Trekking the NEPL Cloud Forest Challenge

📍 Transfer from Airport – Hotel: 15 minutes

Welcome to Laos!

Your guide will be there to meet you at Luang Prabang International airport followed by a short tour around the town’s old historical area before we check-in to your hotel. 

Freshen up and get ready for your first Laotian dinner at Sunset Restaurant along the mighty Mekong River. 

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Inclusions:

🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer from Luang Prabang to Muang Hiem: 6-7hours

After breakfast we travel towards the secluded region of Houaphan. This is where the last wild tigers in Indochina were found! Today’s journey will be long but you’ll be rewarded with some stunningly beautiful Lao scenery.  We can stop as and when required to stretch our legs, take photos and use the bathroom.

Lunch will be in the quiet charming riverside town of Nong Khiew.

Following lunch our journey continues. We expect to arrive in Muang Hiam late afternoon and will check-in to the hotel. Dinner is served at a local restaurant along the river. Try their special local favorite, the Sindat Laotian hotpot!

Overnight in Muang Hiam

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer from Maung Hiem to Ban Nam Soy: 1.5 hours Trekking: 3 hours Difficulty: Medium Elevation gain: 386m Average Slope: +13.4% / -9%

After a filling breakfast spread we meet up with our guides from the Nam Et Phou Louey National Protected Area (NEPL-NPA). The guides are very experienced will be leading the trek in one of the most dense and extreme forests of Laos.

First we stop at the NEPL Visitor Center to learn more about the organization and the work done to protect NEPL.

After a 1.5-hour drive through the mountainous landscape we arrive at Ban Nam Soy. Meet the village guide and be briefed on the trek. 
The first day’s walk is a 5km trail passing through local villages and set among agricultural fields to Ban Navene, a remote Khmu village. Enjoy late lunch in Ban Navene, hosted by our cooking team at the village visitor center.

After lunch, you’ll be introduced to your homestay family. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon exploring the village and helping out with daily tasks around the house or in the nearby fields.

Spend the evening and night with the family and experience the tranquility and simplicity of village life.  If possible, bring pictures and maps from home, and your travels, and share them with the family. 

Overnight in the village

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Trekking: 6 hours Difficulty: Hard Elevation gain: 857 meters Average Slope: +12.2% / -8%

After an early breakfast, say goodbye to the family and embark on the two-day ascend to the peak of the Phou Louey Mountain. This mountain is Lao’s third highest peak and the only one which is accessible! 

The first 5 km of the trail is a climb through varying agricultural fields. Rest stops, and shade, can be taken at the farmer’s huts along the way. We learn about the local produce which villagers depend on for food and income.

The trail enters the forest where the NPA zone begins and we trek for 6.5 km to the Navene Park Substation. The village cook will prepare a lunch while the guide will introduce you to the park rangers who will explain the importance of their work for the park.

After lunch, we continue trekking through forest and arrive at Tad Ang Waterfall. Take a refreshing dip in this unique waterfall with a bowl-like pool of water at the top.  From Tad Ang, trek a gradual ascent to the Houay Kaneng campsite where we rest for the night. 

We’ll have the opportunity to visit a camera trap which is triggered by motion and captures photos of indigenous wildlife. 

Tonight we enjoy a traditional Khmu dinner by a campfire prepared by the village cook. After we can help the guide sort through the photos taken by the hidden cameras the previous night.

Overnight in bamboo huts (two people per hut)

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Trekking: 6 hours Difficulty: Hard Elevation gain: 1274 meters Average Slope: +18.1% / -17%

Before breakfast, we walk down the path to the nearby waterfall to view the different bird species. Enjoy breakfast at the campsite before starting the final climb up to the peak of Cloud Forest and Phou Louey Mountain. 

The climb is 7 km to the peak, usually surrounded by clouds. With some luck and good weather conditions a clear sky rewards us with a breathtaking view of endless thick forest where the nickname of ‘Forever Mountain’ was coined.

To minimize environmental harm to this special ecosystem, do not touch any plants and stay on the designated trail route. Lunch will be taken at the edge of the forest. 

After enjoying the wonders of the cloud forest we descend to Tad Loy camp, about 6.5km from the top. Along the way, you will help to check the camera traps and change their memory cards. Phou Louey is known for its abundant wildlife, and there is a high chance you will see photos of different species. 

We arrive at our campsite in the late afternoon. Enjoy some free time to relax and bathe at the nearby waterfall. Sort through photos of wildlife taken by the camera traps during the previous night.

Enjoy a traditional Khmu dinner around the campfire prepared by the village cook and porters. Listen to mystical Khmu folktales and stories about dragons, wildlife and ghosts. 
Overnight in bamboo huts (two people per hut)

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Trekking: 6 hours Difficulty: Hard Elevation gain: 498 meters Average Slope: +11% /-11%

Before breakfast we take a walk to a nearby elevated area and listen to the calls of the rare white-cheeked crested gibbon. We then return to the campsite and enjoy breakfast.

Today’s trek takes us along the foothills of Phou Louey Mountain, crossing the rugged and mountainous landscape to Poung Nied and onwards to The Nests campsite. The trek is approximately 12 km, with a steep ascent and a gradual descent down to Poung Nied Salt Lick and our campsite. The route traverses some unique forest and landscapes.

Enjoy a picnic lunch along the trail prepared by the village cook. 

Depart from Tad Loy camp and arrive at The Nests camp mid-afternoon and be shown to your unique accommodation, a hanging spherical ‘nest’. You’ll then have time to chill before dinner.

We enjoy an early dinner of traditional Khmu dishes prepared by the village cooking group. It’s important we take an early dinner to minimize the smell of food and fire for the evening visit to the wildlife observation platform. 

After dinner, receive a short briefing about wildlife viewing at the Poung Nied Salt Lick, one of the largest salt licks in the protected area. It’s important to follow regulations when visiting the observation tower. No talking and no eating at the salt lick. Learn about the different species of animals whilst specially regulated spotlights shine down on the lick. Spot the sambar and barking deer and various species of civets. On a lucky night rare animals such as bears, dhol (wild dog) and several species of wild cats may appear! 

We have permission to remain at the observation tower until 23:30. We suggest wearing warmer clothes as the weather gets chilly in the late evening and night. 

Overnight in The Nests

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer ban Nong Phoung - Nong Khiew: 3.5 hours Trekking: 4 hours Difficulty: Medium Elevation gain: 602 meters Average Slope: +10% / -11%

Before breakfast, follow the guide back to the salt lick to identify wildlife tracks. Spend approximately one hour on the observation platform to observe birds and enjoy the beginning of a new day. We can also help to change the memory cards of the hidden cameras. 

Once back at the camp, enjoy breakfast and review the photos of wildlife taken by the hidden camera traps during the previous night. These photos will available for viewing and download after your trip. 

Our final day of trekking takes you along a 6km forest path built and maintained by the village. This trail passes through thick jungle and mixed deciduous forests. The local guide will show you medicinal plants and identify animal tracks along the way.

The trek has a couple of moderate ascents before descending into agriculture fields. At the edge of the forest and fields, enjoy a picnic lunch inside a farmer’s hut. Here your vehicle will pick you up and transfer you to Ban Nam Poung Village, an ethnic Khmu Village, situated on the edge of the national protected area core zone boundary. Once at the village your trekking guides will bid you farewell and you’ll be transferred the final stretch to Nong Khiaw.

Facing the spectacular karst mountains of Nong Khiaw, check in to your resort and enjoy the sunset view from your balcony before a local dinner in the village.

Overnight at Nong Khiaw Riverside

Note: The fee paid on this goes to supporting the 12 surrounding villages involved in this project. The money goes to a village development fund based on the number and type of wildlife spotted at night and captured by the camera trap.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Transfer Nong Khiew - Luang Prabang: 3-4 hours Walking: 3 hours Difficulty: Easiest

Enjoy a local breakfast along the Nam Ou River before driving back to Luang Prabang. 

Visit the famous Pak Ou Caves, two temple caves situated at the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong River. We lunch nearby with a view of the caves. 

Upon arrival to Luang Prabang we check-in to the hotel. Enjoy some free time before enjoying the thrills of a local Petanque tournament over a few Beerlao’s. The game was introduced by the French colonials and is now a favorite pastime.
Our farewell dinner is at Khai Phaen Restaurant. Khai Phaen is run by Peuan Mit, an organization founded by NGO Friends-International in Vientiane in 2004. They help protect and educate under-privileged children and young people and train them in various industries, to include hospitality, and provide them with a brighter future. And the food is amazing!

Overnight in Luang Prabang

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Walking: 3 hours Difficulty: Easiest

After breakfast, we embark on a half-day walking tour of Luang Prabang. 

Discover the rich cultural and historical heritage of this charming town with visits to French Indochinese buildings and ancient Buddhist temples. 

The tour begins at the former Royal Palace (now the National Museum), continue to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief, and Wat Sensoukarahm, which features a beautiful dazzling golden façade. Next stop is the Wat Xieng Thong, the most revered temple in Luang Prabang. Finish the walk with a visit to the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre (TAEC), a museum dedicated to exploring the rich diversity of Laos’ ethnic minorities.  This is a great opportunity to gain insight into the Lao people.

(Note: TAEC is closed on Monday). 

Walk back to the hotel and enjoy the rest of the night at leisure. 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

Check out and depart to the airport for your onward flight.
 

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast