confronted her husband but he would not return with her. When her husband had left she promptly died of heartbreak and cursed him to do the same.
The son returned to his mother and 11 other ladies in the cave and gave them back their eyes - restoring their sight (optometrists hate this one trick!).
The son returned to the palace and the King's giant-wife was so enraged her disguise failed, showing everyone her true giant form. We can only speculate what the king thought of this... The Giant tried to kill the son but he stabs her in the heart (the one he stole along with the eyes), killing her.
The ladies returned to the clueless King (who had been happy to blind them…) and lived happily ever after. The son however, cursed by his wife, could not find happiness again. So he set off to look for his abandoned love. Finding her dead where he had left her, the son dies of heartbreak himself - fulfilling his dead wife’s curse.
The Gods looked down on at the son, dead at the feet of his wife, and transformed both of them into the local mountains…known as Phou Thao and Phou Nang.
Now you know!
Our walk started with us going through the local village. The houses were a mix of wood, concrete and stone and were a very long way from the ordered colonial architecture of Luang Prabang. Chickens pecked at the ground and geese honked their protest at our presence. Outside many of the houses, sheets were covered with corn, river weed or chillies all drying in the intense Laotian sun.
The residents of the village were friendly and welcoming. Children alternately waved and laughed at us or ran away and hid.
We passed a lively, noisy school and came to the middle of the village and the first of our temples.
Wat Xieng Mene
(location)
Our first temple was Wat Xieng Mene; a gorgeous traditional white, red and gold structure in the middle of the village. The temple buildings were separated from the village by a low white wall, guarded by sharp toothed, stone dogs. Inside, the temple grounds were serene and peaceful. Golden statues, of the “7 days of the week” Buddha’s, stood, sat or reclined outside of the main temple building.
Wat Xieng Mene is an old temple, with history dating back to the 1500’s if not further. The temple gained special prominence when it was used to house the golden “Prabang” Buddha statue on its pilgrimage back to Luang Prabang (the city is named after this golden Buddha). In 1867 the Prabang statue rested at the temple for 7 days on its procession back to Luang Prabang after being held in Thailand for 40 years.
Despite its history the temple comes across as calm and humble. It feels much like a country village church does in England: it is part of the local village, not some grand thing dominating over it.
We continued up the village road until the houses started to thin out, the trees began to crowd in and the road forked off in two. The main road headed north east whilst a smaller walking path wound into the forest. Following the helpful signs we headed into the forest.
After only a minute or so we could see the staircase leading to Wat Chompet, the temple that had inspired this whole expedition. The route we were walking was linear - all the way to the “Jungle Shrine” and back again on the same path. We decided that we would walk past the steps for now and visit the hill top temple on the way back.
Temple entrance fees
As a foreigner, you need to pay an entrance fee to keep walking along this path. The fee covers you to walk the path and enter any of the temples on the way. Tickets cost only 20,000 kip per person.
Wat Long Koon
(location)
Just outside of the town was the much larger Wat Long Koon. We approached the temple down a moss covered stairway straight out of a Ghibli film. The architecture was, again, beautiful with white walls, red lintels, gold filigree and intricate carvings. Wat Long Koon is spread over several buildings with prayer halls, monastic rooms and accommodation for the monks.
Well tended lawns had cockerels pecking and colourful butterflies flitting around. The whole place is surrounded by the forest, which made the orange of the monk's robes really stand out against the deep greens of the foliage.
Some of the temple buildings have faded paintings framing their doors. Armour clad, moustachioed warriors stood guard over the gold and lacquer entrances. These figures, with their long handled spear swords, seemed more like the ones you would expect to see in a Chinese temple. It was just another thing that made this place unique to us.
Towards the river we found a large Buddha statue sitting cross legged under the many heads of a protective Naga. In the dry season this statue looks over the sandy shores of the river, which would be full of small farms and allotments growing in the fertile banks. We were visiting right at the end of the wet season and the Buddha was looking over nothing but the fast flowing waters of the Mekong.
This area seems to be where a few boat tours unload their passengers. There was another ticket booth and a small pier at the end of a staircase. When we visited we did not see any boat-borne visitors but it would make a serene and beautiful stop on any boat ride.
After Wat Long Koon the road wound on, houses became rarer and rarer and the jungle all around the air was filled with a chorus of cicadas.
Wat Tham Sakkalin
(location)
A short walk later and we came across the painted sides of Wat Tham Sakkalin. On one side of the road is a temple building, the outside of which is entirely covered in paintings depicting scenes from the life of the Buddha. When we visited the serene atmosphere was slightly disturbed by a chainsaw wielding monk who was pruning some of the nearby trees.
We, although we didn't realise it at this point, had made a mistake. Wat Tham Sakkalin has a famous cave that forms the core of the temple. The limestone cave houses some fragments of the Buddha and is kept locked. If you want to visit the 100m cave you need to ask for the keys from the ticket booth near Wat Chompet! We had not done this so contented ourselves to just peer through the latticework cave gate.
We wandered on, passing local families eating and listening to music on massive, old school radios. This felt like a side to Luang Prabang that we hadn't seen. Rawer and less polished, this seemed like what life in rural Laos would actually look like without the flourishes and decorations added for tourists.
Wat Had Siaw
(location)
As our goal of the “Jungle Shrine” grew closer we entered our final official Wat - Wat Had Siaw. This large temple is currently under construction but there is nothing to stop you going through and admiring the buildings. The large new prayer hall looked especially impressive. The workers were building up the ornate entrance columns when we visited but inside we could see the huge and imposing Buddha in pride of place. It had not yet received its golden paint but its huge white eyes stared back at us from the semi-constructed darkness.
The temple is also home to a large pack of very cute dogs. We had been wary approaching the temple as we could hear lots of barking (John bravely picked up a stick but it just fell apart in his hand). The dogs were fine, they were clearly fed and cared for by the temple. We walked through the pack as it sauntered towards an orange robed monk and, except for some interesting snuffling, the dogs barely registered our presence.
Out the back of Wat Had Siaw the paved path stops and the road becomes an reddy-orange mud road. We didn't have to follow this far to find our final fork in the road. On one side was a path to another temple, its gate closed and hung with a Laotion sign we couldn't translate, on the other side, a tiny track leading up a hill….
The Secret Jungle Shrine
(location)
The only indication that we were in the right place was the trail of stone white lotus’ dotted in the forest leading up the hill. The path was nearly non-existent but the little white buds showed us that we were on the right trail. The climb up the hill was short and not steep at all and, before long, we started to see the golden shapes of figures in the trees.
The Jungle Shrine is not massive or fancy. It is a collection of statues, sculptures and holy artefacts scattered across the hilltop. We cannot find any reliable information as to whether this is an abandoned temple, a store for holy objects or an overgrown shrine. What we can say for sure however, is that it is beautiful. It is just the kind of overgrown relic we love to find. We love ruins, abandoned buildings and forgotten structures and this shrine ticked all of the above. Leaf strewn Buddhas meditated next to four headed sculptures that were vanishing into the plants and mosses of the jungle. It was so different from the clean white walls of Wat Had Siaw being built below.
You can access the Jungle Shrine via another path, inside Wat Had Siaw you’ll find two statues flanking a trail into the jungle. If you follow this path, you should find the jungle shrine.
The Jungle Shrine is not a large shrine, you can walk all around it in under five minutes, it did however make a fitting return point for our jungle walk. We had walked only around 3km to get here but it was the perfect place to turn around and head back. We still had a hill to climb and a temple to see..
Wat Chompet
(location)
We followed the road back the way we had come until we were, once again, stood in front of the Wat Chompet ticket shack. Behind the shack rose a steep, white stone lined staircase. We had saved the best until last, it was time to climb.
The climb was short but sharp and, in the late afternoon sun, very very hot! We pulled our sweat soaked selves up the last of the 123 steps and were greeted by an amazing view.
The whole of Luang Prabang was laid out in front of us. Its gold topped temples sparkling and glowing in the sun. We love the many views you can get from the top of the famous Phousi Hill (read all about that here) but this view may well be our favourite in Luang Prabang. The river just frames the city perfectly.
The temple at Wat Chompet itself is semi abandoned, its doors locked shut and its elegant facade crumbling. Ancient stupa’s line one side whilst cracked stones and old statues speckle the front. We learned that these contain the bones from two wives of a former king. We couldn't find out much about the history of the temple online but it was apparently built in 1888 by Thailand, if you know more please let us know in the comments. We have said it before but we love ruins and this temple, whilst not technically a ruin, had all the romance we adore.
This temple had been the goal of our little expedition, we had saved the best until last and had found a fantastic view of Luang Prabang. We walked back down the 123 steps, rejoined the path and headed back to the ferry.
Final thoughts - lesser know temples and the secret shrine of Luang Prabang
We had set out just to find this temple but it had turned into a great mini-adventure. We can completely recommend getting out of Luang Prabang and having a walk on the other side of the Mekong: it is a different world!
We started out just having one temple to find but ended up exploring 4 temples and a hidden shrine, all tied together with a gorgeous, fun and easy 6km walk through villages and forests.
We had been right, we should make more decisions in bars!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Sundown in Luang Prabang - The Best Sunset Spots
Everyone loves a sunset and the Laotian city of Luang Prabang, on the banks of the Mekong, has some amazing fiery displays. Read our blog to find out our favourite sunset spots in the city. Including riverside bars, secret temple spots and sunset cruises!
Whether you are visiting on holiday or are passing through as a backpacker, the Laotian city of Luang Prabang is an amazing place to watch the sun go down. The UNESCO World Heritage City is full of beautiful temples, hilltop shrines and riverside bars, all of which make for fantastic places to catch a sunset. The golden orange glow of the setting sun bathes the city in a warm light that sparkles off of its temples, palace roofs and the Mekong River below.
Sunset is also a natural gathering time for tourists and travellers; the bars, restaurants and viewpoints all fill up with people and it is probably the best time to meet other travellers if you are in the city solo.
We have spent a long time in Luang Prabang over the last few years and have come up with a list of our favourite places to watch the sun go down.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
The Best Sunset Bars in Luang Prabang
It should come as no surprise to those who know us or follow this blog that one of our favourite ways to enjoy a sunset is in the company of a frosty beverage. Luang Prabang has bars and restaurants dotted all along its river banks that make for a great way to end a day.
The Old Town of Luang Prabang sits on a peninsula of land with the Mekong and Nam Khan River flowing either side of it. The sunset is in the west so, for the best view, you need to find a spot on the western side of the old town along the banks of the Mekong River.
Luang Prabang is ever changing and the bars are frequently taken over and revamped. We used to love a locals only bar right in the south of the city and, on our first visit ,there was the legendary Utopia Backpacker Bar. Both these bars are sadly now gone but there are still plenty of gorgeous sunset spots to choose from. Let us know if any of the bars below change hands or names in the future!
360 Sunset Bar
(location)
We found this little riverside bar on our first trip to Luang Prabang and have been in love with it ever since. It is (loosely) skater themed with a small concrete ramp and some tables made out of recycled skateboards. A small DJ booth plays chilled out tunes and the service is very relaxed.
360 Sunset Bar serves good cheap beer, cocktails, small plates of food and snacks. Most importantly, the 360 bar serves up fantastic riverside views. The sun sets behind the Laotian mountains practically opposite the 360 bar making it an ideal place for a late afternoon beer or cocktail.
The 360 bar is also home to a collection of cute kitties who love to sit with you, especially if you’ve got a plate of chicken wings!
The bar is popular with backpackers and the local youth, so if you want the best seats next to the river, come early. 360 bar was fantastic, we have whiled away far too many evenings enjoying a Beer Lao as the night creeps in.
Mekong Savan Restaurant and Bar
(location)
This was a random find on our latest Luang Prabang adventure. Set nearby to the local ferry pier, this small bar is tucked away on the riverside down a small flight of steps. Wooden decking gives way to a parasol shaded balcony. The bar has a great view of the Mekong and the busy traffic of boats and ferries on its water. This is a fantastic place for a sunset drink, the full menu of beers, fruit juices, cocktails, spirits and wines makes sure there is a drink for every palate and inclination.
The bar sometimes serves food, but on the times we visited, the kitchen was never open (although the nice waiter did run and get us peanuts!). For such an upmarket looking bar, the cost of beer was as cheap as anywhere else on this list!
Tham keo for our Laotian followers or cheers for everyone else!
Mekong Savan is set a little way up the river from 360, so the sunset happens further downstream (to the left) from the bar. Despite this we would say this was the best sunset bar in Luang Prabang as the Mekong River was just so full of life and traffic. From Mekong Savan you can watch the local car ferries run back and forth, see the boatbuilders below plane wood and fix their barges and see all sorts of boats and craft float on by. Also, as the sunset is further downstream, the light reflects beautifully off of the river!
Viewpoints for Sunset in Luang Prabang
Phousi Hill
(location)
If you are in Luang Prabang you cannot miss Phousi Hill - Both literally and figuratively! The hill rises up along the main street of Luang Prabang and no visit to the city would be complete without climbing it at least once.
Mount Phousi costs 30,000 kip per person to climb. You buy a ticket from the counter right at the start of your climb from the side facing the main street and National Museum.
To read more about the museums and temples of Luang Prabang check out our complete travel guide here.
The hill is a short hike up 355 steps though some beautiful moss covered foliage and temple grounds. The summit gives panoramic views all over the city and is probably the most popular place to watch the sunset from. It is a fantastic view and, as the highest point in town, gives a sweeping vista over the city, river and surrounding mountains. From the top of the hill the sunset lights the town up in gold, the dying light glinting off the temples, rooftops and rivers.
The sunset from the top of Phousi Hill is beautiful!
But you do need to share it with a lot of people!
This all being said, it is very popular. At sunset you will be in a crowd of people and if you want to get a good view, you better have gone up early. As the day winds down, streams of people will start the climb to the top of Phousi Hill in preparation for the sunset. If you choose the top of Phousi Hill as your sunset spot go early and be prepared to share it with a lot of people!
However, there is another spot only for those in the know…
The Secret Sunset Spot on Phousi Hill
This spot is nowhere near as high as the peak of Phousi Hill but we loved it, its was a special, more private place to enjoy a Luang Prabang sunset.
If you are climbing Mount Phou Si from the side facing the National Museum you will quickly come to a plateau with a stunning tree surrounded by a two tiered stone ring. The steps to the top will continue in front and the tree would be on your right hand side. If you leave the path here and head right, past the tree, you will come to the corner of the plateau. You should find a bench overlooking the market below and the town itself. This is our secret sunset spot!
Honestly we preferred this as a place to watch the sunset to the top of Phousi Hill; it was romantic (no PDA though, you are in temple grounds!), peaceful and got a lovely view of the sunset. We would recommend climbing Phousi before the rush at sunset, admiring the view and then coming back down to this secret spot to actually watch the sun go down!
Sunset on the Mekong - River Cruises
We have talked about views over the river and riverside bars so obviously we must talk about the sunset from the water itself! If you walk anywhere in Luang Prabang you will be offered sunset boat tours, there are dozens of operators running everything from private longboats to massive karaoke boats and banquet barges. You can arrange a boat trip through your accommodation, at any of the tour offices, operator booths or from touts on the pier.
We had a great experience (well two great experiences as we have been with them twice now), with Sa Sa Sunset Cruises. They have a few different boats that sail up and down the Mekong for a perfect sunset cruise.
295,000 kip per person got us comfy reclining seats and a free drink (Lao Lao cocktail, beer of a soft drink) as well as a small snack served half way through. There was a bar on board as well so you could top up on your drinks as you floated on down. The cruise starts at 5pm and will bring you back around 7pm. These times may change as the sun sets later or earlier depending when in the year you visit.
We cannot recommend a sunset river cruise enough. Drifting down the Mekong, lying back in the orange gold light whilst sipping on a beer and listening to quietly playing music (First Aid Kit both times we visited), is a fantastic way to see out a day.
Sa Sa Cruises does, or maybe did, have another little “treat” for those who take the sunset cruise. We are not going to spoil it here and it may not even still happen (it didn’t on our last trip). If you are on the big boat and something bizarre involving fish and “O Fortuna” happens …. let us know in the comments. At this point, we are unsure if it was a fever dream, a hallucination or if it actually happened!
We had great experiences with Sa Sa Cruises, the boats were fun, comfy and well set up for a relaxing sunset cruise. We did see that other cruises were sometimes cheaper but we cannot say which is best as we stuck with Sa Sa.
You can book cruises, as we have said, everywhere in town. Sa Sa have a little booking desk on the bank where the boat docks; you can buy your tickets there. The dock and booking office are located here on a map.
A word of caution when booking a sunset cruise in Luang Prabang: check it is not a karaoke cruise before booking! There are a lot of karaoke barges noisily plying their way up and down the Mekong nowadays and this would be a very different sunset experience! Check before you book - unless you're into that, no judgement here!
Sunset in Luang Prabang - Conclusion
So there you have it, our favourite places to see sunset in Luang Prabang. To be fair, in the city there are innumerable other spots to watch the sun go down from, but we especially loved those on this list. Let us know in the comments if we have missed your favourite!
There is something special about the sunset when travelling. Maybe it is because it marks another day away from home, another day of new experiences and different places, but the setting sun is always something to be celebrated and appreciated when you are out walking the world.
Also sunset is a great excuse for a beer!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Kuang Si Falls - A Natural Wonder in Northern Laos
If you are visiting Luang Prabang in Northern Laos then the Kuang Si Waterfall is an essential trip. Known as some of the most beautiful in the World, the breathtaking waterfalls are amazing in both the wet and dry seasons. Read our complete guide for all the information you will need for visiting Kuang Si Falls.
The Kuang Si Waterfall is one of the most beautiful natural sights in northern Laos. A spectacular many tiered waterfall cascading through the Laotian jungle, Kuang Si Falls attracts visitors from all over the globe. Explorable all year round, Kuang Si Falls can be ephemeral, beautiful and delicate or a thundering spectacle of overwhelming power. The falls’ waters swell or calm from season to season.
The Kuang Si Falls lie a little way outside of the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang in Northern Laos. We have visited Kuang Si Waterfall three times now, both in the wet and the dry seasons; each time has been unique and amazing.
This is our guide to the Kuang Si Waterfalls - our thoughts on how to get to, what to look out for and how to make the most out of these incredible Laotian waterfalls.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
How to get to Kuang Si Waterfall - Where are the waterfalls?
Kuang Si Falls are 18 miles (29 km) south-west of the city of Luang Prabang in Northern Laos. It is around an hour's drive thanks to the poor condition of the roads.
You can find Kuang Si Falls on a map here.
You have a few main choices of ways to get to Kuang Si Falls:
Getting to Kuang Si Falls by Tuk Tuk / Songthaew
The most popular way to get to Kuang Si Falls is definitely via one the large songthaews found throughout Luang Prabang. For those who don't know; a songthaew is a sort of flatbed truck with bench seating, open sides and a roof, all welded to a large motorbike. They are often very colourfully decorated and you will find them everywhere in South East Asia. You can easily seat 6-10 people in one, depending on how friendly and cosy you want to be with your travelling companions!
You can find tuk tuk drivers parked up all over Luang Prabang!
These songthaews or tuk tuks can be picked up on nearly every street corner in Luang Prabang. The exact cost of the songthaew will vary but it should cost around 400,000 kip for a taxi to take you to the falls. This price will include the journey to the falls, parking fees and for the driver to wait for you and drive you home. You may have to do a little haggling to get the right price but there are so many tuk tuk drivers you won't get stuck! The price is for the whole songthaew so the more people you can party up with, the cheaper the trip will be. Our first trip to Kuang Si Falls was by a tuk tuk. We just wandered up to one parked on the street, negotiated a price and hopped in.
The road to Kuang Si is not fantastic (more of this later) so do not expect a comfy ride. There will be a lot of bouncing over potholes and splashing through puddles, especially in the rainy season. Also, as the tuk tuks are open sided,you may get a bit soggy if it rains!
A younger Ellie on her first trip to the Kuang Si Falls!
Kuang Si Falls by Private Tour or Taxi
Every tour agency in Luang Prabang, as well as all of the hotels, hostels and guesthouses, will be able to book you onto a tour taking you to Kuang Si Falls. These will usually be done in white minivans. The minivans are much comfier than a tuk tuk and will have air conditioning. The cost of this will vary wildly depending on the level of luxury the tour provides and how many people would be joining you on it. You can see some examples of tours here on Get Your Guide.
On our second visit to Luang Prabang we had an incredibly luxurious experience being shuttled to Kuang Si Falls for a sumptuous breakfast beneath the waterfall, this was much more expensive than the other options here but would make sense if you are on a holiday and looking for a spot of pampering. For a guide on living the high life in Luang Prabang check out our article here.
Driving yourself - Taking a Scooter or Bike to Kuang Si Falls
By far the cheapest option to get to Kuang Si Waterfall is, unsurprisingly, to drive yourself. You can rent a scooter or a bicycle from pretty much anywhere in Luang Prabang. The prices for scooters seems to be set around 150,000 kip per day and bicycles vary in price depending on the kind of bike you want.
When renting a scooter always check the bike first and record a video of the condition you rent it in.
Make sure to get helmets for all riders and do not rent a bike if you are not confident riding! Your travel insurance will almost certainly not cover any bike accident!
The route to Kuang Si Falls is not on great roads. There are massive, road spanning potholes, large lorries and endless streams of minivans and songthaews all along the route to the falls. If it has been raining the potholes are especially treacherous - you cannot tell how deep they are until you are in them! Oncoming cars and vans will frequently drive on the wrong side of the road in order to avoid the rough patches so you do have to be on your toes. We would not recommend driving yourself unless you are properly confident on scooters.
However, if you are confident riding, it is a fun and exciting journey through some lovely countryside. On our most recent visit, at the tail end of the wet season, we drove ourselves to Kuang Si Falls. It was not a relaxing experience but it was good fun and there is always something magical about scootering along rice terrace lined roads in South East Asia!
Petrol is cheap in Laos - we got a full tank from empty for around 70,000 kip on our little 125cc scooter.
For those who do not mind a bit of a challenge you can rent a bicycle in town and cycle yourself to Kuang Si Falls. This will (obviously) take quite a bit longer but would be a lovely way of getting out and about and having a bit of exercise. The initial ride out of Luang Prabang would be a little unpleasant as it is a large road through a built up area, but the roads thin out quickly and become much prettier. Just make sure you pack a lot of water. It gets very hot in Laos and cycling up a hill in 30 degree heat is no joke!
If you are scootering to the falls the journey should take between 50 minutes to an hour. If you are cycling… well you tell us in the comments, you are definitely more dedicated than us!
You can see a map of the route below:
There are several places you can stop off at on the way to Kuang Si falls. The route is dotted with pretty cafe’s and restaurants for a snack or a meal. There is also Luang Prabang’s famous Buffalo Dairy (located here), where you can treat yourselves to a luxurious cheese plate or a buffalo ice cream!
Opening times for Kuang Si Falls Park
Kuang Si Waterfalls are open between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM every day of the week.
There are some tours that may give you early private access to the park.
Ticket Prices to Kuang Si Falls - How to Enter the Waterfall Park
The ticket price for entrance to Kuang Si Falls is 60,000 kip per person. This entrance fee covers: a shuttle bus to the falls, entrance to the Kuang Si Waterfall Park and a visit to the Free the Bears Rescue Centre. The ticket price does not cover entrance to the Butterfly Park or entrance to “The View” - more on this later.
However you travelled to the falls, you will arrive at a large car park and ticket office (here on a map). If you have driven yourself to the falls, there is a 5000 kip parking fee for scooters. If you came by songthaew or with a tour, this parking fee should have been included in the cost. If you have a tour or a tuk tuk make sure you note down their licence number and agree where to meet back up with them after you have finished in the falls - there are a lot of minivans in the car park!
You buy your tickets from the counter and then jump on one of the oversized golf carts / electric buses from the stand to the left. You will then be ferried a short way up the hill to the entrance of the park.
If you need drinks, food or souvenirs, there are lots of stalls both at the lower car park and around the park entrance. The prices are, understandably, a bit higher than buying from a shop in town but not extortionately so. We needed water and paid 10,000 kip for a 500ml bottle.
There are a few restaurants around the park entrance and on the route between the falls and the car park but, as we didn't try them, we cannot comment if they are any good.
On the road between the ticket office and the entrance to Kuang Si Falls there is the Kuang Si Butterfly Park (located here). This calm garden and cafe offers tours for 100,000 kip per person and, at least according to the reviews, is beautiful and full of interesting butterflies.
We did not make it to the Butterfly Park on our trips to Kuang Si - if you do go let us know how it was in the comments!
After you get off of the electric shuttle buggy, you just walk up to the gateway, present your ticket and enter the park.
Kuang Si Waterfalls and Park - What is There and What is it Like?
As soon as we entered the park the hubbub of the people and electric buses in the landing area died away and we were surrounded by green plants and towering trees. The park is beautiful with many varieties of trees and species of animals calling it home. There are plaques everywhere explaining the delicate ecosystem and giving information on the various flora and fauna.
A winding mud path leads away from the park entrance and brought us quickly to:
Free the Bears - Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre
Free the Bears is a fantastic rescue charity that takes in orphaned and rescued bears and gives them a safe place to live and, where possible, rehabilitates them for release in the wild. The sanctuary at Kuang Si Falls forms the organisation's “Bear Discovery Trail” which educates visitors on the bears as well as showing the terrible situations that they need to be rescued from (do not search bile farms - they are horrific).
The bears at the Kuang Si Bear Sanctuary are all rescued moon bears. The bears live in large enclosures with viewing platforms and windows for visitors. The moon bears are unique and (to our eyes) extremely cute creatures, with soft fur and expressive faces. Every time we have visited the bears have been lolling around, snoozing on hammocks or lounging on wooden platforms.
The centre has a small shop and donations are always welcome. Free the Bears also runs a much larger wildlife sanctuary outside of Luang Prabang. The charity operates in Cambodia, Vietnam and India as well as Laos. Free the Bears is the largest bear rescue charity in the world, you can read more about their amazing work here.
The sanctuary is very tastefully done and blends in wonderfully to the surrounding forest. On our first visit to Kuang Si we were completely unaware of the bear sanctuary so it was a fantastic surprise!
The Kuang Si Waterfall
The main event, the reason we had shaken our bones, bounced through potholes and driven an hour out of town was the Kuang Si Falls. After admiring the bears we continued down the path and soon came to the first “layer” of the waterfalls.
The water bubbles and spills down shallow falls into huge, wide pools. Layers of rock-pools, shelves and deep plunge pools all crowd together and spill into each other.
In the dry season the water is electric blue, clear and inviting. The lower falls are gentle and the area perfect for swimming. In the wet season however, the water is a churning torrent, a thundering mass of water, stained brown by the sediment and mud gouged out by its raging power. Both seasons are equally impressive but in totally opposite ways!
Kuang Si Falls is a three tierd waterfall. The second tier is a wide many layered shelf stretching out across the jungle. The waters flowing over the smooth worn lips of the many edged fall. Trees stand in and around the falls, some fully underwater, some clinging precariously to the rock’s edge. This area is again perfect for a swim in the dry season. The wet season means no swimming (usually) but it does make the falls extra impressive as tonnes more water pours over and through them.
The main falls defy description, although we will try. Kuang Si Falls main waterfall is a cascade 60 metres high (200 feet). The water drops in ribbons and curtains down the rocky face of the falls, its descent splitting and rejoining, broken by the uneven boulders in its path. The falls are a wedding cake of falling water, layers bulge out or drop in and the water cascades over everything. In the dry season the falls can look delicate with white ribbons of water elegantly cascading down like braids of hair. In the wet season the waterfalls are mighty and thunder down with a raging, boiling power.
In the wet season the water cascades down the Kuang Si Falls ferociously!
Bridges and viewing platforms are dotted about giving multiple angles to see the falls from. Even when Kuang Si Falls get busy there was always somewhere you could find to take a great photo or selfie. The falls have done a great job at preserving their beautiful forest setting. There are no gaudy plastic signs or mascots intruding on the view and even the picnic area blends into the forest setting.
The waterfalls are incredible, they are one of the most beautiful in the world and, whenever you visit Laos, Kuang Si is an essential visit.
The Legend of Kuang Si Falls
The legend of the falls is that a wise old sage dug down in the earth at Kuang Si and found the Nam Si river. Enticed by the new water a golden deer made its home under a special rock in the falls. Kuang translates to Deer and Si to dig - Deer Dig Falls! The sound of water on the deers rocky home was meant to be so beautiful it summoned people from all around. Sadly the rock is no more as it was destroyed in an earthquake in 2001
The Secret Pools of Kuang Si
Right, full disclaimer - You probably cannot get to these pools any more. You certainly cannot get to them by any official means and they may be totally inaccessible in the wet season. That all being said, we wanted an excuse to show off some photos of a magical place, even if it is now gone.
Once upon a time, in the long, long ago of 2023, you could take an overgrown hiking trail on the left hand side of the main waterfall, the trail wound up the side of Kuang Si Falls and led you to a hidden worlds at the top. We did this hike after enjoying a very bougie breakfast next to the falls, but the hike was anything but glamorous. It was a dilapidated route where the stairs were fading into the hillside and the handrails were rotted and crumbling. In places you could see an even older path, its stairways now new channels for the waterfalls, the steps covered by rushing water. It is no wonder it no longer exists.
At the top of the short but steep trail was a misty wonderland. The pools at the top of the falls were magical, still and calm. The water reflecting the trees and plants all around them. We came up in the early morning and the mist hung low, coating everything in an extra layer of beauty and mystery.
There were wooden walkways to lookout points, swings over the pools and even what looked like the remains of a wooden cafe, all gently mouldering away in the woods, it was an amazing magical place.
We are not sure if the fairy pools at the top are completely inaccessible now. The old trail is definitely gone, as the new metal stairs up to “The View” have been built on top of the old path. There is another hiking trail you can do in the dry season from the far side of the waterfall's lower layers but we cannot say if that goes to the same place. You can still see the old trail from the stairs to “The View”; on the left and right of the staircase, you can sometimes glimpse the remains of the mud path and steps - we do not recommend going off trail to explore by yourself!
Back then in 2023, we came back down from the pools and noticed a sign near the start of the trail. A new cafe and adventure centre called “The View” was going to be built, the trail would soon be inaccessible.
“The View Cafe” and Zip Line
Enough with what was! 2024 saw the opening of “The View” a cafe and zipline course at the top of Kuang Si Waterfalls. You can find the entrance to the left of the falls, where a metal staircase leads up 570 steps to a treehouse cafe and zipline.
On our latest visit to Kuang Si, as we were unable to get to the secret pools anymore, we thought we would check out the new attraction - “The View”. The climb was definitely steep and hot and by the time we had got to the top (past all the encouraging signs telling us how many calories we had burned) we were sweaty and very much in need of a cold drink.
The treehouse cafe has a 30,000 kip entrance fee but this includes a soft drink so really isn't bad value. There are quite a few negative reviews of “The View” but honestly we found it well worth the cost.
Most of the negative reviews were from people who had not seen the sign about the cafe entrance cost. The negative reviewers were, understandably, annoyed at climbing 500+ stairs only to find out they couldn't go any further or enjoy any view without paying! We had known about the cafe, and its entrance fee, and by the time we reached the top, were very much looking forward to an ice cold drink!
The view from the cafe is fantastic, we could see right out across the hills and deep forests carpeting the area all around. What you cannot see from “The View” is Kuang Si Falls! This may also have helped create some of the negative comments in their reviews but, again, as long as you know this going in, you won't be disappointed. The view is spectacular even if it doesn't include the famous falls.
“The View” at Kuang Si really does live up to its name!
Kuang Si Zipline
The zipline is a five part course that brings you the whole way back down, around the falls to the park entrance. It cost $25 dollars per person and we kind of wish we had splurged the cash and done it…. Sometimes you do have to sacrifice when on a backpackers budget. If you do the zipline let us know in the comments how it was, we can imagine it is a great treat if you have brought your kids to Laos!
When to Visit Kuang Si Waterfalls - What Season and What Time of Day?
Kuang Si Falls in the Dry Season
The dry season in Laos runs from November to April.
The most popular time to visit Laos as a whole is the dry season. Visiting in the dry is a solid choice for Kuang Si Waterfalls: You increase your chance of sunshine and make it much more likely you will be able to swim in the pools. The water will be clear and a vibrant blue colour and the main falls will be a delicate, beautiful sight.
Most people visit Luang Prabang in the dry season so it will be much busier during this time.
During the dry season the water at Kuang Si is vibrant blue!
Kuang Si Falls in the Wet Season
The wet season in Laos runs between May and October.
If you find yourself in Luang Prabang in the wet season, the falls still make an incredible day out. The delicate serene falls and pools are transformed into raging, pounding torrents. The main falls just explode with water. Kuang Si in the wet season is a completely different beast from the falls in the dry season.
There are drawbacks to visiting in the wet season; you probably won't be able to swim as the water is too fast and too powerful to be safe. You are also increasing your chance of being rained on and having a more uncomfortable journey to and from the falls. Further, if it is grey and misty you won't get the panoramic views from the top of “The View”.
That all being said, we visited at the tail end of the wet season and had a beautiful sunny day admiring the water as it crashed and poured down the falls. The falls in full force are an incredible sight, if you are in Laos in the wet season there is no reason not to visit Kuang Si Falls, just try and plan around the weather!
In the wet season the water turns into a cloudy, raging torrent!
Visiting the Falls - What Time of Day is Best?
The falls are obviously gorgeous all day long but they are also one of the most popular things to do in Luang Prabang so it can get crowded. Depending when you go you may find yourself in a massive throng of people or waiting in a queue of minivans as they navigate the pothole infested roads to the waterfall.
Remember that lots of people visiting Luang Prabang are doing so on guided tours and many of them will be following the same itinerary - Alms giving at dawn, then breakfast, then on to Kuang Si Falls. Or Alms giving, the National Museum, a tour of the main temples, lunch and then off to the falls. This means you can avoid the crowds by either going very early in the morning when the falls first open or hanging back a little to arrive after the 1st wave has left and before the 2nd wave arrives.
We have done both of these, the early morning option was wonderful, with the park nearly entirely to ourselves. We were having a very luxurious stay in Luang Prabang courtesy of John’s parents (read all about it here) and had arrived for breakfast at the falls as soon as it had opened. There was barely anyone else there and we got to explore the falls pretty much by ourselves. The tour package we were on may have had some kind of early access permission, so check with your hotel / hostel / guest house or tour agency if you are looking at doing this.
On our latest trip to Luang Prabang we were firmly in ‘budget backpacking mode’ and drove ourselves to the falls late morning arriving around 11:30. Our route to the falls had quiet roads with nearly no traffic going the same way as us. However, there were quite a few minivans leaving the falls and driving back towards Luang Prabang. The falls were busy but not stuffed and we could easily get good photos and didn't have to queue for anything. On our way back to Luang Prabang there was a near constant chain of white minivans trundling their way towards the falls, it looked like it would be a very busy place in the afternoon!
Facilities at Kuang Si Falls
Toilets
There are toilets scattered throughout the waterfall park. They are Western style but can get a bit muddy and wet as people use them as changing rooms for swimming in the falls. If you are looking for more comfortable toilets, check out the restaurant or “The View” cafe (although you will have to hike up 570 steps for that one).
Food and Drink
There are food stalls selling barbecued meats and fish as well as stir fries and Laotian dishes outside the park entrance as well as down the road the electric bus travels. Inside the park there is a large restaurant serving Western and Lao food. “The View” cafe has a small menu of food, drinks and alcohol. The food and drink in and around the park are more expensive than in town. Other than a can of Sprite at the top of “The View” we haven't tried the cafes and restaurants - please let us know in the comments if you have!
Kuang Si Falls - Is it worth it?
Obviously the answer is yes! Whatever the season, Kuang Si Falls are incredible. They are one of the most beautiful waterfalls on earth and deserve all the hype and praise they get. Photographs really do not show the true scale of the waterfalls at Kuang Si, you have to see them in person. We have visited Luang Prabang 3 times in the last 10 years and every time we do, we go to see the incredible waterfalls at Kuang Si, they are simply that good!
So many times a region's “number one attraction” can be a disappointment. Overcrowded or overhyped, Instagram perfection failing in reality or just commercialised beyond belief, an area’s “main draw” can fail in so many ways. Kuang Si Falls does not fail, it does not disappoint. Reality beats Instagram every time here in Northern Laos.
No online image can beat seeing the Kuang Si Falls in real life!
Kuang Si Falls are a highlight, not just of Luang Prabang but of Laos as a whole. Despite its popularity and the crowds it draws, Kuang Si Falls is an absolutely essential visit on any trip to Luang Prabang. It was a fantastic trip for us. Three times and counting so far!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
More of our Luang Prabang Travel Guides
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A Guide To The Best Coffee In Luang Prabang
Sometimes you just need a great coffee. The Laotian city of Luang Prabang is full of craft coffee shops, roasters and artisan cafes. Join us on a cafe hopping guide to the very best coffee in Luang Prabang.
The Laotian city of Luang Prabang is a place to slow down on your travels. A city that oozes charm and a sense of relaxed elegance. The best way to sit back and soak up the ambiance is with a cup of Laotian coffee. Luckily the city is full to the brim with craft coffee roasters, small coffee shops and talented baristas.
This is our guide to where to get the best coffees in Luang Prabang.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Saffron Coffee Luang Prabang
(location)
Saffron Coffee, is probably the city’s most famous coffee shop. Saffron Coffee has its own roastery and Saffron coffee beans can be found in high-end cafes, hotels and shops all across Laos. The Luang Prabang Saffron Coffee sits in pride of place on the banks of the Mekong River and is the perfect spot to sit back and watch life flow by. The coffee shop itself sits on the far side of the road, with open air seating on verandas over the river's edge.
Saffron Coffee specialises in Laotian coffee, with its beans proudly sourced from within the country's borders. The whole idea for the coffee shop and roastery came about as a way of providing out of work opium farmers a new crop to replace their newly outlawed farms.
The coffee at Saffron is delicious. Serving everything from cappuccinos to lattes, iced or hot, the coffee is rich, nutty and full of flavour, it is definitely a treat!
Saffron Coffee also serves some fantastic sweet treats including a delicious, spiced carrot cake topped with a thick layer of sweet, silky smooth icing.
For those looking for air-conditioning or digital nomads looking for a comfy spot for their laptops there is also an upstairs dining room above the main shop.
DaDa Cafe
(location)
Another Mekong riverside roastery is DaDa Cafe. DaDa offers multiple coffee beans in a range of intensities to suit even the most discerning of caffeinated palates. The coffee shop has comfy seating inside as well as a shaded riverside terrace.
We can especially recommend the iced latte. Frothy, creamy yet still full of flavour, the latte was excellent. Sometimes lattes can feel more like an ice cream or milkshake, but this had that perfect underlying rich bitterness that only really good coffee manages.
DaDa Cafe serves delicious cheesecakes, brownies and pastries. There is also a full food menu available if you want something bigger or are looking to treat yourself to breakfast.
Lum Lum / Moka Pot Street Coffee
(location)
Despite feeling as though we had stumbled into the local Laotian youth club, Lum Lum / Moka Pot Street Coffee made one of the best iced americanos we drank in Luang Prabang.
A small black shed serves as the central hub of this tiny shop and roastery. The eponymous ‘Moka Pot' sits on a portable stove on top of the riverside wall. The whole place has a sort of “upmarket campsite” feel with foldable chairs, pallet tables and umbrellas for shade. It is very popular with the local youth, who all sit around playing mobile phone games. The locals are super lovely and polite, as soon as they realised there was no chairs for us they leapt up and offered theirs!
The staff were super friendly and despite their (very) young age really knew how to brew properly good coffee. The iced americano from Lum Lum was pure rocket fuel in the tastiest way possible. To say we were buzzing after would be an understatement!
Formula B
(location)
We nearly walked straight past this hidden gem on Luang Prabang’s main street. Set in the heart of the Old Quarter in a colonial style building, you have to climb a set of stairs at the back of a craft shop to reach the Formula B Cafe.
Perhaps the best looking coffee shop on this list, Formula B would look right at home in the heart of New York, London or Paris. With painted brick walls, exposed wooden floorboards and an eclectic mix of furniture, Formula B is a treasure trove of caffeinated delights.
We ordered two iced lattes alongside a decadent Lotus Biscoff cookie. The lattes were perfect, the exact right mix of creamy milk and nutty dark coffee. The cookie was pure indulgence. If it wasn’t enough to be a Lotus Biscoff studded delight, the cookie also came with a gooey melted marshmallow core. Healthy, no… delicious, yes!
The best seats in the house are the bar stools next to the large sash windows overlooking the historic streets below.
Formula B sells cookies, cakes and cheesecakes alongside all your coffee favourites, cold brews and specialty coffee cocktails. They also have oat and other plant-based milk alternatives.
How good does that Biscoff cookie look!
Wabi Sabi Cafe
(location)
If you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful caffeinated pick me up, Wabi Sabi Cafe will have you covered. This no frills cafe drew us in with its coffee grinder and espresso pot display on the street-side.
Inside there’s simple seats and decorations supplied by many travellers who have passed through Luang Prabang - currencies from around the world and messages in all languages crowd the walls.
Wabi Sabi has a simple coffee menu offering americanos, lattes and all standard variations on the theme of coffee. It also serves a small menu of food for a reasonable price.
Wabi Sabi was always popular with other travellers either sitting in or grabbing a cup to go. The coffee shop sits on the other side of Phousi Hill next to the backpacker favourite “Redbull Bar”.
Coffee Express
(location)
Coffee Express seemed to be the informal common room for backpackers in Luang Prabang. Busy from morning to night, Coffee Express quickly became our favourite coffee shop in the whole of the city.
Coffee Express sits in a wooden building which is open on all sides and is set just on the edge of a beautiful lily pond.
The cafe has an extremely relaxed atmosphere with chilled out beats playing and plenty of seating both inside and out.
The coffee shop sells all the normal coffee’s as well as smoothies, soft drinks, beer, and cocktails. Coffee Express also serves excellent baguette sandwiches. We treated ourselves to a ham and cheese baguette alongside our standard iced lattes. Both the coffee and the crunchy baguette were brilliant.
Sometimes you just need a sarnie!
If you’re after a sweet treat, Coffee Express serves a delicious white chocolate cheesecake, which is now quite famous amongst the backpackers of Laos. They also have French pastries and brownies.
As the sun goes down in the evening, the coffee shop becomes a sort of informal bar with backpackers chatting and enjoying a bottle of Beer Laos. Coffee Express sits opposite a Taco Shop and is just up the road from another popular bar, The Fat Cat, making it a popular stopping off point on nights out in Luang Prabang.
The coffee shops listed above are just some of our favourites we tried in Luang Prabang. If we have missed your favourite coffee shop let us know in the comments below!
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
There’s no better way to spend an afternoon in Luang Prabang than with a Mekong view, an iced latte and a slice of cake!
For more recommendations on what to eat in Luang Prabang check out our article below:
There is plenty to do other than drinking coffee in and around Luang Prabang. For all our travel guides to Luang Prabang take a look below:
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Food in Luang Prabang - A Guide to the Best Places to Eat
Luang Prabang is full of amazing food. From the delicious street food of the night market to the amazing breakfasts and local restaurants, we have tried it all. Check out our guide to the best food in Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang, the cultural capital of Laos, is stuffed full of amazing food. From street stalls serving traditional Laotian dishes to fine dining, pizzas and everything in between, whatever your mood, this beautiful city has a dish for you. We have now spent nearly a month exploring all that Luang Prabang has to offer to the culinarily curious; we have eaten everything, from the humblest street food to dining in the most luxurious restaurants. This guide to Luang Prabang will show you the very best food the city has to offer.
As we are long term backpackers we generally seek out a more local, budget friendly, street food style of dining. When travelling the best food is very seldom to be found in air-conditioned, hotel restaurants. Come as we go down the backstreets and go off the beaten path for some hidden culinary gems in Luang Prabang… As well as some more luxurious options… we are human after all!
All over Luang Prabang you’ll see baskets of red chillies drying in the sun!
In this Luang Prabang food article you can find:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Where to Eat Breakfast in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang Morning Market
(location)
As dawn breaks, the streets surrounding the morning market become thick with the smell of burning charcoal, bubbling soups and grilling fish. Luang Prabang’s Morning Market sells everything from cooked dishes to the very freshest of meats - some still so fresh they’re trying to escape! It’s a whirlwind of activity, smell and colours with busy locals shopping for all they’ll need for the day ahead.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Luang Prabang’s Morning Market is a great place to start the day. There are noodle soup vendors selling delicious bowls of steaming goodness as well as grilled sticky rice on sticks, deep fried bananas and any amount of fresh fruit. We would particularly recommend picking up some of the freshly grilled meats and a ball of sticky rice for a delicious traditional Laotian breakfast that will keep you full for hours.
We would recommend getting to the market early, perhaps right after you’ve seen the Morning Alms Giving Ceremony - you can read more about Luang Prabang’s Morning Alm’s Giving Ceremony here.
After 7 to 8 AM most of the truly local vendors will have sold their wares, packed up their stalls and moved on. There will still be stalls to see and places to eat, but the market will not be at its vibrant best, so get there early!
Street Side Porridge
(location)
One of our favourite breakfasts in the whole of Southeast Asia is rice soup or rice porridge. Vietnamese chao, Thai congee and Cambodian borbor are some of our favourite ways to start the day on this side of the world. We’re happy to report that Laos has its own excellent offering in this genre of breakfast!
Google Maps lists our favourite street side vendor as “No Name Rice Soup”, always a good indicator that this porridge stall will be a truly local affair. A few chairs under a plastic tarpaulin, alongside some charcoal fired cauldrons is all there is to this simple but delicious eatery. Selling soups and rice porridge, there’s a very limited menu but you can’t go wrong. Extremely cheap and completely delicious, we ate our breakfast here several times.
We always ordered the pork rice porridge and can highly recommend the extra marinated egg or for a creamy treat adding a poached egg. When your bowl comes to the table, pimp it as you like with soy, chilli or pepper.
Pasaniyom Traditional Cafe
(location)
Just down the road from Luang Prabang’s Morning Market you’ll find a crowd of people mobbing the entrance to Pansaniyom Traditional Cafe, an institution of the area. The cafe is famous for its excellent rice soups, as well as its delicious traditional Laos coffees, Thai teas and fried Chinese dough sticks.
Our go-to breakfast was again, rice porridge but this time paired with dough sticks and rocket fuelled Laotian coffee. It was a great meal, well worth the short queue and it completely set us up for a day exploring.
Everything we tried from the menu was delicious and reasonably priced, just be warned it is busy and the next door shop (which looks extremely similar) will always try to poach you. That being said, the next door shop is very tasty as well so it’s not the end of the world if you do get poached!
Despite looking similar, no bowl of rice porridge is ever the same!
French Bakery at Le Banneton Cafe
(location)
Sometimes you need a little dose of Western comfort. Sometimes you just don’t feel like starting your day with rice. On days like that we would turn to the patisserie and French bakery at Le Banneton Cafe.
The cafe is open all day serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu covers everything from sweet French pastries to baguettes, sandwiches, salads and burgers. We would particularly recommend treating yourself to one of the breakfast set menus that will come with a tea or coffee, freshly squeezed fruit juices, baguette, eggs, ham or bacon as well as butter and jams.
All of the baked goods we tried were excellent, one of the few good legacies of the French Colonial era is that the Laotians have hung on to their baking expertise. Le Banneton is more expensive than the Laotian breakfast options we’ve listed so far, but it’s still very reasonably priced, especially the set menus.
The cafe also has a small shop selling French wine, cheese, deli meats and tinned goods. As an added bonus the dining room is also fully air-conditioned!
Lunch in Luang Prabang
Julie’s Village Noodles
(location)
A local legend, this small noodle shop sits in the front garden of a house next door to the Wat Xieng Thong temple. We have been here multiple times on all of our 3 stays in Luang Prabang, it’s just that good!
Julie’s Village Noodles has a limited menu of a few different noodle soups each available in combination with a small selection of meats. Our favourite was always the khao soi. If you’ve just come from Northern Thailand, be aware Laotian khao soi is nothing like the Thai dish of the same name. Khao soi literally just means “Northern Noodle” so it can vary wildly from place to place.
At Julie’s Village Noodles the khao soi is a rich, sweet, peppery, tomato based broth topped with ground pork and layers of silky smooth rice noodles. Alongside these near perfect bowls, comes a punnet of fresh herbs and crunchy green vegetables with a peanut sauce perfect for dipping green beans and leaves of lettuce into!
There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of Laotian khao soi!
The whole meal is perfectly balanced, filling and a fantastic introduction to the nuance and subtlety of Laotian food. It is also very cheap! The restaurant gets extremely busy and will close as soon as everything has sold out. Don’t count on it being open for a late lunch. Get there early, it’s worth it!
Julie’s Village Noodles sits surrounded by some of Luang Prabang’s most beautiful temples; it would make a great stop during a temple tour of the city. Check out our guide to Luang Prabang’s temples here.
You can pimp your bowl with everything from herbs, lettuce, lime, chilli oil and deep fried garlic!
Roadside Noodle Soup
(location)
If Julie’s Village Noodles has awakened your craving for Laotian noodles, then another humble, yet mighty Laotian noodle joint can be found roadside next to a busy junction, south of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter. This nondescript restaurant serves fantastic crispy pork noodles as well as the standard backpacker favourites of fried rice and fried noodles.
We always ordered the crispy pork noodle soup and chose to have it with the delicious, chewy, yellow egg noodles. The broth was peppery and potent with garlic, with the crispy pork providing richness and a delicious crunchy texture from its crackling skin. This restaurant, like so many on this list, is super cheap and consistently good!
The restaurant is just a short walk away from Luang Prabang’s UXO Visitor Centre (read more about visiting UXO Lao here), so if you’re visiting this, or staying at the excellent Casa Nostra Hostel (check it out and book it here) it would be a great lunch spot.
Lao Omelette at Mr Lair’s
(location)
Sometimes you just stumble upon something great without even meaning too. One day we had left lunch a little late and were wandering around Luang Prabang’s Mekong riverside looking for a cheap delicious meal. It was here we stumbled across Mr Lair and his omelette stand. From the road it looks like just a tarpaulin topped stall, but behind the makeshift kitchen Mr Lair has a secret dining room overlooking the Mekong River.
Lao omelette doesn’t sound like the most exciting of dishes, but honestly it was one of our favourite things we ate in the whole of Luang Prabang.
Mr Lair’s omelette was fried until crispy on all sides, folded over and then stuffed like a sandwich, and we mean really stuffed! Beansprouts, sliced pork, spring onions and cabbage were all jammed inside and fried into the omelette. This crispy, cacophony of textures was completed by a small bowl of fiery chillies, crushed peanuts and sweet fish sauce which was served alongside. We would smash up a piece of the omelette, dip into the sauce and devour!
Seriously, these omelettes were sooo good, don’t miss them on your trip to Luang Prabang.
Tim Papaya Salad
(location)
Grilled meat and papaya salad is a delicious staple of Laotian cuisine. A particularly great example of this can be found at Tim’s Papaya Salad Restaurant on a picturesque side street in the heart of the historic Old Quarter.
The restaurant has a small menu of meats, sausages and salads. We can highly recommend their spicy papaya salad served alongside grilled chicken and sticky rice. The salad is unique and very spicy, with hunks of bamboo, thick ribbons of papaya and a rich, spicy, fermented dressing. It was the perfect accompaniment to the juicy grilled chicken, cutting through and providing a citrussy kick! Don’t worry if you can’t handle your spice, you can ask for it without chilli.
There is seating inside the restaurant but for the best table, head across the road and sit under a parasol on the concrete tables outside Wat Nong Sikhounmuang temple.
Banh Mi Stalls in the Old Quarter
Dotted all along the main market road of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter are small street-side stalls and stands serving the backpacker favourite of Banh Mi. A leftover from the French colonial era, the Laotian’s have taken the humble baguette and have made it all their own. What’s not to love about the “best sandwich in the world”?
You can get endless varieties of this cheap and simple baguette, but we are always drawn to the crispy pork banh mi. You can get meat, egg, vegetarian or even vegan combinations.
You can get these anywhere along the high street for very little cash and they make an excellent meal on the go for those exploring Luang Prabang.
Rice and Curry from 89 Check-In
(location)
If you’re on a backpacking budget and looking for a super cheap, filling and delicious lunch look no further than rice and curry. Available all throughout Asia, rice and curry is a perennial favourite for backpackers in the know. Available in endless varieties and combinations these buffet style curry restaurants truly are one of our favourite ways to eat whilst travelling. You get to try loads of different dishes and get a true taste of the local food without the filter chefs will apply when cooking for foreigners.
Luang Prabang has an excellent rice and curry joint - 89 Check-In. A heaping plate of rice completed with any number of delicious curries on top was a meal we discovered far too late in our latest Luang Prabang adventure. Everything was fantastic but our favourites were the red pork curry completed with bamboo shoots and a creamy, sweet pumpkin curry.
There’s always so much choice at a rice and curry buffet!
This rice and curry stall was extremely cheap and well worth a visit even for those not on a strict backpacking budget.
For a quick digestif after your rice and curry feast, head a few doors down the road to the excellent Coffee Express.
For more information on where to find the best coffee in Luang Prabang, check out our coffee guide here.
The Best Places for Dinner in Luang Prabang
Market Street Food Feasts - Luang Prabang’s Daily Night Market
(location)
Come the evening, Luang Prabang’s Night Market absolutely dominates the historic heart of the city. Down the whole of the Old Quarter’s central road, hundreds of stalls unfurl and set up shop.
The stalls along the central street sell souvenirs, clothes and traditional Laotian handicrafts. If you’re after a street food feast, you will need to go to the southern end of the night market where a large food court sprawls out into the square and down the surrounding alleyways.
After the sun sets, this street food court is where you’ll find the majority of travellers in Luang Prabang. The stalls around the night market square sell everything from Laotian stir-fries to wontons, crepes and Korean fried chicken. It is a meeting of all the best street food that Laos and SE Asia can offer! If you’re backpacking, grab a group from the hostel and assemble yourself a sharing street food feast!
The food court in the square is ringed with vendors and bars with a large seating area in the centre. A stage provides live music and entertainment on weekends. There is a toilet off to the left hand side of the square (2000 kip charge).
Our top recommendation for night market munchings isn’t actually in the main square. Down a nearby alleyway, (find it on a map here), lies a treasure trove of local Laotian street food. Near the top of the alley you’ll find our favourite dessert in Laos, crispy, chewy, ufo shaped coconut pancakes. Super cheap and served in a banana leaf cup, these make for a perfect dessert after you’ve had your fill at the market.
The best tasty treasures lie deeper down the alleyway. The stall we loved the most didn’t have a name but was opposite the hotpot restaurant. A long trestle table is covered in banana leaves and on top of this, is a bouquet of skewers of grilled meats, fish and sausages. It’s a protein paradise! You just select the skewers you want and they toss them back onto the hot coals of a barbeque to caramelise, crisp and warm back up. Nextdoor you can order a spicy fresh papaya salad and sticky rice to go with your meaty (or fishy) feast.
There’s so many meats on offer in the Night Market!
This was one of our favourite meals in the whole of Southeast Asia. We would greedily order a set of grilled chicken wings, a skewer full of juicy pork belly alongside steaming sticky rice and zingy, spicy som tam salad. It was and is the perfect blend of flavours and textures. Grilled, juicy meat, crunchy papaya and nutty sticky rice all came together in our mouths as a symphony of texture and flavour, it was damn near the perfect bite!
If you order this meal, it’s purely a hands on dish, no cutlery, just your fingers and sticky rice to scoop the salad and tear apart the meat. Our pro tip: Bring wet wipes!
Further down the same alley you can find some great curry stalls as well as fruit shakes and salad stands. Every stall will sell water, soft drinks and Beer Laos.
Stir Fries at Ajam Mora
(location)
If you’re looking for a slightly more formal meal but still want to be in the heart of Luang Prabang’s Night Market, head down our favourite alley (see above) and go to Ajam Mora Restaurant.
Ajam Mora serves every kind of stir-fry, spring rolls, noodle soups as well as whole baked fish, curries and vegetables. We can especially recommend their fried rice with pork topped with an extra crispy fried egg. Slightly smokey from the wok with a gooey egg coating every grain of rice, it was exactly as satisfying as a proper fried rice should be.
Ajam Mora is alway busy with a lively crowd of backpackers, locals and other travellers, but the service is quick and efficient so you shouldn’t have to wait long for a seat.
As backpackers you really can’t go wrong with a plate of fried rice!
Fried Rice and Noodles at Atsalin
(location)
Speaking of stir-fries… you can find what may have been our favourite stir-fry restaurant a short walk from Luang Prabang’s Night Market. You will know you’re in the right place when you can see two enormous jet engine sized fans pumping out delicious wok smoke onto the street.
Atsalin Restaurant is a no frills, frenetic hub of stir-fried greatness. All the usual favourites are on the menu and you can’t go wrong no matter what you order. Our standard sharing set was fried rice (deliciously wok smoked) alongside spicy yellow fried noodles and a steaming plate of garlicky, oyster sauce laden morning glory. Cheap, tasty and extremely addictive we have frequently found ourselves back at Atsalin restaurant.
Local Wonton Noodles
(location) - No proper listing but it is around here!
Opposite the wok smoke of Atsalin, we found an amazing wonton and char-siu pork noodle soup joint. Sometimes you just need that comforting bowl of wonton-y goodness. Red pork noodle soups have supported us and comforted us throughout the whole of SE Asia. From the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur to small villages of rural Thailand, Chinese style wonton noodle soup is available everywhere and is a heart-warming, favourite for us long-term backpackers.
Luang Prabang’s offering in the wonton arena has no name on Google Maps, but don’t let that put you off. This fantastic, humble restaurant was always full of locals slurping down on bowls of noodles. Their wonton and char-siu bowl were incredibly generous. Piled high with juicy dumplings and delicious slices of marinated sweet red pork, it felt like a never-ending bowl of goodness. The firm noodles, rich broth and delicious toppings made for an excellent dinner or lunch, just make sure you go hungry!
Elegant Curries at Cafe Toui
(location)
If you’re looking for an authentic, delicious, sit down Laotian meal we cannot recommend Cafe Toui enough. The restaurant has a small, paired back menu of Laotian favourites. A little bit more expensive than some of the other options on this list, Cafe Toui has the advantage of being set in a beautiful building with a small intimate dining room.
The restaurant is perfect for a quieter, cosy (or even romantic) dinner. It is set just off and round the corner from the northern tail end of the busy Night Market.
The food was fantastic. We ordered the creamy pumpkin curry and a ginger spiced stir-fried fish. It was cooked freshly for us and tasted divine. The lightly spiced coconut and pumpkin curry was a brilliant counterpoint to the fresh, ginger-laden fish. The restaurant also offers beers, spirits and a selection of French wines.
The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner. We had an excellent final lunch here on one of our earlier trips.
Classy Laotian Cuisine at Tamarind
(location)
Tamarind Restaurant is an absolute must for those who really want to try a variety of Laotian dishes. Tamarind offers a large selection of set menus that let you sample lots of different traditional dishes, all from the comfort of a pretty and elegant dining room overlooking the Nam Khan River.
We really enjoyed our meal there, especially the spicy buffalo sausage and deep fried aubergines. The food was fantastic and presented in a way which would appeal to even the most sceptical of culinary explorers. Tamarind is more expensive than street food from the market but that is to be expected given the menu, dining room and service. It is still very reasonably priced considering the quality and variety of the menu.
Tamarind also offers what might be Luang Prabang’s most popular cooking class. So if you want to really deep dive into Laotian food and learn how to bring some of it home, a meal and a class in Tamarind would be a great way to start.
Wood-Fired Pizza at Popolo
(location)
Okay, this one may be the upper bounds of a budget friendly backpacking meal, but if you’re looking for one meal to treat yourself to whilst in Luang Prabang, it has to be Popolo.
You can’t miss Popolo’s colourful exterior!
Set in a gorgeous colourful building on a quiet side street, Popolo serves what may be the best pizza we have eaten outside of Italy! The restaurant had come highly recommended to us, its praises being sung from Vang Vieng to Nong Khiaw by fellow travellers. They were not wrong!
Popolo pizzas are simply amazing! Thin, crispy, bases are topped with the most luxurious ingredients both imported and local. Our stand out pizza was the ‘French Kiss’. This may be our favourite pizza ever, we’re not exaggerating! Creamy Camembert is spiked with pickled apples and sweet caramelised onions all coming together into something so delicious it should probably be illegal!
The ‘French Kiss’ and the ‘Popolare’ pizza are both delicious!
Another standout dish is the burrata starter. A generous ball of local buffalo milk burrata is topped with sliced spring onions, cherry tomatoes and an aniseed laced holy-basil pesto. As you cut into the burrata it literally liquefied into a luxurious cream.
Popolo has a full menu of pizza’s, pastas and gorgeous looking salads. We always admired other peoples plates of pasta and bowls of salad but couldn’t resist ordering pizza’s for ourselves! If you indulge in their pasta let us know in the comments how it is!
As we have said, Popolo is definitely a ‘treat yourself’ meal for those on a long term travel or backpacking budget. However, it really isn’t an overly expensive meal and whilst you can always eat cheaply in Laos, it really is worth treating yourself sometimes. Pizzas range from 145,000 to 250,000 kip so far cheaper than you would find back home! Don’t deny yourself the pleasure just to save yourself a pound.
Other Restaurants - Fine Dining in Luang Prabang
If you are aware of the food scene in Luang Prabang you’ll notice that this list is missing some very famous options. Manda De Laos, Gaspard and L’Elephant are all amazing places to eat, but this list is more about the places you might not have heard of.
For those not on a backpacking budget or if you want to really push the boat out with a special meal, make sure you read our guide to “Luxurious Living in Luang Prabang”:
Whatever cuisine you’re looking for, Luang Prabang can provide. There are so many more places to eat than we could ever mention. This list doesn’t include the fantastic Indian or Sri Lankan restaurants or even the iconic French fare available in the city. Our only advice for eating in Luang Prabang is to go hungry and eat as much as you can in as many places as possible!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
Rice cakes are a popular Laotian snack!
You’ll never know what you’ll find on the streets of Luang Prabang!
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The Complete Luang Prabang Travel Guide
Our ultimate travel guide to Luang Prabang. After spending over a month in the beautiful Northern Laos city of Luang Prabang we share the best things to do and see. From where to stay (backpacker or luxury budgets), to guides to the most unmissable sights, our guide covers everything.
Sitting amongst the green mountains of northern Laos, the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang is full of history, colour and culture. Surrounded by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, the colourful streets of the Old Quarter are a charming blend of traditional Laotian architecture mixed with colonial French. The historic streets are studded with ornate temples, traditional wooden shophouses, restaurants and cafes. Sitting in the centre, the tree covered Phousi Hill rises up, crowned with golden spires reflecting the Laotian sun.
Luang Prabang is beautiful. We wish we could think of a better, less cliche way to describe the city, but there really is no other word. Just saying the name of the city brings a smile to your face, the ‘ang’s’ of ‘Lu’ and ‘Prab’ just roll off your tongue! It’s a small city that oozes calmness and tranquillity.
Most travellers spend only a night or two in the town as part of a larger Laos / Northern Thailand trip, but we feel it deserves so much more than that! We’ve spent nearly a month exploring Luang Prabang, and this is our complete travel guide on what to do, where to stay and what to expect on any trip here.
The best view of Luang Prabang is from the top of Mount Phousi!
In this Luang Prabang Travel Guide
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A Mini History of Luang Prabang
Modern day Luang Prabang is a cocktail of traditional Lao buildings and colonial French influences. The history of the city has shaped it into what it is today.
The city of Luang Prabang can trace its history back over 1500 years to the 6th century when it was called Muang Swa and was the capital of the Mon city state of the same name. The history of human habitation on the site goes back much further still with archaeological evidence showing settlements much, much earlier.
The city changed its name to Luang Prabang in the 1530’s. Cambodia gifted the golden Phra Bang Buddha image (statue) to the King of Laos. The statue was a legendary Buddhist artefact, allegedly originally coming from Sri Lanka and helping spread Buddhism to the Khmer royals of Cambodia. In honour of the statue and recognition of the city state's flourishing wealth, the King renamed the city to Luang (Royal or Great) Prabang (image of the Buddha). The city was filled with royal temples, architecture and beautiful buildings.
Luang Prabang’s Royal Palace can still be visited today. Read on to find out all about it!
Luang Prabang has had a convoluted and tumultuous history. It has been sacked by bandits, invaded by the French, the Thai and the Japanese. The city used to be the capital of Laos and was the seat of the country’s kings. The Royal Palace is still standing today (more on this later). For a large portion of its history Laos was a vassal state of Siam (now Thailand), the Prabang Buddha was stolen and returned twice from the city during this time. The Buddha became seen as a symbol of the right to rule Luang Prabang, its two returns to Laos were celebrated and memorialised, with temples hosting the statue on its way home.
The capital was eventually moved to Vientiane in the centre of the country. The King's role was slowly diminished and power syphoned away to the colonial French. The French also added their flair to new buildings, adding another layer to the city’s architectural style.
The Old French Bridge - spot the monks crossing the bridge!
World War Two saw the city invaded by the Thai, the Japanese and then finally reoccupied by the French. The French were eventually driven out following the fall of French Indochina in 1953 and over the next few decades, fighting through the “Secret War”, the modern rulers, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP for short), came to power.
Luang Prabang is a layer cake of all these histories and peoples. Despite its history of invasion, looting and subjugation the city’s architecture is spectacularly well preserved, earning it UNESCO World Heritage Status.
Where is Luang Prabang?
The UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang is located in Northern Laos in the province of the same name. The town lies northeast of Laos’ capital Vientiane around a 6 hour drive (approx 310 km / 192 miles) away.
Luang Prabang can also be spelt Louang Phrabang.
The centre of Luang Prabang sits on a rounded peninsula, surrounded on both sides by the Nam Khan River to the east and the mighty Mekong River on its western edge. The northern point of the peninsula is where the confluence of the two rivers meet, with the Nam Khan River flowing into the larger Mekong. In the centre of the island peninsula, the hill of Mount Phou Si rises up.
The peaceful Nam Khan River
And the busy Mekong!
The town sits in a valley, ringed on all sides by tall limestone mountains. Opposite the town, on the other side of the Mekong River, is the district of Chomphet and two of Luang Prabang’s most mythical mountains, the small peaks of Phou Thao and Phou Nang. There is a fascinating legend behind the origins of these two peaks which involves a Giant, a King and a feast of 12 luckless ladies. If you’d like to read this crazy story, check out our guide to Chomphet and our quest to find a hidden jungle shrine.
Despite being the ancient capital, Luang Prabang still retains a small town feel, with traditional shop fronts, quiet streets and bustling markets.
The majority of accommodation in Luang Prabang can be found in the Old Quarter surrounding the base of Mount Phou Si and running alongside the Mekong and Nam Khan riverfronts. Read on to find out where we’d recommend staying!
When is the Best Time to go to Luang Prabang?
Luang Prabang has a tropical climate and sees temperatures in the high 20s / early 30s (celcius) throughout the whole year. The hottest months are April and May and the coolest months are December and January.
The ‘dry season’ runs from November to April where you can expect hot sunny days and minimal rainfall. These months are the peak times for tourism in the town, so expect to pay a little more for accommodation and book early as it can get very busy!
During the ‘dry season’ bamboo bridges are built across the Nam Khan River!
The ‘wet season’ runs from May to early October. During these months, expect very hot and humid weather along with the occasional torrential downpour. The wet season is considered to be Luang Prabang’s ‘low season’ with fewer tourists and cheaper accommodation.
We have visited Luang Prabang three times now. Twice during the dry season and once at the very end of the wet season. During all our visits we’ve been extremely lucky with the weather with hot, sunny days and the only occasional downpour.
If you do visit during the wet season, the rivers will be a lot higher and the current stronger. During this time you will be able to take boat trips along the Mekong, but some water based activities such as kayaking / floating riverside accommodation will not operate. The waterfalls of Kuang Si and Tat Sae will be in full impressive force during this time!
What to Pack for a Trip to Luang Prabang
Whenever you plan to visit, make sure you pack:
Good shoes for walking
Appropriate temple wear - something to cover your shoulders and knees
Suncream
Mosquito repellent
A wet coat
Festivals in Luang Prabang
April - Laos New Year - Songkhran
Celebrated in mid-April, Laotian New Year (Pi Mai Lao) also known as Songkhran, sees Luang Prabang turn into one large water fight as locals and tourists splash each other with water to wash away the past.
September - Boat Racing Festival - Boun Suang Heua
The date for Luang Prabang’s annual boat racing festival varies depending on the year, but the festival is usually held sometime in September. During the festival, locals race against each other in enormous wooden longtail boats up and down the Nam Khan river.
If you’re visiting outside of the boat festival and get lucky, you may still get to see the locals practice their racing. We were having a sunset beer and were treated to a racing display from a small boat of locals chanting and rowing in unison!
October - Festival of Light
Held at the end of Buddhist Lent, the Festival of Light is a spectacular celebration of fire and light, with the temples and monasteries all adorned in star shaped lanterns and candles.
During the festival, huge dragon boats are lit by candles and are sent floating down the Mekong to pay homage to the Naga and water spirits.
If you’re in Luang Prabang before the start of the festival, just pass by any temple and you’ll usually see locals and monks making up paper and bamboo lanterns as well as huge dragon shaped boats.
If you’re planning to visit during a festival, make sure you book your accommodation well in advance as it’s likely to sell out very quickly!
How to Get to Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is extremely well connected. There are train, bus and flight links to other Laotian towns and cities as well internationally to Thailand, Vietnam and China.
Getting to Luang Prabang by Air
Luang Prabang’s International Airport lies 5km north of the city.
Flights depart and arrive in Luang Prabang from Vientiane in Laos, Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Hanoi in Vietnam as well as several cities in China.
The airport is very small with a few duty-free shops and food stalls. When you arrive you can obtain a visa on arrival (you can pay in USD or Thai baht).
Once through border control there are ATMs to withdraw cash and many different SIM card stalls - see our introduction to Laos page for visa, ATM and SIM information.
Outside the terminal there will be plenty of tuk tuks and minivans waiting to take you to the city. Tuk tuk drivers will charge 40,000 kip per person and minivans will charge 80,000 kip per person.
Getting to Luang Prabang by High-Speed Train - Laos / China Railway
Criss-crossing from the Laotian capital to northern Laos and the border of China, the newly opened Laos / China rail is a super modern, super speedy and much smoother transport alternative to Laos’ bumpy roads.
High speed trains depart Vientiane daily, passing through Vang Vieng and arriving in Luang Prabang in only 2 hours! If you were to drive between the two cities, it would be a 6.5 hour bumpy ride.
You can only purchase tickets up to 3 days in advance, therefore we’d recommend booking tickets via 12Go. You can book further in advance this way and 12Go will book your tickets as soon as they are released - book tickets here.
When you arrive at Luang Prabang train station, head out the station and down the steps to find minivans waiting to take you into the city. A ticket to the city (including luggage) will cost you 80,000 kip. Just buy a ticket and let the driver know where you’re staying.
If you’re on a backpacking budget and want to keep costs low, then you can actually travel all the way from Bangkok to Luang Prabang by train!
We did exactly this via the 133 express train that left Bangkok’s Bang Sue Railway Station in the evening, travelled overnight across the border and arrived in Vientiane the next morning. From Vientiane we took a taxi to the high speed train railway station north of the city, boarded an early afternoon train and arrived in Luang Prabang in time for a sunset beer on the Mekong! It was super easy and much cheaper than flying. Plus the views from the high speed train were spectacular!
To read more about travelling between Thailand and Laos by train, check out our guide here which gives you all the information about the overnight train, what to expect at the border and how to book tickets for both the Thai and Laotian trains.
Travelling by Slow Boat on the Mekong River - Huay Xai to Luang Prabang
The slow boats of Laos are a bucket list item for many travellers. Plying their way up and down the Mekong River, slow boats connect Luang Prabang with Huay Xai on the Thailand / Laos border.
The journey is incredible, you just sit back and watch the world go by as you pass by buffaloes, fishermen and small children playing in the river. It’s one of those journeys where it really does feel like you’ve travelled back in time and are getting a glimpse of the ‘real’ Laos.
The colourful slowboats of Laos!
There are two ways to travel. The more luxurious, sitting on a private boat with a small group of travellers with an on board bar / food provided, or the cheaper, more fun way with the locals. The local boat is very much a local experience, with travellers, backpackers, locals and market produce all crammed onto the boat.
Whichever type of slow boat you decide on, the trip from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang will take you 2 days to complete, with an overnight stopover at the small riverside town of Pakbeng. Boats run in both directions everyday. If you’re coming from Thailand, the nearest city to Huay Xai is Chiang Rai. You can book your slow boat tickets here.
To help decide which boat to take (we are lucky enough to have experienced both) read our guide to the slowboats of Laos as well as what there is to do in the small town of Pakbeng below.
Arriving in Luang Prabang by Bus
As the main traveller hub in the north of Laos, Luang Prabang is extremely well connected by bus.
For the north of the country, there are buses that can connect you to Nong Khiaw, Luang Namtha and Phonsavan. To the south, there are bus routes connecting Luang Prabang with Vang Vieng and Vientiane.
If you are travelling from Vietnam on a very strict budget you can even get a bus all the way from Hanoi!
Tickets can sell out extremely quickly, so make sure you book in advance.
The roads in Laos are littered with deep potholes. If you’re travelling by bus, expect a very bumpy ride! We would also issue another warning; even if you have booked a ticket, it doesn’t always guarantee a comfy seat. Laotian bus drivers will stuff the bus with as many passengers as they can fit on, regardless of how comfy that will be for said passengers. It is not uncommon for extra seats to be added in the aisles and for a 2 seater bench to be for 3 or more people. The extra ‘seats’ they bring out are definitely not the comfy sort and will almost certainly be a bright yellow beer Laos crate covered with a cushion!
We’ve had many bus journeys being jolted and bumped around, where we've tessellated ourselves into a very cramped minivan, with more people sitting in each row than seats.
Also, all luggage (apart from very small rucksacks / handbags) are stored on top of the minivan and covered with a tarpaulin. If you’re travelling in wet weather, there’s a very strong chance your main bag will get wet - so make sure you put the rain cover on!
If you’re a passenger princess who wants a smooth ride, a comfy seat and shudders at travelling like the locals do, then don’t travel by bus. Instead hop on the more expensive high speed rail or fly!
You have been warned.
There are too many bus routes to mention them all one by one, check out 12Go for all of your options:
Where to Stay in Luang Prabang?
Luang Prabang is a relatively small city and wherever you end up staying it won’t be more than a 30 minute walk to get to the Old Quarter. Whatever your budget or style of accommodation there’s plenty to choose from. Over our different visits to the city, we’ve stayed in everything from budget friendly to mid-range and super luxury. Here’s our recommendation on where to stay.
Budget Accommodation - Guesthouses and Hostels
If you’re looking for cheap, budget friendly, comfy accommodation we cannot recommend a stay at Casa Nostra or Casa de Jardin enough.
Casa de Jardin in all its glory!
Both hostels are run by the same family and both are fantastic! In Casa Nostra we splashed out and stayed in their very comfy ‘private king room’ that came with an en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning and even a sofa. In Casa de Jardin, we stayed in a very comfy private room with a shared bathroom. The family who run both the hostels are some of the friendliest we’ve encountered on our travels. They also offer guests free breakfast in the morning and family dinners 3 times a week.
There are also dorms for those on a strict backpacking budget.
In both hostels we were able to hire scooters, do our laundry, arrange excursions and book onward bus tickets.
Book your stay in Casa Nostra here or Casa De Jardin here.
Where to Stay - Mid-range Hotel
For a mid-range stay, we loved our stay in Villa Oasis. The hotel offers comfy rooms with en-suite bathrooms, a swimming pool and a restaurant overlooking a lily pond. It was a beautiful stay, right in the heart of the city.
Book your stay in Villa Oasis here.
Super Luxury, High End Accommodation in Luang Prabang
If you’re after a luxurious stay in Luang Prabang, then Satri House Hotel would be a perfect match! We obviously didn’t use our backpacking budget to stay here, but were lucky enough to be treated to a wonderful break here by John’s parents. The hotel offers 2 pools, a great breakfast and beautiful rooms that feel as though you’ve stepped into a Laotian version of Downton Abbey.
Book your stay in Satri House Hotel here.
The hotel is also opposite the famous Manda De Laos restaurant for those looking to indulge further. To read more about our stay in Satri House, check out our guide to luxury living in Luang Prabang here.
All Luang Prabang Accommodation
To book your stay in Luang Prabang, use the map below to search around for all the accommodation on offer. Just insert your travel dates and see all your choices.
What to do in Luang Prabang
Explore the Old Quarter
The star of the show when it comes to Luang Prabang is its historic Old Quarter. Awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status the streets are a wonderful cocktail of traditional Laotian, French, Burmese and Chinese architecture.
Traditional slope roofed shophouses rub shoulders with colonnaded colonial architectural gems. It’s an incredible blend of very different styles but somehow they all work together as a harmonious whole.
One of the great treats of Luang Prabang is simply to walk and explore the stunning streets and amazing alleyways of the city.
The Old Quarter is full of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and craft boutiques. You can easily spend hours just wandering around the pretty lanes.
The historic district is also home to the majority of Luang Prabang’s most popular attractions.
Where is the Old Quarter?
The Old Quarter of Luang Prabang stretches out between the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. On a map you can roughly say it starts from around Wat Mahathat all the way to where the Nam Khan curves around the headland and joins the Mekong.
The streets of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter are a beautiful mix of traditional Laotian and French colonial architecture!
Temples of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is the cultural and religious centre for Laos. Its very name is derived from the holy ‘Phra Bang’ Buddha statue. The city is steeped in holy history and religious buildings. Despite its tumultuous record Luang Prabang has preserved a plethora of incredible temples from across its storied past.
If you’re only in Luang Prabang for a short amount of time, we’d recommend making sure you visit the following temples:
Wat Xiengthong
(location)
Perhaps the most famous and certainly one of the most stunning of Luang Prabang’s temples, Wat Xiengthong is more than just a building of worship. The temple houses the Royal Carriage House, beautiful grounds and utterly incredible monastic buildings.
The Royal Carriage House is especially impressive, its vast gold and red front gleams under the Laotian sun. Inside the carriage is simply enormous. A huge wooden behemoth used in state funerals.
The temple buildings are richly decorated both on the inside and the out, make sure you don’t miss walking around the back of the main temples to see the shining embossed trees and story mosaics that have been set into the walls of the buildings.
Wat Xiengthong is open everyday from 8 AM until 6 PM. Tickets cost 30,000 kip to enter.
Wat May Souvannapoumaram
(location)
Just next door to the National Museum, Wat May Souvannapoumaram is the largest single temple in Luang Prabang. It’s vast 4 tiered red roof stretches up to the sky. Inside its enormous prayer hall a gigantic golden Buddha sits amongst a crowd of smaller Buddha statues.
Outside the golden wall of the temple really is something special. The shining surface is completely filled with stories and histories carved into the golden surface.
Wat May Souvannapoumaram is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM. Tickets cost 10,000 kip to enter.
Wat Wisunarat
(location)
Wat Wisunarat (also known as Wat Visoun) is the oldest of Luang Prabang’s many, many temples. The plain exterior of the main temple building belies the exquisite interior. Carvings, golden statues and a collection of religious artefacts crowd together in a kaleidoscope of Buddhist beauty. Above all of this, the red, black and gold painted roof covers everything with every beam and tile inscribed and decorated.
Outside in the peaceful temple grounds is the austere white and stone stupa of That Makmo otherwise known as the ‘Watermelon Stupa’. When you visit you’ll see why!
Wat Wisunarat is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM. Tickets cost 20,000 kip to enter.
The ‘Watermelon’ stupa of Wat Wisunarat
Other Luang Prabang Temples to Visit
The temples listed above are just the ones we feel you cannot miss on a short trip to Luang Prabang. However, there are plenty more to see in the city. In fact, wherever you are, we’d say you’ll never be more than 5 minutes walk to another beautiful temple.
You could easily spend a full day just exploring the temples and still not see half of them. If you have the time, we’d recommend donning your best temple wear and following our map below to look at some of Luang Prabang’s highlights as well as some lesser known temples.
Temple Wear
If you’re planning to visit these temples, please be respectful and follow their strict dress codes. You can only enter if your shoulders and knees are covered. Crop tops and leggings are strictly forbidden.
You will need to remove your shoes before entering the temples.
The temples of Luang Prabang are all unique and are all stunning. Here’s a gallery showcasing some of our favourite shots.
The Morning Alms Giving Ceremony of Luang Prabang
Every morning as dawn breaks, hundreds of saffron robed monks emerge from the temples and monasteries of Luang Prabang to partake in the daily alms giving ceremony (named Sai Bat in Laos). This ancient ritual is a core part of Luang Prabang daily life.
The monks and novices come out from their temples and wind round the city. Locals, businesses (and now tourists) donate rice, food and other necessities into the monks' alms bowls.
The monasteries of Luang Prabang depend on this daily donation to feed, house and educate the many monks in their care. In Laos one of the most accessible forms of education is to send your child to be a monk in a monastery.
Nowadays it is very popular for tours to include alms giving as part of their itineraries. We have taken part in the ceremony as part of a guided tour and we’re going to be totally honest: As non-religious foreigners we felt slightly strange sitting on traditional Laotian stools, scarves wrapped around our shoulders handing out rice to the monks. We felt a little awkward and like we were in some way contributing to the cheapening of an ancient religious custom. This is probably us being awkward Brits and overthinking everything, but it just was not for us. We’re not judging anyone doing this, we just felt very out of place.
If you wish to participate it is very popular to do so. There are signs on most of the streets that the monks will walk down. The signs detail the price you should pay for the offerings and etiquette towards the monks. Please dress respectfully and whatever you do, don’t just treat it as a model-walk photo shoot!
The alms giving ceremony is beautiful. The sight of the orange robed monks walking past white walled temples, with locals donating sticky rice to the alms bowls is iconic. It is one of the defining images of Luang Prabang and Laos as a whole. We are in no way saying that you shouldn’t go and watch it or take part, but if you’re anything like us we felt a little bit awkward, like we were playing at somebody else's faith.
You do not have to “take part” in the ceremony, you can, of-course, just watch. If you do watch, please do not crowd the monks or impede their progress around the city. Be respectful, keep your distance and remember when taking photographs that these are, a lot of the time, just somebody's children off to get an education. We’re sure wherever you’re from you wouldn’t feel right if, every time the school bus emptied out, there was a horde of shutterbugs snapping away at the kids.
Saffron robed monks are an everyday sight on the streets of Luang Prabang - just remember to be respectful.
Mount Phou Si
Wherever you are in Luang Prabang, you can’t miss Phousi Hill. Sitting in the centre of the peninsula, this tree covered hill rises up above the rooftops and market stalls of the Old Quarter. At the top of the rocky, limestone outcrop sits the white and gold stupa of Wat That Chomsi. From the top of the hill you get an incredible, 360, panoramic view over the whole of Luang Prabang, the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers and all the way out to the blue and green jaggedly tall limestone mountains surrounding the city.
The golden spires of Wat That Chomsi.
Mount Phousi is often referred to as ‘sacred hill’. There are a number of different myths and legends around the creation of Phousi Hill, with the most popular folk story being that the hill was transported from Sri Lanka by King Hanuman. Today Mount Phou Si is an extremely important religious site for Laotians and Buddhist devotees.
There are two temples that sit on Mount Phousi, Wat That Chomsi and Wat Tham Phousi. Wat That Comsi at the top of the hill was first built in 1804 by King Anourat. Inside the small stupa, there is a shrine and lots of golden Buddha statues. The temple is extremely sacred, with devotees laying flowers and offerings inside the stupa. The other temple, Wat Tham Phousi can be found halfway up the eastern side of the hill. This small cave temple is home to seated and standing Buddha statues and a shrine. Close to Wat Tham Phousi, there is also a “Buddha’s Footprint”.
To reach the top of Mount Phousi, you’ll first need to climb just over 300 steps. The hike up is very easy and shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to reach the summit.
The stone path leading to the top of Mount Phousi!
You can access the top from both sides of the hill, but the easier and more popular route is from the night market entrance on Sisavangvong Road. The quieter and slightly more challenging route is from an entrance on the Nam Khan river side of the mountain. This path takes you past the ‘Buddha’s footprint’, past Wat Tham Phousi as well as other several shrines and outlooks. If you have the time, we’d recommend heading up the Nam Khan river side first and coming back down via the Mekong side.
The best time to climb Mount Phou Si is just before sunset so you can watch the sun go down over the Mekong and the whole of Luang Prabang. The walk up at this time is beautiful, especially on a sunny day when the golden rays cast a warm glow over the moss covered steps and deep green fauna.
To find out where there are some other great sunset spots in Luang Prabang including a secret sunset spot on Phousi Hill, check out our article below.
Opening times
Phousi Hill is open everyday from 6 AM until 7 PM.
Entry fee
Tickets to climb Phousi Hill cost 30,000 kip per person.
Phousi Hill is a sacred Buddhist site, so if you’re planning to climb the hill, please dress appropriately! As tempting as a sunset beer may be, do not bring alcohol up Phousi Hill!
From the top you can get a 360 degree view over the whole of Luang Prabang!
The National Museum
The National Museum is a fascinating collection of Royal artefacts and historical pieces all housed in the former Royal Palace of Luang Pabang. Built in 1904 to house King Sisavang Vong and his family, the Royal Palace was converted into a museum following the end of the monarchy in 1975.
Inside the museum are paintings, faithful reconstructions of the Royal rooms and the ornate, incredible throne room. The throne rooms walls are a sparkling tapestry of figures and scenes all picked out in inlaid glass.
Our favourite room of the palace was the ‘presents’ room, which was full of glass cabinets showing all the different presents that countries and diplomats had given to the Royal Family. There was the ‘Key to Tokyo’ from Japan and even a model of the Apollo Lunar Module gifted by the USA.
To the rear of the palace is a garage full of classic cars including some American Lincoln Continentals and a classic French Citroen. Outside your can still see the mouldering remains of the royal petrol pumps!
There is a strict no photography policy inside the museum building. You cannot even bring your camera in. There are lockers available nearby to store any valuables whilst you visit.
The Royal Ballet Theatre
In the evenings, the Royal Ballet performs nightly shows in a building in the museum grounds. For details of show times and ticket prices check out their website here. Contrary to its name, it is not a ballet in the Western sense but traditional Laotian dancing.
Haw Phra Bang Temple
Haw Phra Bang Temple is not only gorgeous but also very significant to the city of Luang Prabang. The temple is home to the ‘Phra Bang’ statue that gives the city its name. Make sure you’ve read our mini history to Luang Prabang for more information about this.
The temple itself is simply sublime. A magnificent, ornately carved, golden and white building with gracefully tiered curving roofs rising in three Naga topped layers. The tip of the roof is crowned in ornamental golden spires. You cannot enter the temple, but can go up to the open doors and see the Phra Bang statue and the dizzyingly intricate artwork inside.
Opening Times
The National Museum is open everyday from 8 AM to 11.30 AM and from 1.30 PM until 4 PM.
Entry Fee
Entrance tickets for the National Museum cost 60,000 kip per person.
There is a strict dress code to enter the National Museum, shoulders and knees need to be covered. No shorts, crop tops, leggings etc. Just be respectful and use common sense.
Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre
(location)
The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) is a small museum set on a hill just behind Luang Prabang’s Night Market food court. We’ve been lucky to visit the museum twice now and have thoroughly enjoyed it on both occasions.
The museum focuses on the different ethnic groups that make up the country of Laos and showcases their different traditions and cultures. There are colourful displays showcasing the traditional clothing, musical instruments and household tools. It’s a fascinating look into the different cultures that make up this beautiful country. There are also rotating exhibits so you never know what you might find - We stumbled into a fascinating exhibit on high end fashion brands stealing traditional designs!
The museum is compact and you’ll probably spend less than an hour there, but it’s well worth a visit.
The museum also offers craft workshops and there’s a great gift shop at the back of the museum stuffed full of local handicrafts.
Opening Times
The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is open everyday from 8 AM until 5 PM.
The museum is closed on Mondays.
From November 2024 the museum will be open 7 days a week.
Entry Fee
Tickets to TAEC cost 35,000 kip per person.
UXO Lao Visitor Centre
(location)
The one bit of advice you’ll see in all the guidebooks for travellers heading to Laos is: ‘don’t stray from the path’. This seems a bit extreme, but when you learn that despite never formally being at war, the country of Laos is the most heavily bombed country on earth and that 10% of the dropped bombs did not detonate - you’ll suddenly realise why you want to keep to the well marked footpaths.
During the Vietnam War between 1964 and 1973, the US dropped over 2.5 million tonnes of ordnance over Laos, which equals to a plane load of bombs being dropped every 8 minutes over a period of 9 years.
Unfortunately a lot of the bombs dropped didn’t explode on impact and remain embedded in the earth. Today, the unexploded ordnance continues to cause injuries and death to the people of Laos.
UXO Lao is a small organisation that has been tasked with clearing the land of the unexploded ordnance, a humongous task given the sheer number of UXO’s still in Laos.
The UXO Lao Visitor Centre allows travellers a chance to learn about the dangers of UXO in Laos, as well as the education efforts on the ongoing dangers and how UXO Lao are clearing this dangerous legacy.
The visitor centre is very small and it won’t take you long to see all the exhibits (in fact, depending on where you’re staying, it’ll probably take you longer to get there), but it gives you a small glimpse into the absolute mammoth task UXO Lao are undertaking.
The UXO Visitor Centre toes the line perfectly of being super informative, educational and shocking without being overly graphic.
Just some of the bombs UXO Lao have cleared.
Opening Times
The UXO Lao Visitor Centre is open everyday from 8 AM to 12 PM and from 1 PM to 4 PM.
Entry Fee
The UXO visitor centre is free to enter but they do ask for a small donation.
Heuan Chan Heritage House
(location)
Located just off the main strip and hidden down a small alleyway is the Heuan Chan Heritage House. This small museum is set in a 19th century, wooden stilt house and showcases what traditional Laotian life would have looked like.
Heuan in Laotian means ‘house’ and Chan was the name of the family who owned the stilt house.
Underneath the wooden stilts is a small exhibit showing how bamboo is weaved to make fishing nets, baskets and sticky rice holders. Inside, the rooms are stuffed full of traditional wooden furniture, Laotian dresses from 100 years ago, a kitchen full of clay pots and even a small shrine. There is a cafe on site if you get peckish, clothes for hire to dress up in and lots of different craft workshops to try your hand at.
The heritage house was another one of Luang Prabang’s little surprises and if you have the time, we’d definitely recommend a visit.
Opening times
The Heuan Chan Heritage House is open everyday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Entry fees
Tickets for the heritage house cost 30,000 kip.
Markets of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang’s Morning Market
(location)
Luang Prabang’s Morning Market is a crowded and bustling affair. Raised tables are joined with produce spilling out on floor mats. Live animals are tethered next to greenery and bubbling vats of soup waft their scent down the crowded alleyways.
Whatever you’re desired protein, you’ll definitely be able to find it for sale at the Morning Market!
It’s a true South East Asian market with all the good and all the shocking-ness that entails. When we visited we certainly didn’t expect to see 12 live frogs all tied together in a ribbeting bouquet!
The market opens in the early hours of the morning and runs until just after breakfast time. The majority of the local stalls will pack up earlier than those serving the tourists. Our advice is to get there at the crack of dawn to have the full experience.
Luang Prabang’s Night Market
(location)
As the sun starts to set, all along the main strip of Luang Prabang’s Old Quarter, red and blue gazebos spring up as market vendors set up for Luang Prabang’s daily Night Market.
Luang Prabang’s Night Market stretches all along the main street!
Stretching the length of Sisavangvong Road, this bustling market is a great way to spend an evening shopping. With over 250 stallholders setting up shop, there’s plenty on offer. With stalls selling everything from silk scarfs to paper umbrellas, elephant pants to bracelets.
At the southern end of the Night Market there is a huge food court selling everything from noodle soups to curry, roti to sushi. On weekends they have live music on the food court’s stage. Our favourite spot to grab food though was down the narrow street opposite the food court. This little alleyway is packed with market stalls selling grilled meats, curries and salads.
You can read more about the best places to eat in Luang Prabang here.
The Night Market is open from 5 PM and closes at 11 PM.
The Night Market is a great place to shop for souvernirs!
Phosy Market
(location)
If you want to get away from the Old Quarter and shop with the locals, then we’d recommend heading to Phosy Market. This sprawling market is where Luang Prabang locals stock up on everything from meat to fish, sports wear to handbags. It’s a fascinating warren of market stalls, packed to the rafters with dried meat, buffalo skin, fresh fruit and even live animals.
For those who’ve followed our travels here and on our Instagram then you’ll know that we’re a sucker for a market. One of our favourite things to do is to dive straight in and get lost in the cramped alleyways.
Markets are a great place to pick up some local munch and Phosy Market was no different. We picked up an excellent picnic of deep-fried sliced bananas, some grilled Laotian sausages and the Lao take on a Cornish Pasty (savoury pastries like empanadas for all our non-UK readers) which were stuffed with vegetables in a sweet spiced mix.
Phosy Market was a world away from the clean walls and sanitised streets of the Old Quarter. It was a proper working market where local people would go to stock up on essentials.
Kuang Si Waterfalls
(location)
Perhaps Luang Prabang’s most famous tourist attraction, the towering, turquoise Kuang Si Waterfalls are a ‘must’ on any trip to Luang Prabang. We’ve been lucky enough to have visited the falls 3 times and they are still as breathtaking now as when we first saw them.
A multi layer set of waterfalls and small pools stretch up into the dense jungle before the trees part and, in front of you, sits a huge curtain of raging water - the Kuang Si Falls.
In the dry season the water is bright turquoise, whilst in the wet season the water cascades down in a roaring torrent of white and brown.
You can read more about visiting these beautiful waterfalls in our complete guide to Kuang Si Waterfalls.
At the entrance to the falls, there’s a small bear sanctuary home to a collection of rescued Moon Bears. These very cute black bears seem to spend most of their time lazing around in the sun.
Entry to the ‘Save the Bear’ sanctuary’ is free, but donations are welcome. There is also a small shop selling t-shirts and other souvenirs to help support the charity.
To learn more about the bear sanctuary, check out our Kuang Si Falls blog we have linked above.
The Pak Ou Caves
(location)
North of Luang Prabang, around 25 km upstream via the Mekong River, sit the Pak Ou Caves. Known as the ‘Thousand Buddha Cave’ the Pak Ou Caves are two cave temples carved into the vertical limestone cliffs which are full to the brim with thousands of statues of the Buddha. It is rumoured that there are over 4000 statues hidden within the caves.
It is believed the caves were first founded in the 8th century and served as a shrine for locals to pay homage to the River Gods. When Laos converted to Buddhism, under the rule of King Souringna Vongsa at the beginning of the 16th century, the Pak Ou Caves became an important pilgrimage site. Devotees, including the royal family, would head to the cave on Laos New Years Day in order to leave their own statues in the caves.
As you reach the first cave you’ll be greeted by thousands of Buddha statues, staring down in row upon row. The statues are in a variety of different poses; sitting, standing or meditating. To the right of the entrance there is a shrine, full with more statues draped in saffron and golden robes.
The upper cave is reached by a steep staircase carved into the jungle. As you climb up, you’ll get incredible views through the dense foliage out onto the Mekong River, the town of Pak Ou and the steep, near vertical, limestone mountains.
The upper cave is a lot bigger and a lot darker. Inside, you’ll need to turn on a torch to view the thousands of hidden statues. The statues are made from a variety of materials and are all in a state of decay; their once glinting gold, now fading to the darkness of the cave.
There’s something mysterious and magical about the Pak Ou Caves. A deep dark cavern that's full of spirituality. As you look deeper into the cave (especially in the second cave), you’ll start to see glints of red and gold shining back at you from every crevice. Wherever you look, there’s a pair of enlightened eyes looking back at you.
Pak Ou Caves - How to Get There?
You can reach the Pak Ou Caves via boat, tuk tuk, scooter or by guided tour from Luang Prabang.
The prettiest and most relaxing way to reach the caves is to take a boat upstream. There is a boat that departs the main boat pier in Luang Prabang everyday at 8.30 AM. To buy tickets just head to the ticket office located just opposite Saffron Coffee here. Once on board, the boat will float slowly up stream past riverside farmers, fishermen and wallowing buffalo. The boat will make a quick stop at Ban Xang Hai, a small village specialising in the distilling of Lao-Lao rice whiskey before heading north to the caves themselves. The boat trip to and from Luang Prabang (including the stops at the caves and whiskey village) will take around 4 hours. Tickets cost 150,000 kip per person for the boat to and from the caves. You will need to pay 20,000 kip on top of this for entry to the caves.
If you’re after a morning pick-me-up before setting off on the boat, Saffron Coffee serves up some excellent caffeinated beverages. You can read more about some of our other favourite coffee shops in our guide to the best coffee of Luang Prabang.
For those who’d prefer a private boat tour, just head down the river and chat to the local boat drivers to negotiate a price.
If you’re planning to drive yourself by scooter, drive north up to the small town of Pak Ou. Once you arrive you’ll need to pay 50,000 kip to get a boat across the river. This price will include both the journey to the cave and back again. Be warned though, the road to Pak Ou is very rough, full of potholes and busy with lorries, so only plan to drive there if you’re confident on a bike.
Opening Times
The Pak Ou Caves are open everyday from 8am until 5pm.
During the Laos New Year in April, Laotian families come to the caves to pay their respects and wash their own Buddha statues.
Entry Fees
Tickets to enter the Pak Ou Caves cost 20,000 kip per person.
As the Pak Ou Caves are a Buddhist shrine and temple, please be respectful and wear temple appropriate clothes.
If you’re short on time and would like to combine a trip to Kuang Si Falls with Pak Ou Caves, why not check out a guided tour with Get Your Guide. Take a look at the tours on offer here.
Tat Sae Waterfalls
(location)
A lesser known set of falls, the Tat Sae Waterfalls are located about a 30 minute drive away from the centre of Luang Prabang. The Tat Sae Waterfalls are a set of multi-layered falls that tumble over limestone to create waterfalls and pools that flow directly into the Nam Khan River.
To reach the waterfalls, you’ll need to catch a boat from a small village on the opposite bank of the river to the Tat Sae Waterfalls (location) and travel upstream for about 10 minutes.
The Tat Sae Waterfalls are shallower in height than the Kuang Si Falls, but despite this, they still had an unyielding power, as the torrent of super fast water flowed down. The falls may not be as high as Kuang Si but they are much, much wider. When we visited in the wet season they stretched out as far as the eye could see in pools, shelves, mini falls and rivulets.
It looked as though in the past (possibly when the water levels were lower) that you could climb over the falls and reach different pools to swim in. When we visited the whole site was in a state of disrepair.
In the past you could climb a lot higher at the Tat Sae Waterfalls!
There were only two bridges we could cross, and the pathway that seemed to follow the waterfalls up to the top was closed due to the steps being broken.
The whole area seemed to be in a state of decay, with what looked like old restaurants sitting completely destroyed, picnic benches half broken and stairs leading to no-where. It looks as though they were possibly in the middle of renovating the falls, and possibly due to the pandemic, things ground to a halt. We hope that this will change in the future.
Despite the lack of infrastructure and only a few pools to look at, the power of the water was incredible. It was still a fantastic sight and we’re glad we visited.
Before you head off to the Tat Sae Waterfalls make sure you check Google Reviews. During the dry season, the waterfalls tend to completely dry out and, as a result, there isn’t much to see! If you visit when there’s no water, the locals are known to still charge you the privilege of a mini boat trip to see the non-existent waterfalls. Our advice would be to read the reviews or check with your accommodation before heading there.
We visited during October at the very end of the wet season and the falls were very much in full flow!
Tat Sae Waterfalls - How to Get There?
The easiest and cheapest way to reach the Tat Sae Waterfalls is by hiring a scooter. If you’re driving a motorbike, the road to theTat Sae Waterfall is in slightly better condition than the road to the Kuang Si Waterfalls. The only bit where it becomes a bit bumpy is the last 1.5km from where you turn off the main road and head down into the village. Parking for the falls is in the local temple grounds (location) costing 5000 kip.
On your way back we’d recommend stopping at Phaphone Coffee (location) for a quick caffeine fix. The iced americanos we had from here were delicious and the perfect pick me up for the bumpy trip back to the city!
If you’re not a confident scooter rider, then you can easily arrange a tuk tuk to take you to the falls. Just ask your accommodation if they know someone who could take you or find a driver in town.
Opening Times
The Tat Sae Waterfalls are open everyday from 8am to 5.30pm.
As we’ve mentioned above, check the latest Google Reviews if you’re planning to visit during the dry season.
Ticket Prices
When we visited there was no ticket entry to see the waterfalls themselves, all we needed to do was to pay the boat driver to take us there and back. This may change in the future when they have renovated the site. Let us know in the comments if they do.
The price for the boat to take us to the waterfalls, wait for us and then take us back again was 25,000 kip per person.
Boat Cruises on the Mekong River
From sunrise to sunset, tourist boats flow up and down the Mekong River, offering everything from sunset to dinner or even theatre cruises. From the Luang Prabang, you can take a boat trip north to reach the Pak Ou Caves or Ban Xang Hai the whiskey village, or you can head south and float all the way down to Kuang Si Falls.
Our favourite time of day to float on the Mekong was at sunset. Sitting in the middle of the river, bobbing gently downstream whilst watching a fiery display is the perfect way to round off a day of exploring in Luang Prabang.
We have enjoyed a sunset boat cruise with Sa Sa cruises twice now and can highly recommend them.
To read more about our sunset Mekong experience, check out our guide here.
To arrange a boat cruise on the Mekong, just head to the Luang Prabang boat pier or head to one of the boat tour offices lining the river. No matter what you want, whether it's a dinner, sunset or even sunrise tour, there will be a boat for you. Just make sure you compare prices and negotiate appropriately.
Exploring Chomphet - ‘Off the Beaten Path’ Luang Prabang
Just over the Mekong, on the opposite riverbank, is the district of Chomphet. Full of beautiful temples, small villages and even a hidden jungle shrine, this small district feels a world away from the colonial streets of Luang Prabang.
To read all about our afternoon exploring Chomphet and how to find the hidden jungle shrine, read our guide here:
Guided Tours of Luang Prabang
We understand not everyone has enough time on their hands to explore the city leisurely by themselves. If you only have a small amount of time in Laos, it’s understandable that you’ll want to cram in as much as possible.
If you’d like to combine a couple of the attractions and sites we’ve mentioned here, why not book a guided tour with Get Your Guide. We’ve taken tours with them in the past and it’s been a great way to maximise what you can do in a small amount of time. Check out all their Luang Prabang tours here.
Other Things to do in Luang Prabang
There’s so much to do in Luang Prabang it would be impossible to list everything in this guide.
If you’re interested in local handicrafts why not combine a visit to the Phosy Market with a stop at the Ock Pop Tok Living Craft Centre (location) where you can watch or participate in weaving and embroidery workshops. They also have a shop selling local crafts as well as a beautiful riverside cafe serving Laotian / Western fusion dishes. There is also an outlet of Ock Pop Tok in Luang Prabang city centre.
If the Ock Pop Tok Centre has ignited your crafting passion, head to the other side of the Nam Khan River to find some other workshops for you to try your hand at. Just head over the Old French Bridge or take the Bamboo Bridge in the dry season.
The Old French Bridge is a popular crossing point over the Nam Khan River for scooter drivers and pedestrians!
If you want to make your own jewellery head to the Garden of Eden (location) to take part in a jewellery making class. Or if wood carving is more your thing, why not take a wood carving class at Lon Wood Workshop (location) located next door.
Just up the road, further along the Mekong River, you’ll reach the handicraft village of Ban Xang Khong. Here you can see handmade paper being stretched and dried in the sun and wooden looms rattling as colourful threads are embroidered into traditional Laotian fabrics. This handicraft village may have started as a traditional hub but nowadays is very obviously laid on for the tourists. The outlets here do provide income to locals and preserve traditional handicrafts, but understand you are visiting a tourist “handicraft village” - gift shops and all!
Just some of the traditional Laotian handicrafts you can see at Ban Xang Khong Village located just outside of Luang Prabang.
For those looking to stretch there legs, just outside the city is the Nahm Dong Park (location). This huge park is full of hiking trails, zip lines and waterfalls. When we visited our accommodation recommended not heading there by scooter as the road is very treacherous especially during or just after the wet season.
Where to Eat in Luang Prabang?
Luang Prabang has no shortage of street side stalls, fine-dining restaurants, boutique bakeries and craft coffee shops. Whether you’re craving Laotian or French, Indian or Italian, there’s plenty of places to dine.
To read about some of our favourite Luang Prabang eats, check out our article below:
Nightlife in Luang Prabang - The Best Places to Drink
Riverside Bars and Restaurants
Our favourite place for a cheeky sunset beverage was sitting in any of the bars or restaurants that line the Mekong River. Looking out over the busy Mekong River and the setting sun, they provided the perfect front row seats to watch the evening boat traffic flow beneath the golden rays of the setting sun.
Check out our guide here for our bar recommendations for where to see the best sunset on the river!
Ice cold beer and an incredible view - name a better place for a sunset beer!
Just over the road from the river is another great bar, the RnB Bar (location). Despite its name it didn’t actually play any RnB when we visited, in fact it seemed to be mostly an Oasis based soundtrack. This bar is super comfy, with good beer and friendly staff. We didn’t eat a full meal here but really enjoyed their deep fried sliced aubergines. The crispy battered slices were a perfect accompaniment to an ice-cold Beer Laos. The RnB Bar has seating indoors, so if it’s a rainy evening on the river, we would definitely recommend heading here.
Bars in the Old Quarter
At the northern end of the Night Market, on the main strip, is a small street packed full of restaurants and bars. They all serve similar food and drink menus and all have some form of happy hour deal. Some of our favourite bars to sit in were Tangor (location) and the Maolin Tavern (location). Both the bars are a little more expensive than others in town but, given the location, (right on the main strip and just off the Night Market) and compared to what we are used to back in the UK, you really can’t go wrong! If it’s raining, both bars listed have indoor seating.
The other side of Phousi Hill is another favourite bar of ours, the Redbull Sports Bar (location). A popular hangout for backpackers and locals, this bar was popular until closing. With good music, food and drink deals and a pool table, it seemed to be the new hangout for travellers now that the backpacker haunt of the Utopia Bar is sadly closed.
Luang Prabang’s Famous Bowling Alley
Once the bars close in Luang Prabang, there’s only one place to head to and that is Luang Prabang’s famous bowling alley. A firm favourite amongst backpackers and hostel crowds, grab a group together and head there for cheap beer, bowling and archery (a daring choice of entertainment for intoxicated backpackers but hey, who are we to judge!)
Getting Around Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is an easily walkable city. The streets are very quiet and there’s very little traffic to contend with. A lot of the streets of the Old Quarter are ‘one-way’ so unlike other parts of SE Asia (we’re looking at you Hanoi) it’s very easy to cross the road.
If you do need motorised transport there are plenty of tuk tuk taxis to take you to wherever you need to go. If you’re planning to take a tuk tuk somewhere, just flag one down, let them know where you want to go and negotiate a price! We paid anywhere between 30,000 to 50,000 kip per journey, but we’re sure we could have negotiated lower if we tried.
The colourful tuk tuks of Luang Prabang can be hailed all over the city!
If you’re planning to rent a motorbike, scooter or even an electric moped, the rental prices seem to be standard across the city at 150,000 kip per day.
For those who are keen cyclists, the majority of guesthouses and hotels will have bicycles either for free or for you to rent for the day.
Where to go After Luang Prabang?
Depending on how long you have and what you want to get up to, you can go in lots of different directions from Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang serves as the northern hub for travel and tourism in Laos and from the city you can get pretty much anywhere else in this landlocked country.
If you’re into hiking and want to find an area of Laos that’s still relatively untouched by mass tourism then we can’t recommend a trip to Nong Khiaw (read our guide here) enough. Multiple buses run everyday from Luang Prabang and the journey takes between 3 and 4 hours.
Luang Prabang - Nong Khiaw Buses
If you’re looking for jungle hikes and the stunning Nam Ha National BioDiversity Conservation Area head north to Luang Namtha.
Luang Prabang - Luang Namtha Buses
For those into their history or who just love a bit of an ancient mystery (we really didn’t mean to rhyme there) you can move east to the Phonsavan and the enigmatic ‘Plain of Jars’.
Luang Prabang - Phonsavan Buses
For the next major stop on the “banana pancake trail” head south to the backpacker hub of Vang Vieng. Full of viewpoints, bars and lots of fellow travellers, this small city is the adventure capital of Laos.
As we’ve mentioned earlier Luang Prabang is on the Laos-China high speed railway line so you can zoom to Vang Vieng or all the way to the capital, Vientiane in just a matter of hours.
If you don’t mind a very long journey you can even catch buses further south to the city of Pakse.
For those with the money and who are in a hurry, you can catch internal flights south.
Internationally you can catch the slow boat to Chiang Rai in Thailand or use the rail network to get to all the way down to Bangkok (read about our experience here). There are also buses to Hanoi in Vietnam.
If you are travelling to Vietnam, make sure you check out our guides!
Final Thoughts
Luang Prabang is just one of those cities that instantly becomes a full blown love affair. Its quiet picturesque streets, laid-back vibes, bustling night market and intricate temples will just pull you in deeper and deeper and the longer you spend in the city, the more you’ll want to stay.
It’s a city that’s perfect for travellers. One where there's everything you could want from fantastic restaurants, cute coffee shops and lively bars, but also one where you can just wander around with no real purpose and still have a great time exploring.
As you explore the small alleyways and streets around the Old Quarter, you’ll stumble upon a Luang Prabang that almost feels unchanged by time. You’ll pass by monks sweeping temple courtyards, locals harvesting fruit and gaggles of chickens pecking at the dusty ground. Luang Prabang has all the mod-cons of a modern city, but has somehow blended tradition and modernity in its beautiful architecture, temples and markets.
Luang Prabang really is an incredible mix of tradition and modernity!
Luang Prabang is not like any other South East Asia city. Its closest cousin would probably be the temple city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand but even this is a poor comparison. There are no shopping malls in Luang Prabang, no 7-11’s, Luang Prabang is stripped back, raw but somehow cosy and comforting. Luang Prabang is a tiny city compared to it’s Thai neighbours and this makes it feel welcoming, walkable, friendly and safe.
Luang Prabang will always feature on any trip to Laos, but most travellers will head there for only a few days. Our recommendation is to double the time you have planned in the city, if not triple. It’s a city that deserves to be slow-travelled, a city to sit back, relax and soak in the easy-going laid back vibes.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Laotian BBQ - Eating Like A Local In Laos
Come with us as we take you out on a delicious evening dining on a Laotian barbecue feast. We grill, boil, simmer and saute our way through a tasty traditional barbecue in the Northern Laotian town of Nong Khiaw. If you’re curious or epi-curious don’t miss out on this brilliant barbecue!
Barbecues, every country has their version. From the slow smoked briskets of the American South to the delicate, precise yakitori of Japan, everyone on earth loves some grilled meats.
Laos is no different. A Laotian Barbecue is an absolute essential dining experience when visiting this beautiful country. Available everywhere from the fanciest high-end restaurants to the humblest street side vendor, Laotian Barbecue is a fantastic, communal meal that’s perfect for sharing.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
What is a Laotian Barbecue?
Laotian Barbecue or Seen Dat (also sometimes known as Daht Seen) typically takes the form of a domed, perforated metal pan sitting over glowing hot charcoal. Resting on a clay pot, the metal griddle has a “moat” around the outside that catches all of the juices as the meat grills on the domed shaped top. This delicious jus combines in the moat with stock and vegetables to become the soup and base of the meal.
The metal grill pan is common throughout South East Asia. You can find similar (but never the same) barbecue toppers in Thailand and Cambodia. What sets these different countries' barbecues apart is always what is added to the pan. Different sauces, different cuts of meat and different soup stocks combine to make for very different barbecue experiences.
A traditional Laos BBQ grill - you can see how all the flavours just drip down the side and into the soup!
In Laos, the basic set up is simple; the pot of charcoal is rested on, or sometimes inside of, the centre of the table, then the griddle is placed on top. The moat is filled with stock and the fun begins!
You add meat, vegetables, seafood or pretty much anything edible to the grill or the soup, then cook and enjoy at your own leisure. The soup boils and the dome top fries and grills. There are no rules as to what goes where, you can boil the meat and grill the veg if you like, there’s no barbeque police to arrest you!
Each person will have their own bowl. In this they can combine their cooked meat, veg and noodles with the broth and a sweet, sharp, tangy and yet somehow savoury tamarind dipping sauce.
If you’re a vegetarian you can almost always request a vegetarian barbecue. The stock will be vegetarian and they will bring you extra vegetables, tofu and greens to saute, grill and boil. Just check with the restaurant when ordering.
What is a Laotian Barbecue like?
We have enjoyed many a fantastic barbecue in Laos, but will guide you through an especially great night we had in one of our favourite places on earth, Nong Khiaw - you can read all about this magical place here.
We had spotted a restaurant just off the town’s main street (you can find the restaurant here) offering a Laotian Barbecue for just 100,000 kip per person. This would come with meat, seafood, vegetables, noodles and a tamarind dipping sauce. Feeling this was an absolute steal, we couldn’t resist and dove in.
What followed was one of the most memorable meals we’ve eaten in Nong Khiaw (and we’ve eaten a lot)!
We were ushered to a table with a circular hole in the centre and our barbeque was assembled in front of our eyes. Glowing red charcoal filled the clay pots and our metal barbecue topper crowned the hot coals. Extra ventilation was cleverly supplied by a ring of old Beer Laos bottle tops separating the clay pot and the metal grill.
Then out came our delicious feast. The tiny table was filled with plastic baskets full of vegetables and plates of thinly sliced meat, chicken, beef, pork and what we think was buffalo was joined by ribbons of squid and whole prawns. The stock was presented in a plastic juice jug and we were ready to dine!
Our full Laotian BBQ spread - looks good doesn't it!
The first thing you learn with a Laotian barbecue is patience. You have to wait for the grill to heat up and you have to wait to cook your meats. Oil is supplied on the barbecue by a lump of pork fat, placed on the very top of the metal grill. The fat is scored to let all of its juices flow and you oil the grill by grabbing the pork fat with your tongs and spreading it all around like you’re applying piggy suncream to the metallic grill. Once lubed up, it’s time to barbeque.
We added slices of pork, beef, buffalo and chicken to the domed grill. Their juices running, mixing and mingling into the stock below, making it richer and richer with every piece added. To the stock itself we added sliced onions, carrots and courgettes. We would also quickly blanch morning glory shoots, coriander and spring onions before ladling the now rich broth into our bowls.
Small strands of glass noodles added body to the soup and when the meat was ready, we dipped it into the sharp, tamarind heavy sauce before devouring the whole lot.
Between meaty feasts we would switch it up and have seafood courses. Our prawns changing colour right in front of our eyes as they cooked on the hot metal. The squid (we never knew if we were cooking it correctly) would curl up away from the heat before quickly being pulled off of the grill, dunked into the tamarind sauce and eaten with the sweet, juicy prawns. All the while, the soup stock was getting richer, deeper and more complex.
Our sliced meat ready for the BBQ!
There’s very little on earth that is as tasty as barbecued meat. It’s got it all. The anticipation; the smells wafting through the air as it cooks, the amazing, caramelised, slightly smoky, char of the meat and the unmistakable, un-reproducable juicy deliciousness of the cooked meat.
We ate the meal piece by piece, taking our time grilling, charring, flipping and boiling each piece of our meal. It’s a lovely way to eat, it really makes an evening out of a meal. You cannot rush, you cannot overcrowd the barbecue grill and every so often, you’ll need to top up the stock or refresh the charcoal. It’s also just tremendous fun. Deciding to see if you can charcoal grill lettuce, whilst your partner attempts to stop their prawn falling off the top of the dome like it’s some kind of ‘King of the Hill’ game is just plain fun. There aren’t many meals where you should play with your food, but Laos Barbecue is one of them.
Laotian Barbecue really lends itself to conversation, you eat at your own leisure, you cook your own meal and can take it as fast or as slow as you want. If you get lost in a meandering conversation and forget about your piece of buffalo on the barbecue, it just gets a little more of that great char! It’s a meal to savour, one where the longer you take, the longer that stock bubbles and intensifies, the better the meal.
We ate our Laotian Barbecue as a couple, but this style of barbecue makes for a fantastic feast with friends. We cannot recommend seeking out a Laotian Barbecue on your Laos travels, trust us you won’t regret it!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Thailand to Laos - The Bangkok to Vientiane Express Train
Come with us as we travel between Bangkok Thailand and Luang Prabang Laos. We catch the budget friendly, overnight express train from Bangkok to Vientiane before transferring to the Laos China high speed railway to Luang Prabang. Read our guide to find out which ticket to buy, ticket prices, train facilities and what to expect at the Nong Khai border.
The newly opened Bangkok to Vientiane express train line gives backpackers a brand new way of quickly and cheaply hopping between Thailand and Laos. An 11 hour train ride speeds you from Thailand’s bustling capital of Bangkok, heading north, crossing the mighty Mekong River before arriving in the sleepy Laotian capital of Vientiane.
As backpackers, we used this new train line as part of a budget friendly travel day that took us all the way from Bangkok to the cultural hub of Luang Prabang in northern Laos. This is our guide to catching train 133 and our experiences overnighting on this new, convenient and cheap travel solution linking Thailand and Laos.
In this train travel guide:
How long is the train journey between Bangkok and Vientiane?
How much are tickets and how do I reserve a place on the Thailand to Laos rapid train?
The Thailand / Laos border what to expect when crossing by train
The train ride from Thailand to Laos - what to expect, facilities and tips from our experience
Onward travel, the full journey - Bangkok to Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng or even China!
Other transport between Thailand and Laos - planes, slowboats and border crossings
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
How long is the train journey between Bangkok and Vientiane?
The journey between Bangkok and Vientiane is scheduled to take 11 hours and 40 minutes. This includes time at the border crossing at Nong Khai train station.
The train stops frequently at stations along the route. In Bangkok you can board at either Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station) or at Don Mueang Railway Station.
Bang Sue station is ideal for those already in Bangkok as it is well connected by the MRT (Blue Line) and buses. Don Mueang is a little further out but the ideal choice if you’ve just landed at Don Mueang airport.
The Thailand / Vientiane express line also stops at Ayutthaya, another option if you’re planning to visit the ancient city.
Bangkok's Bang Sue Station has plenty of seating and food on offer. Even if you are early it is not a bad place to wait!
When does the train depart - what are the Thailand/Laos train times?
The Bangkok to Vientiane, Thailand to Laos express train runs once per day.
The train (number 133) departs Bangkok (Bang Sue Station) at 21.25 in the evening and arrives at Vientiane (Khamsavath Station) at 9.05 the next morning. The train travels overnight with an early morning stop at Nong Khai Station at 7.55. This is the station where you will get stamped out of Thailand (see below for more information on the border crossing).
If you’re planning to cross the Thailand / Laos border by foot at Nong Khai via the Thai / Laos Friendship Bridge, there are multiple trains departing Bangkok to Nong Khai daily.
Train 133 is currently the only train that will take you all away across the border to Vientiane without changing.
If you are not taking train 133 then you could travel to Nong Khai where you can make your way across the border independently. You will leave Thailand from Nong Khai and come out on the Laos side at the Thanaleng Border Crossing. To book Bangkok to Nong Khai train tickets, click here.
How much are tickets and how do I reserve a seat on the Thailand to Laos rapid train?
Ticket prices vary by class. The base prices are as follows:
2nd class sleeper air-conditioned - 874 THB
2nd class seat air-conditioned - 574 THB
3rd class seat fan only - 281 THB
You cannot currently book any 1st class seats on this train line. Let us know in the comments if you find out this has changed in the future
Guess which bunk princess got....
We bought tickets in person in advance from Bang Sue train station. We opted for two 2nd class sleepers in an air conditioned carriage. The tickets vary slightly in price depending on whether you want a lower berth with a window or an upper berth without one. Our tickets cost 874 THB for the lower bunk and 784 for the upper bunk.
You can go cheaper than this by booking a seat in either 2nd or 3rd class, but be aware that this is a long journey and 3rd class is fan only.
As the train departs only once a day, tickets can sell out quickly, so plan ahead. We’d recommend booking well in advance to prevent disappointment and disruption to your itinerary. You can book tickets online with 12Go below
There is a slight increase for booking tickets online, but maybe worth it to have the support and reassurance pre-booking offers.
The Bangkok to Vientiane express train will stop at Nong Khai train station for 40 minutes to allow everyone onboard to get their passports stamped out of Thailand.
It was a very simple and efficient process. We got off the train, leaving our luggage behind and queued up on the platform. We got our passports stamped and the train pulled forward to meet us on the other side of the immigration checkpoint. Once everyone had gone through the checkpoint, the train crossed the Mekong River, over the Thailand / Laos Friendship Border Bridge and we were in Laos!
Laotian visa on arrival
You officially get stamped into Laos at the train's final destination of Vientiane (Khamsavath Station). At the station you can buy a visa on arrival.
A visa on arrival for Laos will cost you $40 USD or 1700 THB (it is slightly more expensive to pay in baht). If you choose to pay in USD make sure the notes are pristine as they will not accept any old, faded, folded or ripped notes. You will need a passport photo for the visa as well.
If you did not bring cash it's not the end of the world, you can get cash out from a foreign exchange booth at the station - just ask a guard as it's technically across the border. If you do not have a passport photo, they will just charge you a little bit more on top of the visa cost.
Laotian EVisa
At the moment the Laos eVisa is NOT accepted at the Khamsavath Railway Station border point. You cannot use an eVisa if you are coming into Laos on the 133 train.
If you want to use an eVisa you will need to enter on foot from Nong Khai over the Thai Laos Friendship Bridge. You can get off the train at Nong Khai and do this if you are on train 133 with an eVisa!
The train ride from Thailand to Laos - what to expect, facilities and tips from our experience
We were super impressed by how comfortable, clean and convenient the train ride was. As we’ve said, we bought 2nd class tickets in an air-conditioned sleeper coach. The coach was divided into little “compartments” of 4 beds, 2 lower and 2 upper berths. The beds were comfy and came with a clean pillow, sheets and a nice blanket. It was a world away from some of our cheaper train journeys we’ve taken, we’re looking at you India!
The beds came with a power socket and a light, as well as a very well designed privacy curtain. There were tables in each bed zone, a solid metal ladder leading to the upper bunks and even a fold out chair if you wanted to sit in the aisle and look out of the window.
Clean, simple and comfy - just what you need on an overnight train.
Another thing we were particularly impressed by was the luggage storage solution. As long term backpackers, it's always a stressful gamble jumping on a long distance train. Our backpacks, although not huge, are unwieldy and heavy and it is sometimes a struggle finding somewhere convenient to store them. On the Thailand to Laos express train there was a huge luggage shelf in each of the compartments which made storing our backpacks super easy.
The toilets on the train were Western style and were cleaned multiple times during our long journey. There was a small washroom area with mirrors, sinks and soap.
Tips for a smooth train journey:
To make yourself even comfier on your train ride to Laos we would recommend the following:
Pack a long sleeve shirt, jumper or light jacket. The air-conditioning is strong and cannot be adjusted so make sure you don’t get too chilly in the night.
Bring snacks! In the morning you can buy tea and coffee from a seller but this was the only option for food and drink when you’re on the train, so make sure you’ve got something in case you get a case of the midnight munchies!
If you’re sensitive to light, consider an eye mask as the train lights were not turned off during the night. The privacy curtain was okay at blocking the light but if you’re sensitive it was nowhere near dark in the beds.
Remember it's a border crossing and you will need your passports handy! This may seem obvious but you don’t want to be digging through your bags as the train pulls into Nong Khai in the early morning
Even after 11 hours on a train, she is still smiling!
If you’re looking to travel in the opposite direction - from Laos to Thailand, you can catch the same express train heading back. It will be train number 134 which departs Vientiane Khamsavath Railway Station at 18:25 and arrives at Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal at 07:30.
Once you’ve arrived in Vientiane you have pretty much the whole of Laos on offer. You can arrange transport from the Laotian capital to anywhere in the country. Buses and minivans run north to south, east to west. You can easily book them in advance online here.
However, if you’re looking to travel north to Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang or even all the way into China, there is the new, high-speed Laos China railway.
We used the high speed railway to zoom us north to Luang Prabang and it only took us just over two hours. For context the same journey would have taken us over 7 hours by bus!
Using a combination of the Thailand to Laos train and the high-speed railway allowed us to go all the way from Bangkok to Luang Prabang on a backpacker budget within 24 hours. We went from our apartment in Bangkok’s bustling Bang Pho to sipping a sunset beer Laos on the river of Luang Prabang the next afternoon!
After a long travel day, a Beer Lao was well earned.
Laos China High Speed Railway
If you’re planning on travelling onward to Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang via the high speed railway, make sure you book tickets for the 13.30 train departure from Vientiane. This will give you plenty of time to collect your tickets, get to the railway station and head through the security at Vientiane Railway Station.
Trains arriving from Thailand arrive at Vientiane’s Khamsavath Railway Station to the south of Vientiane city (located here). Whereas the high speed trains depart from Vientiane Train Station to the north of the city (located here)
Train tickets on the Laos China railway sell out extremely quickly and can only be bought 3 days in advance. The easiest way to book tickets is via 12Go who will purchase the tickets for you. You can book them through 12go far in advance and (hopefully) they are first in the queue when the tickets go on sale.
Once the tickets have been bought you will need to collect the tickets before you travel. Depending on which agent you choose / train departure time, you can collect them from the train station itself or you may need to collect them from a shop in the city. We had to collect our tickets from Brother Cafe, around a 10 minute drive away from the station itself.
At the train station, despite its size (it’s enormous, it looks more like an airport than a train station) we were not allowed into the station until an hour and half before departure. We had just over an hour to wait around outside. Outside the station there is a covered seating area, ATMs, toilets as well as some stalls to buy food and drinks just outside the car park.
Once the station opens, you have to go through security (very strict, don't even bring a penknife or multi-tool) and head inside.
The train ride itself was incredible. We sped through long tunnels, past towering limestone karsts covered in thick mist and wallowing buffaloes bathing in mud. We crossed over huge rivers and glided across green rice paddies, it was an amazing journey! The high speed rail really lived up to its name and pulled us into Luang Prabang station just after 15.30.
When you arrive at Luang Prabang, head outside the station down the steps to find plenty of minivans waiting to take you into Luang Prabang. Just tell the ticket sellers where your accommodation is and buy a ticket. Tickets cost 40,000 LAK each.
The Laos high speed railway station is massive....and mostly empty.
Other transport between Thailand and Laos - planes, slowboats and border crossings
There are many ways of travelling between Thailand and its landlocked neighbour Laos.
Thailand to Laos by air
For those who are cash rich and time poor, or just want to make the most of a shorter trip you can fly directly between the two countries, usually coming to land either at the country's capital of Vientiane or the UNESCO world heritage city of Luang Prabang in the north.
The flight between Bangkok and Vientiane takes 1 hour 10 minutes.
The flight between Bangkok and Luang Prabang takes 1 hour 40 minutes.
To look at flight options and to book tickets check out the widget below - make sure to check flights from both Suvarnabhumi Airport- BKK and Don Mueang - DMK
Thailand to Laos by river - taking the famous slow boats of Laos
A popular backpacking choice for those already in Thailand are the slowboats. Leaving from Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, you will cross the border into Laos at Huay Xai.
At Huay Xai you will board your slow boat to begin 2 days of floating down the Mekong River before arriving at the UNESCO heritage city of Luang Prabang.
We’ve taken the slowboat previously on our travels and absolutely loved it. Check out our two articles on taking the slow boat and our guide to Pakbeng, the overnight stop you’ll make on your way down the river:
Crossing into Laos over land borders
Laos is surrounded on all sides by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. You can get between any of these countries with relative ease from any of the major cities or transport hubs. You can book minivans and coaches that will take you across the borders from all major Laotian cities.
Check out 12Go to book your tickets in advance.
For backpackers organising everything themselves, the most popular land borders to cross into Laos from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are:
Thailand to Laos land borders:
Huay Xai Border Crossing (location) from Northern Thailand (Chiang Rai / Chiang Mai / Golden Triangle) for links to the slow boats to Luang Prabang, Luang Namtha and Nong Khiaw.
Thanaleng Border Crossing (location) from North Eastern Thailand (Nong Khai / Udon Thani) for links to Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.
Vang Tao Border Crossing (location) from Eastern Thailand (Udon Ratchathani / Isan / Surin) for links to Pakse, Don Det and the 4000 Islands.
Cambodia to Laos land borders:
Nong Nok Khiene Border Crossing (location) from Northern Cambodia (Krong Stung Treng / Krong Banlung) for links to Pakse, Don Det and the 4000 Islands.
Vietnam to Laos land borders:
Phou Keua Border Crossing (location) from Central Vietnam (Quy Nhon / Da Lat / Nha Trang) for links to Pakse, Don Det and the 4000 Islands.
Nam Phao Border Crossing (location) from Central / Northern Vietnam (Vinh / Phong Nha) for links to Vientiane and Vang Vieng.
Na Meo Border Crossing (location) from Northern Vietnam (Hanoi / Ninh Binh / Ha Long Bay) for links to Phonsavan, Luang Prabang and Nong Khiaw.
To book your accommodation in Laos, check out the Booking.com for all your choices.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Laotian Luxury in Luang Prabang
Sometime you need a bit of luxury in your life. Luckily the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang has plenty to offer for those seeking something sumptuous. Follow us as we depart from our regular budget backpacking and indulge in the high end staying at a fantastic hotel and eating at the bougiest of bistros.
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Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you want to splurge, sometimes you just want a little luxury in your life! We are not usually ones for the finer things, we specialise in long term backpacking travel, cheaper accommodation and street food, so a stay at an incredible luxurious hotel is not very “on brand” for us! On brand or not, after a year of hostels and guesthouses a bit of much needed indulgence was very welcome.
Luang Prabang is an unbelievably beautiful UNESCO World Heritage City in the heart of northern Laos. This wonderfully preserved city is full of cafe’s restaurants, historic buildings, temples and museums . It was for these reasons we decided it was a good place to meet up with my parents after a year away and, thanks to them, we found ourselves in the lap of luxury. Luang Prabang is a great place for a getaway.
Staying In Luxury - Satri House Luang Prabang
The stunning Satri House is about as far away from budget hostels as you could hope to get. Converted from a French colonial villa it is secluded, elegant and serene. It is also, paradoxically, near to all the attractions in the historic town as well.
Luang Prabang is one of Laos larger cities and sprawls out from the historic heart; a tiny, Manhattan-like peninsula that juts out between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Satri house lies at the southern end of the old town, within walking distance from all the Old Quarter sights.
The hotel itself is incredibly luxurious without being ostentatious with elegant pools, a spa, manicured Laotian style gardens and an excellent restaurant serving high end local and international food.
The rooms are massive, with four poster beds and are full of bespoke furniture, antiques and charming accents. The bathrooms are unsurprisingly opulent with full baths and walk-in showers.
The hotel could organise anything you needed; from a driver to an exclusive private breakfast at the stunning Kuang Si waterfalls the friendly concierge was happy to help.
The staff overall were borderline psychic, always there when you needed but never hovering or intruding. Our rooms would be made up or turned down without us ever noticing the staff come or go, the only sign would be a clean room, the blinds being drawn and a selection of Laotian sweets being left on the dresser! The staff are also very helpful and accommodating; When we mentioned one evening that we were a little peckish, they brought out trays of delicious Laotion small plates to the hotel bar for us!
Satri house was a world away from what we were used to on our great adventure but was an incredible get away. It was perfect for the parents, who definitely require a little more comfort when traveling around the world. Satri house is not a backpacking budget option in any shape or form, but , if you have the money, it is the definition of luxury and one of the relatively few truly high end hotels in Luang Prabang.
To book a stay please click here.
Other Luxurious Luang Prabang Hotels:
There are of-course other luxury accommodation options than Satri House in Luang Prabang. Another similar level of luxury can be found at the Maison Dalabua, the Angsana Maison or the Villa Maly Hotel. At the very top of the price range there is the Avani + Luang Prabang . For those looking for a more out of town “resort” style hotel check out the Pullman.
We haven't stayed at any of these but they are all beautiful, centrally located high end hotels with pools. For a full list of higher end hotels check out the map below:
Just select your dates and filter by star rating and/or budget.
Luxury Dining in Luang Prabang
Manda De Laos
Set over a UNESCO preserved Laotian lily pond (that is a fun sentence to say out loud), Manda De Loas serves fine dining takes on authentic Laotian cuisine. Offering tasting menus as well as a la carte , Manda De Laos is the poshest, and most famous restaurant in Luang Prabang. It is the partner restaurant to the Maison Dalabua Hotel and we would definitely recommend booking in advance.
Gaspard
Owned by the same family group as Manda De Laos, Gaspard is a gorgeous french restaurant set in a preserved wooden house and garden in the old heart of Luang Prabang. We had our first meal out with the parents here and can highly recommend the food! There is also a fully stocked bar serving fine wines and spirits.
L’Elephant
Another delicious French restaurant, L’Elephant is right in the heart of the old town. Despite its traditional French menu and elegant setting the food remains very reasonably priced.
Popolo
It was strange to find what may be the best pizza we have ever eaten in Laos but that is the wonder of travel! Popolo was a fantastic Italian restaurant that utilized the local buffalo mozzarella to amazing effect. We had our first wine in months here, served in a carafe and it was a wonderful evening. We would especially recommend the “French Kiss” pizza and the Burrata starter.
Leaving Luang Prabang
Most travellers come to or leave Luang Prabang by one of four methods:
By Train:
Laos new high speed train network arrows through the country. From Luang Namptha in the north the line flows south through Luang Prabang and the popular Vang Vieng before eventually terminating at the Laotian capital of Vientiane. It is comfortable and quick and you can book tickets here. The station is set a little out of Luang Prabang so you will need a ticket that includes a transfer to the station (the ones in the link usually have this included).
By Bus / Minivan:
Very affordable and convenient, the bus networks connect to pretty much everywhere in Laos. They are not the most comfortable mode of transport as the roads are quite often bad but they are the most common and cheap way to get around the country. To book bus tickets click here. When booking buses check if they pick up from the town itself or from one of the bus stops outside of Luang Prabang. If the bus/minivan starts from outside the main city you will have to arrange transport to the bus station.
By Plane:
Luang Prabang Airport connects the city with the outside world with regular flights to Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia as well as other international hubs. Check out the flights here.
By Boat:
The most famous way into or out of Luang Prabang is by boat. The slow boats run up and down the Mekong all the way from the Thai border at Huay Xai two days away. We have done the ferry journey in both luxury and budget styles and can highly recommend it. The boats (luxury or not) stop for a night at the half way point of Pakbeng. Check out our article on staying in this tiny town here.
There is something truly magical about floating down the Mekong watching the people and life play out on the water's edge. If you are in Luang Prabang or Northern Thailand you really shouldn’t miss this experience.
Experiences in Luang Prabang
There is so much to see and do in Luang Prabang. The Old Quarter has a wealth of ancient temples, craft centres and museums all of which are easily explorable by foot. It is a fantastic city just to let go and let your feet take you. The old streets and buildings are wonderful just to walk around and soak up the atmosphere.
In regards to specific destinations, you should definitely not miss an expedition to the nearby, world famous, Kuang Si Falls or the short uphill climb to the temple on Phousi Hill.
Luang Prabang is famous for the daily ritual of the alms giving ceremony where at dawn the streets are lined with saffron and maroon clad monks receiving donations of sticky rice and other food. It’s an experience not to be missed whilst in the city.
A trip to the Kuang Si falls is an absolute must!
The UXO museum is also a necessary, if uncomfortable, lesson in Laos sad recent past. No trip to Luang Prabang would be complete without at least a small trip along the Mekong river, for those not interested in the two day upriver exit, there are lots of sunset cruises or day trips available as well. There are too many other museums, temples and open houses to list here, just get out and explore!
If you are looking for some curated tours, more in depth history or just want to combine a few sites into a day out, check out Get Your Guide who offer many tours and activities in the area:
Comfort and Luxury in Luang Prabang - Conclusion
Luang Prabang is a great place to spoil yourself. There are plenty of comforts to indulge in as well as beautiful places to stay and fantastic food to eat. The Old Quarter is absolutely beautiful and full of crafts, museums and temples to explore on foot. It was a great choice for a holiday for my parents and allowed them to experience a little of the adventure of Laos whilst still having all the comfort and luxury of a properly indulgent holiday. Laotian luxury is also relatively good value; the food, accommodation and service we received at Satri House would have cost double what it did if it was in any neighbouring country. We are not usually overly bougie travellers (although we will indulge from time to time), but we adored our luxurious interlude in Luang Prabang.
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Thanks for reading,
John and Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Nong Khiaw - The Complete Guide
Nong Khiaw in northern Laos is a backpacker haven full of beautiful hiking trails, amazing viewpoints and great kayaking on the Nam Ou river. Read our complete guide to this incredible town. Find out: What to do, where to eat and where to have some fun drinks!
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Nong Khiaw is special, in our adventures we have been lucky enough to go to so many wonderful places, from off the beaten path to tourist hubs, we’ve had some fantastic experiences, however Nong Khiaw was easily one of the best. Nestled within tall limestone mountains, with the Nam Ou river snaking through the centre of town, Nong Khiaw is a beautiful backpacker haven in the north of Laos. This small town boasts great restaurants, bars, accommodation choices and jaw dropping scenery and activities. In this blog we’re going to run you through our recommendations for what to do, what to eat and where to drink in this incredible Laotian mountain town.
Contents:
Nong Khiaw town viewed from the Pha Noi viewpoint, it’s a lovely little town!
How to get to and from Nong Khiaw?
Being a backpacker hub, Nong Khiaw is pretty well connected. With buses running regularly to towns and cities all around. The cities of Luang Prabang and Oudomxay (also known as Muang Xai or Oudomxai) are only about three hours away by bus.
For better or worse (we think for the better) Nong Khiaw is not on the new high speed railway line, so if you are travelling by train from Vientiane or Vang Vieng, you will need to travel to either Luang Prabang or Oudomxay and book onward travel by bus or taxi.
We travelled to Nong Khiaw from Luang Namtha in the north. We hope your journey is easier than ours, as ours was a bumpy seven hour ride punctuated by having to change the two front tyres on the minibus.
It could have been worse though, the people in front of us were all sitting on beer crates rather than seats… it's the gamble you take when travelling in Laos!
Tip: Get to the bus station early with a ticket already purchased to make sure you get an actual seat on the bus!
Tickets for the minibuses can usually be booked in advance through your accommodation or online. For online booking, we’d recommend using 12Go.
We booked our tickets both to and from Nong Khiaw via our accommodation. One ticket from Luang Namtha to Nong Khiaw cost 230,000 kip each (£11.39 or $13.70) this included a tuk tuk taxi from our accommodation in the centre of Luang Namtha to the bus station. One ticket from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang cost 100,000 kip each (£4.95 or $5.95) this also included a tuk tuk taxi from our accommodation in Nong Khiaw to the bus station.
Tip: In lots of the places in Laos, you will find the bus station isn’t anywhere near the centre of town. In Nong Khiaw this isn’t too bad as the distance is still walkable. When we arrived, it took us about 15 minutes to walk into town with our backpacks. In both Luang Namtha and Luang Prabang, the bus stations are well outside the main towns and accommodation areas, therefore you will need to factor in the price of a tuk tuk to your total ticket price. This is often quite high as the tuk tuk drivers know that you don’t really have a choice. Our tip would be to unite with your fellow bus travellers and increase your negotiation power as a group.
When Should You Visit Nong Khiaw?
We visited Nong Khiaw in late January and it was perfect. Hot, clear, sunny days but with much cooler nights. When we visited there was an unusual cold snap at night and temperatures did drop to around 6 degrees celsius, but by this point we would usually be huddled cosily in a bar, so we didn’t mind.
The best time to visit would be between October to early March as the weather is warm and dry, which is perfect for hiking.
Check before you go about the “smokey season”. Smokey season generally runs from March to April, where farmers burn their fields and the air is full of smoke. We have heard it's quite unpleasant and visibility drops considerably which is not what you want when exploring mountainous hiking trails. The views just wouldn’t be the same.
April to June sees a climb in temperature and humidity, in the run up to the monsoon season from July onwards.
How Long Should I Stay in Nong Khiaw?
How long is a piece of string? How long you stay in Nong Khiaw depends on how many activities you want to do whilst there. Being only 4 hours away from Luang Prabang, you can get to and from Nong Khiaw easily, so you could come just for a couple of days and do a viewpoint and a kayaking trip.
If you have some more time to spare, you can spend a lot longer here. We spent around a fortnight in Nong Khiaw and there were others around us that stayed even longer. This may be a little long for some, but if you wanted to do all the viewpoints, the caves and a few multi day trips as well as boating to other villages, then you would need over a week.
If you just want to do day activities and your not worried about tiring yourself out you could probably fit a good whack into three or four days (not including coming or going).
Honestly, this was one of our favourite places, and if your lucky with the weather and find a good group of friends, then its worth slowing down and savouring the place!
Accommodation - Where to Stay in Nong Khiaw?
Nong Khiaw has a plethora of accommodation to choose from, stretching along both banks of the Nam Ou river, there are lots of guesthouses, homestay’s, hostels and hotels. Before we came to Nong Khiaw we were slightly concerned about finding accommodation as both booking.com and Agoda were not showing that many choices. This worry was completely unfounded. As soon as we entered the town, there were so many options to choose from. Whatever your budget, there will be something for you.
We spent a long time in Nong Khiaw and there were definitely busy days, and so much so that our guesthouse did turn away some walk-in travellers, but there was never a time where the whole town was booked out.
The garden of Meexai guesthouse
We stayed at the Meexai guesthouse (book your stay here) on the southern side of the river. This no frills guesthouse with a private bathroom and a little terrace outside our room was perfect for us. One night's stay at this guest house cost us 200,000 kip (£9.91 or $11.91).
Breakfast was available to buy from the guesthouse, as well as a selection of soft drinks and beer. The guesthouse can also help to arrange activities in and around Nong Khiaw and also onward travel.
Activities and Attractions - Things to Do in Nong Khiaw
Nong Khiaw is an outdoor lover’s dream. Surrounded by tall, limestone mountains and with the Nam Ou river flowing through the middle, this small town in northern Laos is perfect for anyone who is eager to stretch their legs and enjoy the incredible Laotian landscapes. With hiking, kayaking, cycling and caving all available, Nong Khiaw is an amazing place to get out and about in the fresh air.
The Viewpoints
You’ve probably seen the pictures on Instagram, we certainly posted enough of them, so let’s face it, the viewpoints are probably the reason why you came to Nong Khiaw. The town is encircled by towering peaks, with each one giving a fantastic view over the surrounding countryside. There are four main viewpoints that can be climbed from the town of Nong Khiaw. Each varies in length, height and difficulty. Here is our guide to the viewpoints of Nong Khiaw.
Som Nang Viewpoint - Map Link
This viewpoint is the shortest and easiest of the viewpoints on offer in Nong Khiaw. This is also the most easily accessible viewpoint from the town, with its entrance located near the southern end of the bridge. After purchasing tickets, one ticket costs 20,000 kip (£0.96 or $1.18), the walk starts with a steep hike up a natural staircase cut into the earth. As you walk up you’ll be treated to a sneak peak of what's to come with a small viewpoint and benches looking out over the Nong Khiaw bridge.
As you continue upwards, the halfway point is marked by swings, hammocks and picnic benches. After this, the route winds up the mountainside until it reaches the main viewing platforms. These are easily the best maintained and most developed of Nong Khiaw’s viewpoints (presumably as they are the easiest to get to) and consequently the most popular. A large area is cut into the side of the mountain with multiple platforms and benches. There is a small shop and toilets available.
This viewpoint gives brilliant views over the town of Nong Khiaw and down the river valley. As the trek only takes about half an hour to get to the top, this is a brilliant spot to watch the sun set.
For those feeling brave, there is another path behind the shop that leads to another slightly higher viewing platform. This one is much less maintained and sways a little when you walk on it! But if the platforms below are busy, this one is usually quieter. There are also rocks you can climb onto to the right if you’re feeling like a daring selfie! But please be careful.
Entry cost: 20,000 kip per ticket (£0.96 or $1.18)
Difficulty: An easy uphill walk. Walking sticks are provided at the bottom but not really necessary. The steps are steep in places but as the overall walk is so short this shouldn’t be an issue.
How long does the walk take: 20 to 40 minutes each way depending on your speed and if you go all the way up to the hut.
Tips: Set off about an hour before the sun starts to set as it will get busier and busier. It really is the perfect place to watch the sun set, but this isn’t exactly a secret so it gets quite busy.
Remember to pack a sunset beer, if you’re lucky you can buy one from the shop but the range was more limited/more expensive than the town below!
If you are heading up for sunset, make sure you bring a torch or have your phone charged for light on the way down. It’s an easy hike in the twilight but you will still want to watch your footing.
Nang None Viewpoint Trail, also known as the Sleeping Lady Viewpoint - Map Link
Set a short fifteen minute walk outside of the main town on the northern side of the river, the entrance to the Sleeping Lady viewpoint is located just past the Hive Bar (read more about this bar below).
There is a small ticket booth and a register to sign to access the trail. Tickets were 15,000 kip each (£0.72 or $0.89).
Believe it or not, this is the path!
After the entrance, there is a small stone staircase, before you’re immediately thrown into bouldering mode as you navigate yourself up, over and around large rocks and tree roots. There are ropes to help you up some of these segments, but beware you’re often sharing these ropes with large angry ants.
On the subject of being careful, always check before grabbing a tree on this route as some of the trees are covered in extremely large spikes. There are also other hazards but we will come to those in due course. About a quarter of the way up the trail, the path splits in two, with the right hand fork leading you to viewpoint number one and the left continuing upwards to viewpoint two. We’d recommend heading off right at this point and going to viewpoint one before continuing on to the final, much higher, viewpoint two.
Viewpoint one is fantastic with three wooden platforms set across the rocks and a great view over the town of Nong Khiaw. This is a great place to have a drink of water and catch your breath. However, if you look up, a long way up, you will realise you still have quite a way to go!
Leaving viewpoint one behind you, you’ll come back to the fork in the road and continue on up. The trail climbs very steeply over a long time (around an hour for us) until the trail flattens out, and the trees are replaced by thick stands of bamboo. The way then winds around the mountain, via a small stone path, between rocks, clinging to the cliff edge. Before long, all sides drop away and you’re rewarded with the peak.
There are two platforms to the viewpoint, one is under renovation but still a great place to sit down and catch your breath after a hard climb (this is the one with the roof). The second viewpoint is up a rickety wooden staircase, leading to a small platform and a Laotian flag crowning the summit. The views from this viewpoint make the walk worthwhile! You can see across both sides of the town, over the bend in the river, and the massive peaks that lie beyond. It's a hard climb, but thoroughly worth it!
On a personal note, and remember this is anecdotal so we can’t guarantee that this happens to everyone… Remember to check your walking sticks! We had both picked up fallen bamboo to use as hiking poles. But, unbeknownst to Ellie, her hiking pole was also resident to a certain hairy tarantula. We don’t know at what point our eight legged friend joined us on the trail, or if he had been living there all along but a short way down from the viewpoint he decided to come and say hello. Some flailing and yelling later, and Mr Spider was persuaded to leave Ellie’s person and we learnt a valuable lesson of checking our equipment.
The above was John’s version of events. What really happened was this… as I walked down the steep hill, something big, black and hairy caught my eye. Emerging out of the top of my bamboo pole was not one, but eight thick legs. About the size of my hand in width, this big spider slid down my pole and landed on my left forearm. Unfortunately for him, I am not keen on spiders, especially not big tarantulas and so Mr Spider ended up flying through the air and landed on the step in front of me. After yelling at my wonderful fiancé (who was 15 metres down the steps in front of me and totally oblivious to my struggles), I eventually hopped over Mr Hairy Feet and proceeded to run, Spirited Away style down the steps and away from my new tarantula friend. I may or may not have been screaming at the time!
Tarantulas aside, this is a phenomenal trail. It is a hard climb full of varied terrain but with great pay offs at both viewpoints.
Entry cost: One ticket cost 15,000 kip (£0.72 or $.0.89).
Difficulty: Medium, some small amount of rock scrambling at the start and a lengthy hour and half of steep climbing to the top viewpoint. Totally doable, even if the most exercise you’ve done for the past few months is picking up a bottle of beer!
How long does the walk take: Around an hour and a half to get to the top viewpoint including stopping at the first viewpoint and plenty of breaks for water, photos and snacks! We did the whole trek up and down in just under three hours. This included a lot of time chilling out at the top and a little time recovering from tarantula triggered terror.
After trails and tarantulas we made it down!
Tips: Bring lots of water with you, both viewpoints are worth a visit. If you’re climbing the mountain after it's been very dry, the path is covered in fine dust and grit which can be quite slidey underfoot. Wear proper shoes and pick up a bamboo pole from around the path, just make sure there aren’t any unwanted passengers!
This path would not have been pleasant if it was wet under foot or after rain. Where there are steps it's just cut into the soil of the mountain, and most of the footpath is on rocks or dirt so it would be very treacherous when wet.
Keep an eye on the time as parts of this path would have been a nightmare to come down in the dark.
Nong Khiaw Viewpoint and Trail - Pha Daeng Peak - Map Link
Always stick to the path in Laos!
From the Nong Khiaw Bridge, if you look up to the Som Nang Viewpoint, you may notice far, far above this, is a fluttering Laotian flag. This flag marks the summit of Pha Daeng Peak and the top of the Nong Khiaw Viewpoint and Trail. The entrance to the trail is just past Home Coffee on the south side of the river. Tickets for this trail cost 20,000 kip each (£0.96 or $1.18). The ticket booth is marked with bright blue signage reminding you to stick to the path with the ever present large cluster bomb serving as the ticket counter.
The trail starts up from the town between local houses, before steeply ascending into the hillside jungle. The landscape changes as you ascend, starting out in farmers fields in the beating sunshine, before getting more forested and shady before eventually thinning out into bamboo as you near the summit. There are parts of this climb where you will need to scramble across or through boulders, but there are always ropes and clear markings where to go.
When you reach the summit you are treated to an incredible view over the valley. If you look down (a long way down) you can see the Som Nang viewpoint below. This harder and longer climb is definitely rewarded by the loftier vantage point you get. On a clear day, the views go on for absolute miles, stretching away in both directions of the mountain lined Nam Ou river.
Following the Nam Ou river upstream, the mountains fall away and the river banks are covered in paddy fields.
When we visited, the pavilion at the top was under construction, but there were plenty of places to sit down, take a load off and take in the magnificent surroundings. Also for the more daring, there were an abundance of great selfie spots to clamber on to.
Entry cost: One ticket cost 20,000 kip (£0.96 or $1.18)
Difficulty: Medium. The walk is steep in places, but not overly long or extreme in any way. Along the trail there are benches, swings and places to rest, and in the areas where there is a need to scramble, there are always ropes to help you.
How long does the walk take: The walk took us about an hour and half to climb to the top. This included a lot of stops for photos. The way down was much shorter, taking only about 45 minutes.
Tips: Similar to the other viewpoints, beware of the weather. You wouldn’t want to do this viewpoint after heavy rain.
When at the top, be very careful as the viewpoint platform is still under construction and, as with much of Laos, there are very few safety features e.g. rails etc.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, bring lots of water!
Pha Noi and Pha Kao Trail and Viewpoint - Map Link
(approximate location of entrance to ticket office as no Google listing)
Okay this is it, this is the big one. The Pha Noi and Pha Kao Trail and Viewpoint was the hardest and longest hike we did in Nong Khiaw. Don’t believe the Google reviews saying they go up there in an hour. As far as we could tell, this would only be possible with rocket powered shoes or by sprinting up a mountain!
The entrance to the trail is off of the right hand side of the main road, on the southern side of the bridge. A large sign shepherds you in, as you head down between the houses. Tickets are brought from an old lady in a small wooden hut, these again cost 20,000 kip per ticket (£0.96 or $1.18).
Once tickets are brought, you head off across a bamboo bridge, through a small farm and into a beautiful forest. The trail starts off deceptively flat, as you follow the path through the woodland. This did not last.
The path quickly becomes steeper with steps cut into the mud or precarious staircases made out of branches and sticks. Not long into the forest you will come to a fork in the road with a sign.
The sign says 200m to Pha Noi Viewpoint to your left, and to the right 2km to the Pha Kao Viewpoint. We can only assume these figures refer to the elevation you needed to gain, as we certainly felt that they were nothing to do with the distance you needed to walk.
We decided to take the shorter route before tackling the longer climb, so we set off to the left. The trail was definitely longer than 200m and wound sharply up through the wooded mountain side. The path snaked up and over ladders, through crevices and around cliff edges before eventually opening out into a spectacular view. From the viewpoint you could see right over Nong Khiaw town, the bend of the Nam Ou river and the surrounding mountains.
There are two platforms at this viewpoint, one has a series of sun loungers (lets spare a thought for those who had to haul these up here) and the other is a rickety, bamboo floored hut that juts out over the cliff edge. The view from here was worth the ticket price alone, but looking backwards and up the mountain, we could see our final destination was a long way off. Photos snapped, it was time to retrace our steps back to the fork in the path and then, the long right hand road to Pha Kao and the top of the mountain.
The right hand path continues through the forest, climbing in a seemingly never ending staircase. The foliage changes as you climb up and up, going from vibrant greens and broad leafed plants in the sun, to darker browns and mushroom clad trees.
The trail continues to climb upwards, underneath the shadow of the massive stone cliffs, with the path switch backing up the mountain. The path was a mixture of loose stone, leaf matter and fine dust. In some places it got extremely slidey, at one point Ellie said we might be able to ski back down!
After many, many false peaks, the trees thinned out and we finally reached the top of the mountain. This last ten minutes was definitely the prettiest so far, with the path carved directly into the very edge of the mountain as it spiralled its way to the peak. The views were amazing. On one side of you, the jagged rocks leading up to the summit, and on the other a sheer drop flowing away into a vista of distant mountains, valleys and the snaking Nam Ou river. We weren’t sure that the peak could get better than this, but boy were we wrong!
After what had seemed like a never ending climb and with shaking legs, we came to the simple bamboo and corrugated iron hut that marked the peak and the end of the Pha Kao Trail.
Directly in front of us was Nong Khiaw town and Nang None mountain, but the scale was unbelievable. The town was tiny from up here. Houses smaller than ants, the bridge like a little twig across the river, and around it spread out in all directions, the mountainous countryside of Laos. It was jaw dropping! This had been the longest hike we had done, but by far had the greatest pay off.
Entry cost: One ticket cost 20,000 kip (£0.96 or $1.18)
Difficulty: Medium to Hard. The trail is long and permanently climbs upwards to over 1000 metres. The path does vary in quality, the route to viewpoint one is very well maintained, whereas the trail to viewpoint two is much more “au natural”.
How long does the walk take: Around half an hour to get to viewpoint one, Pha Noi and then another two hours to get to the top of Pha Kao (viewpoint two). Slightly faster on the way down, but not as quick as you may think as the path is extremely slippery in places and you need to watch your feet.
Tips: Set off early to avoid the worst of the sun, but bear in mind it is between a four to five and half hour round trip and you really don’t want to come down after dark.
Picking up a walking stick is a very good idea. John’s pride stopped him using one at the start, but he quickly realised how much energy they save on long climbs. As we’ve said before a lot of the path is loose grit and gravel and so can be very slippery under foot. There are lots of good fallen branches or old bamboo along the path that can be used as a walking stick.
Pack lots of water and food, we forgot the second part and only had a small bag of fried banana chips to sustain us on our trip.
As with all these treks, beware of the weather and always stick to the footpath.
Which viewpoint is the best to do?
If you’re short on time:
A lot of people will only have a few days in Nong Khiaw, and as such need to cram a lot into a short amount of time.
If you only get the chance to do one viewpoint, we would recommend the Som Nang viewpoint. This is the lowest, shortest and easiest of the viewpoints so could easily be done just before sunset after a full day exploring elsewhere. Seriously, if you're only in Nong Khiaw for one evening, you could easily do this viewpoint.
If time is on your side:
If you’re up for more of a challenge and do have a full day to spare, then definitely do hike the Pha Noi and Pha Kao trail and viewpoint. This climb really did test us, and did take us most of the day to complete, but the view from the top was incredible and as cheesy as it is to say, really did feel as though we were standing on top of the world!
In our view you can’t really go wrong with any of these hikes, all of them were challenging in their own way, and incredibly rewarding. We don’t regret any single one of them, so if you have time, do them all!
Final Tip: As we mentioned above please, please do not go off the marked trails in Laos. Due to the Secret War in the 1970s, there are still millions and millions of unexploded bombs littering the countryside.
Be very careful after heavy rains and always stick to marked paths!
For more information about the repercussions of the bombing campaigns, we would recommend visiting the following Centres in Laos:
COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiene - http://copelaos.org/
The UXO Lao Visitor Centre in Luang Prabang - https://www.uxolao.org/
The Caves
Nong Khiaw is surrounded by limestone mountains, and these provide the perfect environment for the slow formation of caves. Nong Khiaw has three major accessible cave complexes, within walking distance of the town. We checked out all three, and here’s what we found.
Phathok Caves - Map Link
If you leave Nong Khiaw along the southern road and travel for 2.5km you will come across the Phathok Caves. We wandered down on a sunny morning to have a look at the three cave system. The approach is worth the walk here alone. A large bamboo bridge winds out over a stream. You buy your tickets from a stilted house then set out across the bamboo walkway above the paddy fields. The tickets cost 20,000 kip each (£0.96 or $1.18) and you will almost certainly have a group of youths offering to give you a guided tour for a little more (we declined).
Across the rice paddy a roped off area shows the outline of a huge bomb creator, another reminder of the Secret War. The crater is so large that a healthy sized tree is now growing within its bounds. Around this crater, is a steep set of concrete stairs that climb into the rock face. The first cave lies at the top of these stairs. This cave has received some funding for preservation as a relic of the Secret War. Signs show you where the command centres, communication equipment and meeting halls were, or used to be, underneath the cave's high ceiling.
Towards the back of the cave was the shelter which was used during bombing raids, this was frankly terrifying as it was nothing more than a pit so deep you could barely see the bottom. The only access seemingly being by a rope hanging down into the darkness. You can't (thankfully) access this part so we headed back to the cave entrance.
Throughout this article there will be a lot of references to the Secret War. The war ran from around 1959 to 1975, and can alternatively be called the Laotian Civil War. It is referred to as the ‘Secret War’ as during the course of the war, the USA lent its support to the Royalists and conducted the largest bombing campaign in history (by volume). However, due to the ongoing Vietnam War, none of this was made public in the West. This is a very simplified (and possibly ignorant) summary but Google can provide a more in depth look at this fascinating but distressing conflict, the remnants of which still plague Laos today.
The last of the light as you enter the cave!
The second cave is a short walk around the base of the rock formation below the first. This tiny cave is a claustrophobic’s nightmare. There is no lighting so you have to bring a torch and squeeze between the gaps in boulders, seriously do not attempt this cave without good portable lighting. Your phone will be ok…ish, but we would definitely recommend torches. If you did opt for a guide they should provide you with a head torch. This cave was a communication centre and post office during the Secret War, it is much less renovated compared to the first cave and is essentially a tiny set of tunnels, wide enough for one person to squeeze through that wind deep into the mountainside.
The third cave is a little harder to find, you have to continue along the small path on the forested side of the paddy fields. The path twists in and around the bottom of the rock formation with stiles and barbed wire fences to navigate over. The barbed wire does have ‘passing points’ where a bit of bamboo covers the wire but the way can be off putting if you are not sure you're going in the right direction! The third cave is set a good distance further along the path, the caves opening is large and contains a Buddhist shrine in its cavernous opening. Behind the shrine is another set of tunnels opening into larger caves within.
The Phathok Caves were well worth the short walk from town but we have to say we actually preferred the outside scenery to the caves themselves. The green of flooded rice paddies set against the grey of the surrounding mountains, with the farmers planting a fresh crop, was beautiful and provided a strange contrast to the dark caves and their sad history.
Phar Noi History Caves - Map Link
The Phar Noi History Caves are almost inside town itself. Follow the signs from the main road (southern side of the bridge) and go through the construction site or new hostel depending on when you read this! At the far end of the field, there is a small bamboo bridge and hut. This is the ticket booth. Tickets were 20,000 kip each (£0.96 or $1.18), if you’ve got this far in the article, you must have noticed that this seems to be the standard entrance fee for everything. Once over the bridge, you follow the path up the hillside and through a small jungly wood before you reach the first cave.
The first cave features a tall ceiling, draped in stalactites and a circular opening to the sky. At certain times of the day, the sun will line up and cast a perfect beam of light down into the cave. Unfortunately, we had no idea when this would be, so we just enjoyed the cave as it was.
The second cave was a short walk from the first and could easily be missed. Look for a large rock between two trees, and you will see a small opening at the bottom. Crouch down and head through. Just inside is a bamboo ladder leading down into a large cave. Similar to the Phathok Caves you will need a torch in here, do not try an explore here without one!
“My preciousss….”
At the bottom of the ladder and on the left are remnants of war time cookery supplies. On the right, is a massive hole in the cave floor.
If you look directly above the hole, you can see war time graffiti. Including pictures of the American bombers that the cave dwellers were seeking shelter from.
We really enjoyed the history caves. They are set basically within the town, that they’re definitely worth checking out and giving an hour of your time to.
Pha Kuang Cave - Map Link
If you follow the road north out of town, either by foot (30 to 40 minutes) or by scooter (10 minutes) is the Pha Kuang Cave. We can’t give an entirely fair review of this cave as we didn’t explore the cave fully, but more on that later. As you reach the cave, you buy your tickets from the house opposite. This is also where you park your bike if you’re coming by scooter, or where you moor your kayak if you came by river. Tickets cost 10,000 kip each (£0.48 or $0.59).
A short but sharp walk from the road, up into the hillside lies the cave mouth. This cave is enormous, with a cathedral-like roof overhead and light spilling in from an enormous arched opening in the rock. There is a Buddhist shrine immediately as you enter and a collection of war remnants including cookware, bombs and shrapnel down near the arched window. The cave is really impressive and we spent a good twenty minutes inside taking photos, posing and otherwise making fools of ourselves.
Right at the back of this large cave, is a tiny opening in the wall. This marks the start of the cave system that reaches back into the mountain. This is where we have to admit we didn’t explore the cave properly. Here’s our slightly pathetic excuses as to why.
As you walk round Nong Khiaw, especially on the northern road, you may encounter the wandering mud people. These brave souls are marked from head to foot in the mud and fine dust of Pha Kuang Cave.
The cave has squeeze and crawl spaces where the only way forward is by hands and knees or belly, or while attempting to clutch a torch in your mouth. We didn’t fancy this, and chickened out with just our lovely pictures from the cave entrance. For those more hardy than us, there is a map outside the cave displaying the route and squeeze spaces, with the smallest part of the tunnel being only 0.3m heigh!
Kayaking on the Nam Ou River
The Nam Ou river flows through the heart of Nong Khiaw. The town is bifurcated and joined by the river and the bridge across it. Flowing from east to west, the river links the town to many local attractions as well as towns and cities further afield. From Nong Khiaw you can rent a kayak and enjoy the river, paddling to the Pha Kuang Cave, or north upstream to the villages along the river side.
We had a great evening in the kayaks, where we and some new friends enjoyed watching the sun go down, from the centre of the Nam Ou River. Looking west from the Nong Khiaw Bridge, the sun sets directly over the river, so watching the sun down from the kayaks, with a bottle of beer aboard was a memorable way to start an evening!
We rented a kayak, oars and lifejackets (for two people) for 60,000 kip (£2.82 or $3.84) but had to leave a 100,000 kip deposit.
Exploring the Local Villages Surrounding Nong Khiaw
On the southern side of the bridge and striking out north, is a dusty road. This road follows the river upstream and goes through the small villages of Ban Had Sao, Sop Vanh and beyond. To give our legs a break from the mountain hiking, we decided we would explore this route by foot.
As soon as we left the town of Nong Khiaw, you realised what a bubble it was. Nong Khiaw is beautiful and fun, but not the average Laotian town. Walking along this northern road, gave a brief window into the rural mountain lives of the locals. Rice paddies stretched in stepped plateaus on one side, whilst water buffalo wallowed in the mud.
As we reached the first village of Ban Had Sao, children escaped from their lessons and came to say hello. This swiftly became a demand for sweets and money, at which point their teacher dragged them back inside. If you strike inland from Ban Had Sao there is a waterfall that's apparently worth seeing, however as we were visiting in the dry season, we were told the waterfall was pretty much non-existent and so we continued north.
Passing isolated farms, more cheeky children and an elderly gentleman carrying what appeared to be an entire haystack on his back, the road continued on to Sop Vanh. The village of Sop Vanh was very quiet, with a couple of shops and an ornate Buddhist temple. As with all roads in Nong Khiaw region, there’s not really a circular route to do, so we chose the temple as our end point and turned around to head back to Nong Khiaw.
To Sop Vanh and back was around a 12km walk, and it took us 2 ½ to 3 hours to walk. It was a great day out, and it was nice to explore the more human geography of Laos after a few days of viewpoints.
Renting a Scooter
Renting a scooter is easy and cheap in Nong Khiaw. There are many shops on both sides of the river that will lend you a scooter. You will need to leave your passport and agree to a very punitive rental agreement (do not break the bike!). Rentals can be for the whole day, or if you ask nicely for half a day.
We rented from the Three Sisters shop (Map Link - approximate location as no Google Map listing ) for 70,000 kip for half a day rental including two helmets (£3.36 or $4.13). We did have to top up petrol once, but only by 50,000 kip (£2.40 or $2.95).
From Nong Khiaw, if you want to stick on the tarmac roads, you can effectively go one of two directions. We enjoyed exploring both ways. The west takes you up the valley and through increasingly populous towns with the road taking you past some beautiful rice paddies. The eastern route winds through the hills, passing two of the caves (see above), through small villages and to a small waterfall (Map Link) that you can paddle/swim in.
Hiring a scooter was a great way to see a little further afield, and a more rural, non-touristy Laos. As we passed through the villages, children waved (amongst other gestures), whilst dogs, chickens and other livestock provided a constant obstacle course on the road. With the wind in our helmets, and the countryside rolling by, we couldn’t help but think that this was a great way to spend the day!
Tips: Bear in mind there is no real circular route so you will always end up coming back the way you came!
The roads in Laos are not the smooth perfect tarmac of the Swiss Alps, they are full of potholes, charging children and clueless chickens. Be very careful and don’t pretend you’re at the MotoGP.
If you have to get petrol just remember you don’t serve yourself, just pull up, open up your petrol tank and tell the attendant how much money you want to spend on your refill. Alternatively many shops sell bottles of petrol usually in old coke or liquor bottles, again pay what you need and the shop owner will help you fill up.
Secret Sunset Spot - Map Link
If you’re staying at the Meexai Guesthouse this spot is easy to find, simply exit the garden and turn right. If you’re not staying at Meexai, find the road that leads to the Ban Lao Bungalows and follow it all the way down to the river. Here you’ll find a small fire pit and a log bench situated perfectly for sunset. We watched the sun go down from here a couple of times and it's a magical little spot.
Other Things To Do In Nong Khiaw
We spent a lot longer in Nong Khiaw than most other travellers do, but even so, there were still lots of things that we didn’t get to do.
Here’s a brief list of other things you can do in the area:
100 Waterfalls Trip
This is one of the more famous things to do in Nong Khiaw, and there are signs in front of every tour agency advertising this. It looks amazing, but when we were there it was in a dry spell, in the dry season and waterfalls were in short supply!
There are many tour operators up and down the main road of Nong Khiaw
Camping/Overnight Treks
There are lots of opportunities to do multi day treks in the surrounding countryside. These will often include camping, home stays in local villages and more in depth trekking. As part of some of these treks, you can find yourself camping at the top of the viewpoints e.g. Pha Kao. Next time we visit Nong Khiaw, we are definitely going to do this as we can’t think of a more magical place to wake up and see the sunrise!
Muang Ngoy
Another on our list for “definitely” next time is the small town of Muang Ngoy. Set north upstream from Nong Khiaw (there is daily boat service there), this laidback little town boasts phenomenal views and trekking opportunities. There are a few guesthouses and restaurants here as well, and next time we come to Laos, we’ll definitely stay for a day or so as it looks amazing.
Kayaking to Luang Prabang
We were so tempted by this, from Nong Khiaw you can book a three day, two night kayaking adventure that takes you all the way back to Luang Prabang via the Nam Ou River. Staying in home stays or camping depending on the season, you paddle your way downstream taking in the Nam Ou and then the Mekong’s river life. You leave your bags with the tour operator and they will get driven to Luang Prabang for you, the only reason we didn’t do this was that we ran out of time and so had to take the four hour bus rather than the three day kayak!
Food & Drink - Where and What to Eat in Nong Khiaw
For a small town, there are plenty of dining and drinking options available in Nong Khiaw. Here are some of our favourites:
Fish noodles - Map Link
(approximate location as no Google Map listing)
Sometimes great decisions are made out of pure laziness, this was the case with one of our favourite lunch choices. About two minutes to the right of our guesthouse entrance, along the main road on the southern bank of town, is a convenience store with a couple of plastic tables out front and two metal cauldrons of bubbling goodness. We sat, nodded and smiled our way through food ordering. We didn't know what was on offer or what we agreed to get, but as we've found in the past, trusting in the people who live in a place to give you good food is usually a good idea.
We ate at this tiny establishment many times during our stay and each time were given a different bowl of steaming noodles.
The first time we ate here was early in our Nong Khiaw trip and after a fun filled previous night in the bar. Shuffling out of our accommodation, we decided to go to the closest possible noodle shop, to try and get our brains back online. As the bowls came out, and almost in unison, we thought “oh shit… it’s fish”. Now we know that in some countries, fish is regarded as the perfect hangover cure, but for us, this is very rarely the case. We were craving big, possibly beefy bowls of comfort, fish was definitely not what we were craving. Oh but how wrong we were. As soon as we dipped our metal spoons into the broth, we knew we were in for a treat!
Flaked river fish, sat in the most comforting chicken based broth imaginable, swimming alongside lettuce, cabbage and bun noodles. We felt parts of our brain reawaken with every mouthful. As is quite common throughout Laos, our noodles were accompanied by a tray of fresh mint, water spinach, green beans and other crunchy vegetables and fresh herbs, as well as whole chillies for the daring and lime wedges for acidity. Mixing these accompaniments along with a potent chilli oil, led to one of the best hangover cures and possibly best brunch choices we made in the country!
Over the next week or so we dined here repeatedly, each day the choices would be slightly different including delicious khao soi (very different from the Thai dish of the same name), a delicious tomato based broth, topped with minced pork and vegetables. The broth was light and satisfying, with sweet and sour overtones. We affectionately started to call this dish; Laos bolognaise as with the minced meat, tomatoes and noodles, it struck a strangely familiar cord… Have we been away too long?
Another of our favourite bowls from here was the khao piak. This hearty noodle bowl was rich in chickeney flavour and topped with plenty of tasty leg meat, as well as one of the best blood cakes we ate in Laos. If you haven’t tried blood cake, really just give it a go. If you already eat sausages you already eat something far stranger than blood cake, and a good blood cake is meaty, smooth and rich in iron. A great accompaniment for a bowl of noodles.
The shop behind the noodle stall sells drinks as well as sweets and other sundries. On our last time here we witnessed the moves of a pro noodle eater… The lady next to us turned from her seat and grabbed a bag of rice cakes that were hanging from the ceiling of the shop above. These were swiftly snapped into crunchy bits and scattered about her bowl. Looking up we could see a variety of deep fried and crispy things hanging in the shop, any of which would have been a great addition. Next time Nong Khiaw, next time!
Honestly this was our favourite place to eat in Nong Khiaw, and one we would definitely recommend any traveller to check out. As you’ll see in the list below, we ate at lots of lovely places in Nong Khiaw, but there was a homely quality to sitting on these plastic chairs, outside a village shop whilst nannies laughed at us and small children buzzed around. Eating a bowl of noodles here felt like we were in the family living room. On the first day they looked surprised when we sat down, but by the end we felt like part of the family, even if we were the butt of most of the old ladies' jokes!
One bowl of noodles cost 15,000 kip (£0.74 or $0.90).
A soft drink from the shop behind cost 10,000 kip (£0.49 or $0.60).
Namlin Lao Restaurant - Map Link
Namlin restaurant is located a short walk outside of the main town, down the main road on the southern bank of the river. We stopped in here on our way to the Phathok Caves and it was so good we came back twice!
The menus were delivered by the adorable toddler daughter of the owner, who was very proud of her position, smiling and chatting at us in Laotian as she passed us the laminated menus. The restaurant setting was very relaxed, a central covered area of tables was surrounded by private dining pavilions for Laotian families. Each time we visited the tourists present were always outnumbered by the locals.
Namlin offers a small menu of Laotian and south east Asian dishes at a backpacker-friendly price. Fried rice, noodle soups, laab and pad thai are all available. We can definitely recommend their chicken fried rice which came out beautifully smokey, peanutty and filled to the brim with veg from their garden. Also the pad thai was delicious and very different from its Thai origins. Peppery, and floral with Laotian herbs it was much less rich than the Thai version. This pad thai was worth making the short trip to Namlin for alone!
Individual dishes at Namlin were around 25000 Kip (£1.20 or $1.47).
Chennai Restaurant and Halal Food - Map Link
(approximate location as no Google Map listing)
As the sun went down and the temperature dropped, we frequently were drawn into this cosy little restaurant in the evening to warm up with a curry. Chennai restaurant of Nong Khiaw served up all the usual curry favourites from dal makhani to chicken tikka masala, alongside rice, oven baked naan bread, samosas and other Indian restaurant favourites.
We tried a variety of their curries and were always pleased with what we got. Mildly spiced, yet hearty, these cheap, no frill curries really hit the spot, reminding us of England and our local curry houses. Just bear in mind, if it's busy the food may take a while, as all the food is prepared, cooked and served by just one family.
Two curries, two naan breads, one rice, soft drinks and water cost us 140,000 kip (£6.86 or $8.26).
Philasouk Pharmacy Noodles - Map Link
Just across the bridge on the north bank of the river is a little pharmacy, the Philasouk Pharmacy. Spread in front of the pharmacy are a few tables. These tables signal their purpose with a cruet of condiments, it was noodle soup time again. We ordered two bowls of chicken noodle soup and were quickly presented with plastic baskets full of mint, lettuce, green beans and lime, followed by two massive bowls of steaming chicken noodle soup. The noodles were wide, flat rice noodles, submerged in a delicate peppery broth. This next bit is going to sound mean, but honestly it's a compliment - the star of the show was the condiments, specifically the chilli and garlic oil. A half teaspoon of this ruby red oil laden with chilli and deep fried garlic totally changed the bowl of noodles. Fiery spice, smokey and a little sweet it lifted the bowl to a whole new level.
One bowl of noodle soup cost 30,000 kip (£1.47 or $1.77)
Coco Home Bar and Restaurant - Map Link
If you’re in the mood for a more upmarket dining experience (maybe you’re bored of plastic chairs?) then head in town to the northern bank of the river to Coco Home Bar and Restaurant. The restaurant is set with views over the Nam Ou river which makes for a lovely background to any meal. We visited in the evening and enjoyed a creamy red curry with chicken and vegetables, as well as a fresh and zingy laab salad. Laab (also spelt larb) is a traditional Laotian salad (also found in Thailand) made up of minced meat, lemongrass, mint, lime, chilli and other fresh herbs and eaten with sticky rice. The beef laab salad we had in Coco’s was fresh, sharp and delicious and was a perfect contrast to the rich curry.
The food at this restaurant was served in the sharing style, so even if an individual item looks a little more expensive, it will be because the portion size is easily enough for two people.
Our meal of chicken curry, beef laab, sticky rice and two soft drinks cost 149,000 kip (£7.30 or $8.79).
Couleur Cafe - Map Link
We are, after all said and done, Londoners. We’ve been gallivanting off around the world for a big long while at this point, and were sorely missing a nice brunch. Don’t get us wrong, noodles are our favourite, and we’re now fully in the swing of having rice and noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but sometimes you do just crave eggs for breakfast.
Couleur Cafe, located in town on the northern side of the river, was always popular whatever time of day. We ducked in for a late breakfast/early brunch and ordered two shakshukas from the menu.
Shortly afterwards we were presented with enormous hot metal pans, filled with tomato, baked egg, paprika, oregano and chilli. This eggy feast was swiftly joined by crispy baguettes ready to be dipped and loaded in the delicious bright red mix.
Shakshuka is reliably good, but this was excellent. Crunchy baguette, loaded with just set egg and plenty of deliciously spiced tomatoey sauce, this was just what we needed.
Couleur’s menu is extensive and covers a wide range of Western and Laotian dishes. The small dining room is always popular so you may need to wait a little, but judging by our dish, it is definitely worth your time!
A portion of shakshuka and bread costs 45,000 kip (£2.21 or $2.66) and a fruit smoothie cost 20,000 (£0.98 or $1.18)
Pizza and Pasta - Map Link
You can find “Pizza and Pasta” on the southern edge of town, opposite Home Coffee. This French run pizza place prides itself on sourcing authentic cheeses and wines, and other French ingredients. We came here to start a final night out with our friends before we left Nong Khiaw. As it was a special occasion we treated ourselves to something we had truly been craving… a cheese board!
Slithers of sharp hard cheeses, soft melting cheeses, and strong blues were presented on a wooden board, alongside carafes of wine. It was a world away from the delicious Laotian food we had been having, but was a worthy start to a celebratory night!
The restaurant also serves pizza, pasta dishes, burgers and fresh baked goods. If you’re enjoying a morning coffee at Home Coffee, you’ll frequently be able to see the owner making today’s batch of dough.
Our cheese plate cost 160,000 kip (£7.78 or $9.48) this seems like a lot for Nong Khiaw, but given that the cheeses had come from Europe, it’s a pretty good deal!
Home Coffee - Map Link
Lured in by their wooden signs dotted along the high street, we made our way to what claimed to be the best coffee in Nong Khiaw. Run by a charming family (their tiny daughter made for an adorable waitress even if she wasn’t allowed to carry any actual cups), this street side cafe sells the usual array of coffees either hot, cold or frappes style. We enjoyed two excellent hot lattes at 19,000 kip each (£0.94 or $1.11).
There is a limited food menu, with just a couple of breakfast options and some sandwiches. One of the days we ate a chicken sandwich. This was a toasted baguette filled with crispy breaded chicken, coleslaw and cheese and was a lovely little break from the traditional Laotian fare.
Word of warning, the breakfasts here are quite pricey. We ordered two of the set breakfasts and had a toasted baguette with butter and jam and fruit salad and it wound up costing more than our previous dinner. One set breakfast was 50,000 (£2.40 or $2.95). Still not expensive in the grand scheme of things but just worth bearing in mind.
An iced latte costs 25,000 kip and a frappe latte costs 29,000 kip. The breakfast sets start at 50,000.
Where to Have a Drink - Nightlife in Nong Khiaw
Hive Bar - Map Link
Set a short walk (15 minutes) outside of town, just before the entrance to the Sleeping Lady viewpoint is the Happy Bar. You will see signs for it all over town, in the reggae bar colours of yellow, green and red.
The bar itself is decked out in the usual South East Asian reggae decor, of bamboo, makeshift furniture, and trinkets hanging from every wall. To the right of the bar, there is a small terrace, with seats facing out across to the limestone mountains surrounding Nong Khiaw. These seats are great for a sundowner beer.
The Hive bar has great vibes, with a very laid back atmosphere, chilled out music, comfy seats and a very friendly owner. There are no set opening or closing times for the bar, in fact as you come into the bar, you’ll see written on a wall in colourful letters a phone number to call if the owner is not there to serve you a drink!
The bar also does fantastic food. We ate here a couple of times and the portions were generous and the food freshly cooked by the owner's wife. The spring rolls look comparatively expensive on the menu, but are well worth it. A towering plate full of perfectly crisp, deep fried rice paper spring rolls paired excellently with a bottle of cold beer Laos. Also worth mentioning was their fried chicken and ginger which was delicious.
As we mentioned the bar is a short walk from town, but definitely worth a visit.
Jellie beer price index: one large bottle of Beer Laos cost 25,000 (£1.22 or $1.47).
Q Bar and Restaurant - Map Link
Whilst in Nong Khiaw, the Q Bar was our hub, our unofficial home, our meeting place and sometimes our dinner venue. Spread over 3 floors and open to the elements on all sides, this wooden bar on the south side of the river serves cold beer, cocktails and food in a relaxed setting. The third floor is a great vantage point to watch the sun go down, whilst the ground floor has a home made snooker table and communal tables and sofas. We are biassed towards this bar as we made a load of good friends here. We enjoyed many a night of Beer Lao fuelled hilarity in this bar. On busy nights after the bar has closed, bar patrons may even decamp from the bar to a nearby field for a bonfire and bbq!
The Q Bar is everything you could hope for in a backpacker bar, offering a happy hour between 6pm and 8pm: buy one cocktail and get another one for free, a fridge full of cold Beer Laos, a chilled out atmosphere and lots of friendly travellers.
The food at the bar was a mix of Lao and Western in a backpacker friendly budget range. We would highly recommend the Laotian vegetarian hot pot. A charcoal fire is brought to your table with a steaming bowl of broth on top. You can then add mushrooms, vegetables, herbs and noodles and allow them to cook into the broth. When we were there the owner showed us how to poke a small hole into both ends of an egg, blow through and create an egg-drop soup effect! You then take a peanutty sauce, add it to your personal bowl and dole out ladles of steaming veggie goodness. Mix all this together then add chillies/fresh herbs and voila! An amazing bowl of food! We are not vegetarians but we can report that this was really delicious! The vegetarian bbq hotpot for two people cost us 60,000 kip (£2.94 or $3.54).
The bar also served great fried rice, noodles and warm soups to warm you up as the temperatures dropped in the evening.
Jellie beer price index: one large bottle of Beer Laos cost 25,000 (£1.22 or $1.47).
Final Thoughts
At the time of writing this article we have been travelling for over nine months, and Nong Khiaw is without a doubt one of our favourite places we’ve visited so far. The town itself is just small enough to be charming, whilst large enough to have a good variety of food and drink on offer. The surrounding landscape is nothing short of spectacular, and there is so much to do you can’t get bored whilst here. Nong Khiaw also has the advantage of being less well known and slightly out of the way of the normal Southeast Asian backpacking trail. The people that come to Nong Khiaw have chosen to be there, they haven’t blindly followed the ‘Banana Pancake’ trail. The nights in the bar were awesome, with a group of like minded travellers sitting communally chatting over beers and cocktails, playing pool and generally just enjoying life. It wasn't Vang Vieng with its party scene, but it was something else entirely. It was something we feared might not even exist anymore.
Au revoir Nong Khiaw, as this is definitely not good bye forever!
Just Some of Our Snapshots of Nong Khiaw
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
*Prices correct at time of visiting - February 2023
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Pakbeng - What To Do If You’ve Missed Your Slow Boat?
The town of Pakbeng marks the midpoint of the world famous Laotian slow boat route. Lying between the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang and the border town of Huay Xai, most travellers only stop here for the night. But what if you stayed longer? What is there to do in Pakbeng? Where is there to stay? What is there to eat? Read our blog for the complete guide to Pakbeng.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
The town of Pakbeng sits at the midpoint of the famous Mekong slow boat river trip. The full river journey runs between the UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang and the Laotian/Thai border town of Huay Xai. Most travellers, and we really mean most, like 99% will arrive in Pakbeng in the early evening and then leave again before 10am the next day. The whole town is set up to deal with this overnight trade, but what if you stayed there a little longer? What if you missed your boat? We decided to slow ourselves down and have a full day in Pakbeng and this is what we got up to.
We had arrived in Pakbeng on board the luxury Shompoo cruises. We knew that the next leg of our journey would be on the normal, less luxurious slow boat but we needed some time to plan our Laotian itinerary. A quick scout of the town showed it had a wealth of cheap accommodation, so we decided to stay a full extra day in Pakbeng to plan our route and explore the town a little bit.
Accommodation in Pakbeng - Where to Stay?
There are dozens of guesthouses in the town. The whole town is set up to deal with the overnight travellers and there are many choices of where to sleep. When travellers get off the boat, there is a flurry of activity on the pier as guesthouses and hoteliers vie for the travellers custom.
The guesthouses of the town are simple and cheap. Usually a double or twin bed and a shared bathroom. As with many places in Laos, the online listings are much more expensive than simply just turning up and asking for the prices. Also worth bearing in mind, is that there are many more accommodation choices in town than appear online. We use Agoda, Booking.com, Expedia and Google to look at accommodation and none of them were showing half of what was on offer in Pakbeng.
Our cheap and cheerful room in Pakbeng!
We walked along the high street and eventually settled on a double fan room (shared bathroom) for 100,000 kip (£4.80 or $6.00) staying at the Thiphaphone Guesthouse. This was the cheapest we saw, but the difference was minor, most rooms were going for between 100,000 and 150,000 kip.
For upmarket choices there are two hotels to choose from: The Sanctuary and Le Grand. These two are much more luxurious than the guesthouses in the village themselves and have swimming pools and restuarants themselves. If you’ve booked ahead at one of these posher places they should arrange a tuk tuk transfer to and from the pier. If you’re planning to stay in the main town, transport is completely unnecessary unless you’ve really overpacked!
We were definitely an oddity walking around the town at mid morning. As we’ve mentioned, all travellers leave with the boats in the early morning, so we were the only travellers in town. All the guest houses were halfway through turning over their rooms, with their washing hanging out the windows to dry. The locals were looking at us with amused expressions which just said “ah, those two must have missed the boat”.
Things to Do in Pakbeng
Pakbeng is not a large town but it does have some interesting things to keep you occupied if you’ve missed your boat, or like us, just decided to slow down.
The Pakbeng Viewpoint
Just inside town, at the top of the pier, is a large sign detailing the sites and surrounding attractions of Pakbeng. Quickly piquing our interest was the ‘Pakbeng Viewpoint’. This didn’t appear on Google Maps, but as is frequently the case, did show on Maps.me. Follow the high street away from the pier, going past all the guesthouses and restaurants and you’ll eventually come to a signpost directing you to turn off the main road to the left.
Follow this dusty road as it winds past wooden houses and climbs a hill, passing the primary school until you reach a helipad. The views from here are great, but you're not at the viewpoint yet! Turn behind you and climb the steep set of stairs to reach the viewpoint itself. Perched on a hill between the main road and the town, the viewpoint looks directly over the Mekong and surrounding hills. The viewpoint is split into two platforms.
The left platform overlooks the Mekong as it flows downstream. The right viewing platform overlooks the town of Pakbeng and the green hills behind. The views are fantastic and well worth the short walk and sharp climb. The viewpoint area itself looks to be/has been in a state of renovation, there is a distinctly unfinished feel to it with lots of construction equipment left lying around. Still you didn’t come to look at the viewpoint, you came to look at the view and the view does not disappoint.
There is no kind of ticket barrier or entry fee, just walk up!
Tip: The route is well signposted from town except for the very final point of the helipad. The road winds on, but don’t take this. Look behind you for the concrete steps and climb up these.
Wat Khokkhormingmoungkhoun
On your way to or from the viewpoint, there is a Buddhist temple that's well worth a look.
Wat Khokkhormingmoungkhoun commands a beautiful view over the river.
As always remember to dress appropriately - unfortunately we were in shorts this day, so could only peer through the ornate Naga guarded gateway.
Pakbeng Museum
We passed by and attempted to visit this museum but unfortunately it appeared to be closed. We can’t tell if this is permanent or whether it just wasn’t our day.
From the notice board it looks as though it is a small museum giving history of the local area and the communities within it.
Mekong Elephant Park
Another thing we didn’t do! Those who know us, know that Ellie is an elephant nut, and as such is rightly very picky about visiting “elephant sanctuaries”. We didn’t have time to properly research this one, so wound up not going. From what we can see it does look legit, housing four rescued elephants with no riding and mostly offering observation tours, but we were unsure as there were some higher cost ‘interaction experiences’. If you know more, let us know in the comments!
Sanctuary Viewpoint
The Sanctuary hotel runs in partnership with the elephant park and is about a ten minute walk away from town up a hill. Its bar and restaurant have incredible views over the Mekong, especially at sunset. If you feel like treating yourself to an expensive beer ($3.50 - you know you’re in trouble when the prices are in dollars) and an amazing view, then this is a great place to do this.
Eating and Drinking in Pakbeng
There is no shortage of evening food options in Pakbeng. From the local Laotian dishes of laab and noodle soups, to the backpacker favourites of fried rice and noodles, there will be something for your palette.
For our lunch we had an enormous, but extremely tasty Pad Krapow, served with a side serving of delicate vegetable soup. For dinner, we went off piste and went to an Indian restaurant recommended by our guesthouse. It was hearty and tasty, but like most places in town the prices are a little high as the restaurants have to capitalise on the one off tourist trade.
For those on a budget, at the bottom of the hill (next to the pier) there are lots of vendors selling all manner of barbecued meats as well as street side sandwiches and pastries. These sandwich vendors will also appear early the next morning for you to stock up before your onward boat journey.
Tip: For those worried about a speedy departure the next day, sandwiches can be preordered at these stalls and picked up the next morning.
In terms of drinking, Google lists two bars in town. Unfortunately, both the Happy Bar and the Hive Bar were closed when we visited. Although it looks now as though the Happy Bar has reopened. The lack of bars seemed crazy as there was definitely a demand for a bar in this backpacker destination. All the restaurants, cafes and shops serve Beer Laos for takeaway or to drink in. The pizza bar on the main strip has a small bar at the front that was busy all night.
Leaving Pakbeng
Pakbeng Pier - Your entrance and exit point by river from the town
The vast majority of travellers, including us, will leave Pakbeng via boat either downstream to Luang Prabang or upstream to the Thailand border town of Huay Xai.
Both boats leave early in the morning, the Luang Prabang boat departs at 9.30am and the Huay Xai bound boat leaves at 8.30am. Tickets are purchased on the day on the boat itself and our advice is to get there early to secure a comfy seat. Tickets cost 150,000 kip (£7.20 or $9.00) to both Luang Prabang or Huay Xai.
For our experiences on two very different slow boats, check out our article here.
Where Else Can I Go From Pakbeng?
The boat isn’t the only way to leave Pakbeng. There are buses to the city of Muang Xai/Oudomxay/Oudomxai (what is it with Laos and having three different names for the same city?!) as well as other local destinations. The bus stop is outside of town so you will need to factor this into your journey time as it's slightly over half an hour's walk away according to Maps.me.
Pakbeng is a necessary stop along the amazing slow boat route on the Mekong river. Its entire business model is designed to capitalise on one night tourism, however if you find yourself here longer, maybe through illness, a mighty hangover or just missing the boat there is plenty to keep you occupied. You could easily just spend an afternoon sitting on the pier watching the Mekong flow by.
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
*Prices correct at time of visiting - January 2023
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The Slow Boats of Laos, Budget Versus Bougie
A bucket list item for travellers, the slow boats on the Laotian Mekong run between the UNESCO world heritage city of Luang Prabang and Huay Xai, the border town between Laos and Thailand. We took two very different cruises up the river, the luxury Shompoo Cruise between Luang Prabang and Pakbeng and the local slow boat between Pakbeng and Huay Xai. Read on for our experiences on this incredible stretch of river!
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Taking the slow boat on the Mekong is a bucket list item for many travellers. Between the border town of Huay Xai and the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang, slow boats plough their way up and down the mighty Mekong river.
We had just finished a wonderful week in Luang Prabang. John’s parents had tracked him down and treated us to a fantastic stay in the ancient Royal Capital of Laos. When it was time to leave there was only one choice. We would all get on a slow boat and travel up the Mekong to Pakbeng.
The first leg of the journey, Luang Prabang to Pakbeng, would be done in the lap of luxury as John's parents had the river cruise included in their tour package. After Pakbeng we would be going our separate ways and thus a more backpacker friendly mode would be engaged. Our second boat journey from Pakbeng to Huay Xai would be less salubrious, joining other travellers and locals on a distinctly more budget friendly local boat.
Leg One - Boating in the Lap of Luxury - Luang Prabang to Pakbeng
Day one started with an early morning wake up call in Luang Prabang. A 7am departure saw us up early at the Shompoo Cruise pier ready for our day of luxurious cruising. We would be travelling this leg of the Mekong on a very large and well appointed river boat. Comfy seats, recliners and even some scatter cushions were strewn artfully about the deck, with a bar and toilet to the back of the boat. There were only twelve of us on this massive boat, so we were free to roam and stretch out wherever we pleased. From every angle you could get a different view of the river. The prow of the boat had chairs set up giving spectacular uninterrupted views of the river valley. The bar had stool seating facing out to the sides, and all along the boat were seats and recliners set next to the open windows.
We set off with the early morning mists rising from the river and cloaking Luang Prabang in their mysterious coils. The boat puttered along at a fairly lively pace but was quiet and relaxed for everyone on board allowing us all to savour the surroundings. The boat provided warm blankets against the early morning chill, and breakfast had been picked up from one of the posher coffee shops (T56 cafe and bar) of Luang Prabang. As we drifted along we passed school children cycling, monks crossing the river and farmers tending their crops. Munching on croissants whilst sipping coffee and floating down the Mekong was an unforgettable way to start a day.
The upstream Shompoo Cruise included a stop at the Pak Ou caves. The two visitable caves are accessible from a small jetty on the side of the river. The upper cave are reached by climbing 300 stone steps and houses beautiful Buddha statues as well as a stupa and shrine. The lower cave is a treasure chest filled with every style, shape and design of Buddha you can imagine. Point your torch in any direction and an image of the Buddha will stare back at you. The cave is packed with tiny alcoves filled to the brim with Buddha statues.
The climb to the Pak Ou caves also gives fantastic views of the Mekong river below.
The Pak Ou caves was the only stop on this leg of the cruise, so afterwards we clambered back on board and got comfy for the remaining seven odd hours to Pakbeng.
The boat was very comfy, with John nodding off after being lulled to sleep by the gentle movement of the water. A buffet lunch was provided as well as free tea, coffee and water. There was also a paid bar on board for mid afternoon beverages.
As the river wound on, we took in water buffalo, pristine jungle, peanut fields and lots of interesting snap shots of Laotian river bank life. We pulled into Pakbeng just before 5pm just in time to watch a spectacular sunset over the Mekong river.
For those travelling in luxury Pak Beng has two higher end hotels: The Sanctuary and Le Grand. The above photo was taken at the Sanctuary’s restaurant, the views were amazing! For those on a backpacking budget there are many guesthouses in the town itself offering cheap lodgings for the night.
As we mentioned we were travelling this leg as guests of John’s parents so didn’t have to foot the bill for any of this. We can’t comment on any kind of “value for money” thing here, but only our experiences on the boat. A boat trip with Shompoo Cruises can be booked directly from Luang Prabang or on their website. We have not been paid or otherwise incentivised to promote them.
Leg Two - Back to Backpacking - Boating with the Locals - Pakbeng to Huay Xai
After saying goodbye to John’s parents and staying another night in Pakbeng to sort out our onward itinerary, we boarded the daily slow boat upstream to the border town of Huay Xai.
The boat departs daily from Pakbeng to Huay Xai at 8.30am. You buy your tickets for this journey on the day of travel on the boat. One ticket from Pakbeng to Huay Xai costs 200,000 kip. Seating and tickets are first come, first served so get there early to avoid an uncomfortable ride. We rocked up at 8am and were definitely not the first to board. Around 8.10am it started to become extremely busy and we were very glad we had arrived early and claimed our seats. The seats we had today stood in far contrast to the luxury of the first day. Gone were the recliners and scatter cushions, instead there were wooden cushioned benches and what appeared to be seats ripped straight out of a coach and placed on movable wooden blocks.
Tip: Word to the wise, when boarding don’t be tempted by the inward facing rows of coach seats as these can be moved around if more people need to get on. Even if they stay where they are you will constantly need to move your feet around as people go backwards and forwards!
Your bags are stored wherever they will fit. As we got on early, our backpacks were stowed under our wooden bench. Later arrivals had their bags piled at the front and back of the boat with some of them being rearranged mid cruise to help with weight distribution.
The boat sputtered to life and swung away from the pier just after 8.30am. In contrast to the twelve people on board for the first leg, there were at least fifty on board this smaller boat. A mix of backpackers, Laotian families and sales people moving their goods around, the boat was a lively affair. Children ran up and down the aisle, whilst their grandmother sat cross legged and ramrod straight on the seat beside. The banks of the Mekong gently rolling past amidst the chatter of the travellers on board.
Another difference between this and our luxury cruise was apparent within moments of setting off, there were no free blankets. As we waited for the sun to rise above the mountains and burn off the morning mists, it was seriously chilly. This had obviously caught out quite a few of our fellow travellers as we all huddled together with our hoodies up. The more experienced locals were bundled in blankets they had brought from home.
Tip: At the back of the boat next to the shop there is a stack of blankets. These can almost certainly be rented/borrowed but by the time we had noticed them the temperature had risen back to the normal tropical heat.
This stretch of the river seemed more remote than that of the previous day. We passed reed thatched houses in precarious cliffside villages. Many of the houses were raised up further still to protect them from the river below and its monumental floods. Limestone cliffs towered over the riverbanks whilst water buffalo wallowed in the shallows. We passed families collecting and drying reeds for brushes and what looked like panning for gold.
Mid morning saw the group behind us open the first of the beer Lao to salute their journey up the Mekong. Whereas yesterday we had a buffet lunch and a dedicated bar. Today, there was a young Laotian family at the back of the boat who had almost walled themselves in with stacks of water, pot noodles and beer for sale. Behind the makeshift shop there was a toilet on board. We can’t comment on the state of it as we didn’t use it.
The chatter on board the boat was lively and friendly, with a Laotian baby doing the rounds with her mother to say hello to everyone (the baby looked very confused by this). Lunchtime saw a flurry of activity at the helm of the boat. A carpet was laid out and an ornate circular table brought forward from the back of the boat. It was time for the Captain’s lunch. Baskets of sticky rice, dried pork and steamed green vegetables were beautifully laid out on the silver table. We looked on in jealousy as we tucked into our sandwiches.
Tip: The town of Pakbeng is completely set up to cater for the long boat journeys. It is the halfway point for the up and down stream journeys, as well as the lunch spot for the speed boats. Lining either side of the main street are vendors selling portable snacks from sandwiches, pastries and cakes to crisps, biscuits and drinks. Pick up your breakfast and lunch here if you don’t feel like eating pot noodles on the boat!
Occasionally the boat would swing into an ostensibly deserted piece of river bank and a Laotian family would get off. Things did get a little bit more interesting at one point when there was a loud clunk from the engine and we shuddered to a halt in the middle of the river. The driver steered us into the bank, had a heated discussion on a telephone, then went to the back and did something noisy to the engine and we set off again as if nothing had happened!
Tip: We have heard that breakdowns are quite common and can be a lot more time consuming than ours was. Bear this in mind if you’re running out of visa time!
After around seven hours, the river swept around in a large bend and we finally had Thailand to the left of us. The Mekong serves as the border along this stretch of the river. The contrast between the Laotian and Thai sides of the river was instantly evident. The Thai side had much more infrastructure with new roads and what looked like flood defences, whereas the Laotian side was still predominantly jungle and fields. Eventually we passed under the Friendship Bridge and swung into Huay Xai. Our slow boat journey was complete!
Tip: The Friendship Bridge which serves as the border crossing between Thailand and Laos is quite a distance from Huay Xai and the boat landing pier. You will need to factor in at least 45 minutes to get between the two, so keep an eye out on when the border closes for the day. Our boat was coming in at 5.30pm and there were a lot of very worried people on board!
Both days of travel along the Mekong were fantastic. It’s a bucket list item for a reason. It’s a beautiful way to take in what would otherwise be a remote and inaccessible area of Laos. You get to see life played out across the river and its banks. It's not like a museum piece or any of the “craft villages" often added to package tours, it was real life happening just outside the window. We feel you could travel up and down the Mekong multiple times and you wouldn’t see the same journey twice.
This piece is not meant to answer which cruise you should take as they are completely different. If you require comfort, the ability to roam around and countless photo opportunities then the Shompoo Cruise was the definition of luxury and convenience. Whereas if you want to be in amongst it all, having babies passed around, surrounded by the chatter of travellers, and to be frank, save a lot of money, then the local slow boat will suit you perfectly. Either way, you need to do this now. The construction has already begun on several dams along these stretches of river, and it won't be long until this route is impassable and the landscape changed forever.
The Basic Facts of Taking a Slow Boat Up/Down the Mekong River
How Long Does It Take?
There are two options when answering this question. The slow boat takes two days with each day taking 6 to 8 hours depending on the river.
Alternatively, there is a speedboat service that will get you all the way in a day. We have heard this is quite an uncomfortable experience and there are some questions online as to its safety.
How Much Does It Cost?
The local slow boat is 150,000 kip per leg of the journey (300,000 kip in total - £14.15 or $17.70).
From the starting points of Huay Xai or Luang Prabang, you can buy your slow boat tickets at the departure piers, or for an added cost (that may include a transfer to the pier) from a tour operator or your hostel. The tickets from Pakbeng to your destination, are brought on the boat when you board at Pakbeng.
The cost of the more luxurious boats can be found here http://shompoo-cruise.com/en/our-rate/ - bear in mind it is a lot more expensive with prices starting above £135 ($170.00).
Where Do the Slow Boats Depart From?
Both Luang Prabang and Huay Xai have “slow boat” piers.
The slow boat pier in Huay Xai (Map Link) is easily walkable from the strip of accommodation most backpackers will find themselves staying in. Tuk tuks are available if you need a lift or are coming from the border.
In Pakbeng you will be dropped off from the same pier (Map Link) you will leave from in the morning, and the town is immediately in front of you. The luxury accommodation is up the hill to the left, whereas the town, guesthouses, restaurants and cafes lie to the right. If you’re booked into one of the more upmarket hotels, they will usually send transport to pick you up.
In Luang Prabang the slow boat pier (Map Link) is located a little further out of town, past the airport. There are plenty of taxis and tuk tuks available. If you’ve booked the ticket through a travel agent, they may include this transfer in the price, if not find some fellow travellers and split the cost to take one of the larger tuk tuks.
If you have splashed the cash and are travelling with Shompoo Cruises, then the pier is in the centre of Luang Prabang (Map Link).
What to Bring on the Slow Boat?
If you’re taking the local boat, when travelling on the first leg of your journey, make sure you bring any food or drinks that you want. Boats depart early in the morning and don’t stop until they reach Pakbeng in the late afternoon/early evening. On board there is a small shop selling pot noodles, crisps, biscuits, tea, coffee, beer and soft drinks.
When you stop at Pakbeng you can pick up sandwiches and other supplies ready for your second leg. If you’re on an especially busy boat, we would recommend pre-ordering your sandwiches when you arrive so you can just pick them up and go the next day. There are dozens of vendors all along the street in Pakbeng who can do this.
As we’ve mentioned on Shompoo Cruises, both breakfast and lunch were included and there was a paid bar available on board.
You set off early on both days, so wear a warm layer to snuggle into. The local boat we took did have blankets to rent. Blankets were provided on the Shompoo Cruise.
Are There Toilets Available?
Yes on both boats. Although we can’t comment on the quality of the local boat as luckily we didn’t need it. Shompoo Cruises were very nice!
Final Tips for the Local Slow Boat
Get there early as its first come, first served with seats.
The Huay Xai to Luang Prabang route is meant to get really busy, to the point where some travellers we have met regretted taking it. The boat from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai however, is perfect. Busy enough to still have an atmosphere but not overcrowded.
If you buy from a travel agent they will add their costs.
We would not recommend using the slow boat to Huay Xai on the last days of your visa. The boat will dock at Huay Xai very close to the time when the border closes for the day, and it's a 45 minute drive from the pier to the border (also breakdowns are quite common)!
Download some chilled out tunes and watch the river flow by. It really is an amazing experience!
Snapshots of Life Along the Mekong
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
*Prices correct at time of visiting - January 2023
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If you are looking for a less travelled route through Northern Laos, you have come to the right place. Read our guide and story of the journey between the mountain backpacker town of Nong Khiaw and Sam Neua and finally the caves of Vieng Xai. The journey is not for the faint of heart!