With a stronger emphasis on nature than other countries in the region, Laos became a quick favorite during my quick 9 day circuit there. Despite my knee injury from the motorbike accident in Vietnam, I spent a lot of time hiking and exploring!
Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw, Muag Ngoy, and Vang Vieng were included in my nine day tour of Laos. Highlights included climbing to stunning viewpoints, swimming in crystal clear water, and using boats as a main mode of transport.
Luang Prabang
Kuang Si Waterfall
The Kuang Si Waterfall is an absolute must-see, and well worth the journey.
Vans to the waterfall are for sale at most hostels - I paid 40,000 kip ($4.5USD). The drive is quite far with lots of potholes.
Tuk tuks will also take you to the falls, but I hear they will only wait one hour while vans will wait four hours.
Admission for the waterfall is 20,000 Kip ($2.5USD), but I definitely could have walked by without paying.
Bring your swimsuit and get there early! Nobody else was swimming when we arrived around 10am, so our photos were clear of tourists.
The hike to the top of the
waterfall is somewhat challenging, but I made it up with only one good knee.
Night Market
Located right downtown, I ate here for dinner every night! A long street of souvenirs are for sale, and an alley off the Main Street is absolutely stuffed with food for sale. My favorite was the 15,000 Kip ($1.5USD) buffet - all you can fit onto a large plate.
Utopia Bar & Bowling
In Laos, it is illegal to be out after midnight, although this law is not enforced. The Utopia bar is the most popular in the city, a hippie-garden style bar with lights and a view of the river.
When the bar closes at 11:30pm, everyone jumps into waiting tuk tuks to go bowling. That’s right - you heard me. Bowling.
I am not particularly good at bowling, but I had so much fun bowling in the middle of the night with my new Canadian best friends.
Sunset at the City Viewpoint
A long flight of stairs lead to a temple at the highest point in the city. Although it was too overcast to enjoy a sunset, the view of the city and the river was incredible.
Strangely, the view reminded me of Ljubljan, Slovenia!
Two Day Slowboat
Read here about how to take the two day slow boat into Laos from Thailand. https://deenawhitwam.wixsite.com/travelblog/blog/how-to-take-the-two-day-slowboat-from-chiang-rai-into-laos
Nong Khiaw
Nang None viewpoint
For 50,000 Kip ($6USD), you can hike to the top of a local mountain for a view of the city. This is a steep price for a hike - but I left at 8am before the ticket booth was open and got to climb for free.
There are two viewpoints at the top of the hike, #1 and #2. I heard that #2 was the best, but it would not be difficult to check out both.
There are also multiple mountains with viewpoints in the city, but one was a big enough victory for my knee and I. It’s possible that another hike would be cheaper.
Deen’s Indian food
What a fantastic name for a restaurant. I ate every meal here during my time in Nong Khiaw - it was hands down the best food I had in Laos. I absolutely loved it! Highly recommend.
Muag Ngoy
From Nong Khiaw, there is a one hour boat ride that will take you up river to Muag Ngoy for 25,000 Kip ($3USD). There are only two boats per day, so plan ahead!
I only spent one day in Muag Ngoy, but I have a solid understanding of some of the basic things to do.
A hike that includes a cave is located right in the city - my friends checked it out at sunset and it sounded beautiful. (Hiking in the dark with one knee sounded like a bad idea for me.)
Villages
Getting even further into rural Laos is also an option. Access to these villages requires a 1.5hour walk, renting a bicycle, or calling ahead to a homestay in the village to pick you up.
This is something I will need to return to Laos to check out - maybe sometime when I can handle 1.5 hours of walking or bend my knee enough to ride a bike.
Transport Muang Ngoy to Vang Vieng
An overnight bus leaving at 4pm was available in the city for 180,000 Kip ($21USD). I slept in a weird wide bed with three other tourists in the far back of the sleeper bus, but it was cheap and a funny experience.
Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng was my favorite city in Laos! There is so much to do and see, and the party scene has mellowed dramatically after Australian intervention a few years ago.
Tubing
For 50,000kip ($6USD), you can borrow a tube and ride down the river. There are two route options, yellow and red, and I heard that red is hands down better because the ride has more nature and no big buildings.
There are four bars along the river and plenty of tourists to meet. Tubing begins around 1pm and tuk tuks (included in ticket price) bring you back to town at 6pm.
Blue Lagoons
There are five blue lagoons in the city, and after research I explored #3 and #5 via scooter rental. The scooter was 60,000kip ($7USD) for the day (cost split with a friend).
Blue Lagoon #5 was more of a river, and included a massive cave to explore, which was awesome if you have a proper light (available for rent). I particularly liked the history of these caves.
Blue Lagoon #3 was almost a waterpark, with bungalows to enjoy lunch with a view and zip lining over the lagoon. Extremely fun.
You can swim at all of the lagoons, so bring a suit!
Caves
Blue Lagoon #5 had my favorite cave, because the size of it made its history so clear.
Laos is the most bombed country in the world. During the Vietnam War, Laos was part of the “Secret War” that entailed the US dropping cluster bombs all over Laos in an effort to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail, the Vietnamese supply road. The US dropped more bombs on Laos in this war than WWII. Unfortunately, 30% of these bombs never exploded so much of rural Laos is an active minefield. These hidden bombs prevent locals from expanding from subsistence farming and have hindered the country’s economic growth. During the Secret War, Laotian people would seek refuge in the caves I explored.
Nam Xay Top View
This hike led to a beautiful view of the city, a hut with a roof and a hammock to enjoy the day, and a motorcycle chained to the rocks.
Best view in Laos - definitely worth the climb and the 10,000 Kip ($1.15USD) entrance fee.
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