Rugged mountains, colourful hill tribe villages and pristine waterways- Northern Laos is the prime place for an adventurous escape. Connect with nature on guided jungle treks and travel by jeep to access isolated ethnic communities. Relax while soaking in hot springs and drift down the Nam Ou River by boat.
Itinerary
📍 Luang Prabang – Luang Prabang Train Station (8 km): 20 min Luang Prabang - Oudomxay by high-speed train: 46min Oudomxay – Nam Kat Yorla Pa (19 km): 30 min
Begin the journey north with a departure from Luang Prabang train station, heading towards the remote province of Oudomxay. Total journey time will be approximately 1 hour.
Suggested train C86 departing Luang Prabang @ 09.33 , arriving in Oudomxay @ 10.19.
This northern region of Laos is known for its verdant mountains, rice paddies and areas of thick jungle. Various ethnic villages will be encountered during the journey, some of which sit precariously perched on steep mountainsides, while others sit in valleys carved out by ancient rivers.
Upon arrival at the Oudomxay Train Station, your driver will take you to Nam Kat Yorla Paa Resort, arriving a little before lunch. Check in, relax and enjoy the views. Facilities include a spa and 2 swimming pools. The resort is built on the edge of the protected forestry area along the Nam Kat River.
Dinner and overnight stay at Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort
Inclusions:
🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner
📍 Nam Kat Yorla Pa - Muang La village (42 km): 1 hour
This full day tour includes approximately 5 hours of walking and a transfer of around 1.5 hours drive.
After breakfast, transfer to Muang La village where you will start your 4x4 adventure through hill tribe villages. Embark on a 25 minute 4x4 ride along the Nam Pak River before taking a small mountain road to the trailhead. Begin trekking along a narrow mountain trail winding through the lush forest.
Arrive in the Kamu village of Houay Ho where the guide will help to explain a bit about the life of the villagers. Set off from the village following a narrow trail along mountain streams, passing through rice fields to reach the Lao Loum village of Ban Phonsavan. Upon arrival, enjoy a well-deserved picnic lunch in the lush countryside of northern Laos.
After lunch, follow a mountain trail overlooking the magnificent scenery and pass through farms in the heart of the local countryside. The guide will happily explain how the local people use the plants and herbs of the forest to feed (and sometimes heal) themselves.
Continue the trek, crossing small bamboo bridges on the descent to the Yang village of Long Ya. Learn how the peaceful life of the villagers is interspersed with different communal activities. The village is well known for the production of rice alcohol (“Lao Lao”) and also houses a small Buddhist temple.
A further 2 kilometers leads to the temple of Wat Hoytinphabath, which houses a 35m long reclining statue of Buddha. Leave the village following a dirt road along the River Huay Ya and enjoy the stunning mountain scenery before arriving back at the resort, in the late afternoon, for a well-deserved rest.
Dinner and overnight in Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort
Inclusions:
☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner
📍 Nam Kat Yorla Pa - Muang La village (42 km): 1 hour
This full day tour includes no ‘real trekking’, only walking through and between villages. Traveling by 4x4 is the only way to cover enough ground and climb the steep mountains in order to reach the most untouched and fascinating villages in the region.
Set off after breakfast to visit an entirely isolated Ikhos village. This ethnic group originates from Tibet and Yunnan and these villagers have seen very few foreigners. The guide will help to convey the daily life of the villagers and how they still follow ancient customs passed down through the centuries.
Sitting at 1,000m above sea level, this village makes the ideal location for a picnic lunch.
After lunch, leave the village walk for approximately 45 minutes to the Hmong village of Ban Tauser. The remote route to the village opens to a viewpoint with a stunning 360° panorama.
Return to the resort at the end of the day.
Dinner and overnight at Nam Kat Yorla Pa Resort
Inclusions:
☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner
📍 Nam Kat Yorla Pa – Muang Khua (106 km): 3 hours Muang Khua – Nong Khiaw (105 km): 5 hours ( by boat)
After breakfast, drive for around 2 hours to Muang Khua, a small town on the banks of the Nam Ou River. Board a private longtail boat for a cruise down one of the most scenically beautiful stretches of river in Laos. Compared to the Mekong, the Nam Ou is considered more dramatic and wild and also has far less traffic.
Enjoy a picnic lunch along the way and spot various local villages during the cruise downstream.
Note: The journey may require the use of two boats with a short 2km transfer in between as the Nam Ou 3 dam is being finished.
Reach the final destination of Nong Khiaw in the late afternoon, famed for the dramatic limestone mountains which surround it. Disembark and check in to the accommodation on the banks of the Nam Ou River.
Enjoy the remainder of the day free at leisure… don’t miss the amazing sunset!
Overnight in Nong Khiaw
Inclusions:
☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch
📍 Nong Khiaw – Nam Ou dam by car (70 km): 2,5 hours Nam Ou dam – Luang Prabang by boat (50 km): 2 hours Luang Prabang – Luang Prabang Airport (4 km): 15 min
After breakfast, travel by car towards Luang Prabang. Upon reaching the confluence of the Mekong.
Cross the Mekong for a visit to the famous Pak Ou Caves, located at the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong rivers. Locally referred to as Tam Ting, these two caves are carved out of towering limestone cliffs and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues.
Continue downstream for another 1.5 hours to Luang Prabang, with the option to stop at a local village along the way.
Our guide will be waiting at the boat pier to provide transport in Luang Prabang to the hotel or airport.
Inclusions:
☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch
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