Nong Khiaw is a sleepy Lao village. Tourism has increased considerably in recent years, but it still has a cozy, authentic atmosphere. For hike fanatics, there is much to do around this cozy town. Below we tell you in detail about the 7 best things to do in Nong Khiaw.
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Things to do in Nong Khiaw
When you walk into Nong Khiaw, the first thing you will notice is that there are a huge number of tour operators. Everywhere you look, you’ll see an office where you can book treks. Prices are the same at every office and they all offer the same thing as well. So there is no “best” office to book a tour.
1. Multi-day trekking in Nong Khiaw
This is the most famous activity in Nong Khiaw. On a multi-day trek, you’ll hike through the mountains, pass local villages and enjoy the amazing nature of northern Laos.
The draws range from 1,2,3,4, or even 5 days long. We ourselves opted for the two-day trek, which we thought was fine. The first day is quite a bit of hiking (6 hours total of which 2 hours are real climbing). You will stay in a basic accommodation in an authentic village. Often there is no shower and you will have to swim in the river to freshen up. If you prefer more luxury, it is not recommended to go on a multi-day trek in Nong Khiaw. The villages are not built around tourists so you can’t expect much more than the above.
The second day you will sail to the village of Muang Ngoy, where you will climb a viewpoint, visit a cave and see the village. After this, you will sail on to the next stop, where you will hike for an hour to a waterfall (and an hour back). Finally, you kayak the last part back to Nong Khiaw.
All in all, a multi-day trek in Nong Khiaw is quite an experience. It is a requirement to have at least some basic fitness, otherwise you will soon get very tough. Bring at least swimwear, mosquito repellent, sunscreen and thin hike clothes.
2. Muang Ngoy
Years ago, Muang Ngoy was known as a quiet, sleepy village. Meanwhile, tourism has also reached this village. You can find many guesthouses and nice restaurants here these days. Still, we found Muang Ngoy very nice to walk through, relax with a book and possibly spend the night.
Next to Muang Ngoy is the Pha Boom Viewpoint. It is a tough climb for about 20 minutes but then you will be rewarded with stunning views of the river and Muang Ngoy. On your way back from the viewpoint, also take a look inside the cave. During the war, 200 people lived here at the same time!
Every day, boats sail from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoy and back again. You can walk on your own to the pier (under the big bridge) and buy tickets on the spot.
3. Nong Khiaw 360 viewpoint: spending the night in a tent
The Nong Khiaw 360 viewpoint is a must visit. You spend about 1 – 1.5 hours climbing vigorously but you are rewarded with an amazing view of the surroundings and the mountains. Best of all, you can also spend a night here sleeping in a tent.
You can choose to walk up on your own or with an organized “tour”. If you choose to go all by yourself you can rent a tent at the bottom of the mountain. You should therefore bring your own dinner/snacks upstairs. If you go with an organized tour, this will be taken care of for you. When you arrive at the top, the tent will be set up for you and you will also get dinner (fried rice or even hotpot).
Around 3 p.m. you will walk up. Once you arrive at the viewpoint you can sit quietly and enjoy the sunset, wow how beautiful it is over the mountains! After this you can eat something, play another game and go to sleep early. After all, you get up very early to watch the sunrise. You are above the clouds which makes the view even more beautiful than usual. It’s really a great feeling to sit here. Take a stroll back down after sunrise and enjoy a well-deserved breakfast at one of the tasty local restaurants.
4. Drive the motorbike or mountain bike through the area
When you’ve had enough of all the hiking, it’s time to see some more of the area by motorbike or mountain bike. The most fun is to just ride/bike and see where you end up. You will always end up in a local village where the locals smile kindly at you and the children want to play with you.
5. Kayaking
Kayaking is a popular activity in Nong Khiaw. On the multi-day tours, you will often travel the last leg by kayak. Should you prefer to go out on your own, this is also possible. You can easily rent a kayak for a few hours, or a whole day. The best part is to make sure you kayak back around sunset: you will see the sun slowly sink behind the mountains as you float down the middle of the river, fantastic.
6. Ziplining in Nong Khiaw
Laos is the land of ziplines. Considering the Gibbon Experience where you fly through the jungle of northern Laos for 2 or 3 days, the zipline over the Tad Fane Waterfall at 260 meters near Pakse and the climbing and zipline trail at the Thakhek Loop. Every beautiful area in Laos has a zipline built, including Nong Khiaw. Enjoy untouched nature and adrenaline while ziplining in Nong Khiaw.
7. Stroll through the quaint town
There are many more tours you can do, check out all the options at the tour providers in Nong Khiaw, but really it’s also just a lot of fun to walk around the town. Enjoy the view, have a drink at a nice restaurant and read a book in your hammock overlooking the river. Nong Khiaw is one of those towns that will amaze you in terms of activities and chill atmosphere. Set aside at least 3 days for Nong Khiaw, but you can also enjoy yourself here for a week.
The best travel time for Nong Khiaw
The dry season in Laos runs from November to March. Therefore, this is the period when it is best to visit Nong Khiaw. Between March and May is the high season, with temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees. From late May to October is the rainy season. We would advise against doing the multi-day treks during the rainy season as you will be traveling considerable distances through the jungle and you will have to climb and descend in the mud. The chance of slipping and sustaining an injury is then very present.
Pay attention to ATMs in Nong Khiaw
One last (very important) tip: make sure you bring enough cash to Nong Khiaw. There are two ATMs in Nong Khiaw, which fail 80% of the time. We were unlucky enough that our credit card was swallowed on Friday afternoon, and the bank did not reopen until Monday morning. We were forced to stay two days longer in Nong Khiaw (which was not a disaster for us, but if you have a flight booked or you have to leave, it is very annoying).
Therefore, make sure to withdraw enough money in Luang Prabang in advance. The tours in Nong Khiaw you can pay with American dollars (it is also more advantageous to pay it in dollars than in kip, as they use a very bad exchange rate if you want to pay in kip). Eating in restaurants and your hotel, however, you can just pay with Lao kip. Read more tips on withdrawing money in Laos in this blog.
How to get to Nong Khiaw?
Minivans run daily from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw. These take about 4 hours. Check here for tickets and times.
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