There is a high chance you haven’t heard of Nong Khiaw if you haven’t been to Laos yet. It’s often described as a sleepy town, rural and remote, almost untouched by civilization.
This romanticized view may have been true 20 years ago when Laos received a fraction of the tourists it does today and the infrastructure was practically non-existent. Arrive anywhere in northern Laos now and I guarantee you will hear about Nong Khiaw within a day. While it’s not as popular and commercialized as Vang Vieng, Nong Khiaw isn’t virgin, raw, or dreamily wild anymore.
That’s not a bad thing per se! Nong Khiaw still has a unique rural charm and offers some of the best opportunities for adventure, trekking, and hiking in Laos. It is an up-and-coming ecotourism destination that you will leave either with wistful tears, unforgettable memories, or both.
With this disclaimer, let’s explore how Nong Khiaw offers exciting escapades and remarkable experiences and how you can help it prosper.
Plan your trip to Nong Khiaw
Nong Khiaw: Secrets, Bombs, and Caves
Quick flashback to the 1960s. The War in Vietnam was raging and Laos was a covert theater of that war. So covert that the aggressor called it “The Secret War.” Except for the 2 million tons of bombs that were all too real. Laos was about to become the most heavily bombed country in the world.
Nong Khiaw, which had no more than a handful of houses then, was practically erased from the map by the 1970s. For years, Pathet Lao rebel fighters and members of the Laos Communist Party hid in the many caves around the village to avoid the bombs and escape certain death.
Today, these caves are open for visitors, so you can get a (very limited) glimpse into what life was like for these rebels.
The Phathok Caves are the most well-known. Unfortunately, their historical significance is their only appeal, as maintenance of the bamboo and wooden infrastructure is poor, illumination is lacking, and trash reigns supreme, all despite a 50.000 LAK entrance fee.
If you’re fit and slim, I suggest you visit the Pha Kuang Caves. They offer a much more exciting adventure, involving some crawling, a lot of mud, and the risk of severe claustrophobia. The entrance fee of 20.000 LAK also includes a headlamp.
How to Get to Nong Khiaw
Up until the mid-2010s, one could take a boat from Luang Prabang in the morning and arrive in Nong Khiaw in the evening, sailing the Nam Ou River.
A hydroelectric dam on the Nam Ou made this impossible. You can no longer sail between the two towns. This is one way Nong Khiaw has changed dramatically in the past decade.
If coming from Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw is a 4-hour minibus journey away. Any hotel, hostel, or tour operator will sell you a ticket with a tuk-tuk to the bus station included. It’s not the most comfortable and can take up to 6 hours on an unlucky day but by Laotian standards, it’s adequate.
Riverbound in the northerly direction is another dam but a quick overland bypass allows you to travel by boat between Nong Khiaw and Muang Khua.
Before this dam is Muang Ngoy – an even more remote village accessible only via the river. There you can either lounge in a hammock pondering existence carefree or set off for the dusty countryside of caves and tiny communities. It’s just starting to appear on the Laos tourist map, but only just.
You can reach Nong Khiaw overland from the north too. A minibus connects it to Muang Xai (3 hours) and Luang Namtha (6-8 hours), a popular base for jungle treks.
| To Nong Khiaw… | By Van/Bus |
| From Luang Prabang | 87 mi (140 km) 3.5 – 4 hrs Check options |
| From Vang Vieng | 196 mi (316 km) 8 – 8.5 hrs |
| From Huay Xai | 245.5 mi (395 km) 9 – 10 hrs |
| From Luang Namtha | 142 mi (229 km) 6 – 6.5 hrs |
Inside Nong Khiaw
Everything is within walking distance in Nong Khiaw. The town has been fine-tuned for tourist arrivals with numerous guesthouses, restaurants, and bars with river views.
Who would’ve expected 3 Indian restaurants in such a small Laotian town? However, the best place to eat remains Laotian – Ping Moo has for years won hungry travelers’ stomaches with supreme taste and fresh ingredients.
If you’d like something more authentic, wake up early and visit the Morning Market. Whether watching the almsgiving, getting a noodle soup for breakfast, or trying a mysterious cheap snack, it is a good way to experience the local culture.
Viewpoints
Nong Khiaw’s geography is a striking standout feature – towering karst mountains surround the town from all sides.
This means viewpoints!
If you don’t scale at least one, you will miss out on magnificent views (and a wonderful workout)!
Som Nang Viewpoint [Map]
- Difficulty: 2/5
- Length: 500 meters
- Elevation gain: ~180 meters
- Time to top: 20-30 minutes
- Entrance fee: 40.000 LAK
This is the most accessible viewpoint and starts just off the main street on the other side of the river. The hollowed-out remnants of a bomb at the entrance remind you not to veer off the path for danger of unexploded ordnance – a warning that applies anywhere in Laos.
The cut-out steps and bamboo handrails make the hike easy, but you can also borrow a bamboo walking stick from the ticket office for support.
The viewing platform at the top is tidy but can get crowded near sunset.
Phadeng Peak [Map]
- Difficulty: 3/5
- Length: 1700 meters
- Elevation gain: ~450 meters
- Time to top: 80-100 minutes
- Entrance fee: 40.000 LAK
The peak presents an even better vantage point but is expectedly more taxing on your knees. There are many resting points on the way to the top, and the trail is well-maintained (presumably, this is what these entrance fees cover). Take water and some snacks to chill at the top.
The view is famously a 360-degree panorama and perfect for watching the sunset. You can also opt to camp overnight at the top where you’ll have a delightful Laos barbecue and the chance to see the Milky Way. Check out this tour for that experience.
Phar Khew Lom Viewpoint [Map]
- Difficulty: 4/5
- Length: 2800 meters
- Elevation gain: ~750 meters
- Time to top: 100-120 minutes
- Entrance fee: 40.000 LAK
A hike that really raises the bar. It’s a grueling uphill climb until the very end. The ladders, handrails, cut-earth steps, rest points, and walking sticks help a ton. A river crossing without a bridge in the beginning sets the tone for the adventure to come. Take enough water and some carbs-rich food.
This is the viewpoint to climb if you seek the “sea of clouds” vista over Nong Khiaw. Moreover, you will be sharing the platform with the top with way fewer tourists than at the other viewpoints.
Nang None Viewpoint (aka Sleeping Beauty) [Map]
- Difficulty: 3/5
- Length: 280 meters
- Elevation gain: ~170 meters
- Time to top: 15-30 minutes
- Entrance fee: 30.000 LAK
Don’t be fooled by the short length – it’s an almost vertical climb on steep, slippery dirt. It’s different from the other viewpoints, as it’s the only one north of Nong Khiaw.
You can extend the hike to the very top, a viewpoint aptly named “Nong Khiaw’s Everest”, even though it’s not the tallest around the town. That would be a 5/5 difficulty hike and perhaps the best place for overnight camping above the clouds. Maximum difficulty for maximum reward.
Trekking
Climbing one (or a few) of the viewpoints is a half-day affair rewarding mostly with its views. On the other hand, overnight trekking in Nong Khiaw is an immersive experience of nature and culture combined.
You can choose between a 2D/1N or a 3D/2N option. The shorter tour offers a little bit of everything: jungle trekking, a homestay in a very rural Lao village, a visit to a waterfall, and kayaking down the Nam Ou River. The longer one adds a night in a different village, and visits to a few more natural places.
There are more than a few tour agencies around Nong Khiaw running these tours daily. Booking online or more than a day in advance is not necessary but if you insist, take a look at this tour.
I advise against doing it fully independently unless you have an adventurous spirit, camping equipment, and experience in the jungle. Also, the homestay will not know to expect you.
The tour begins with a short tuk-tuk ride to the start of a jungle trail. The lower areas suffer from deforestation, but the trail soon enters thick vegetation, and a real journey commences. This is a good opportunity to make some friends with the people you will spend the night with or ask your guide questions about the region.
Guides’ English is a hit or miss, mostly miss. In my case, he knew some rudimentary English – enough to convey that 3 ethnic groups (Hmong, Khmu, and Lao) share the land without much conflict and what their humble livelihoods rely on. It’s not long before you reach the village of Ban Naluang and see for yourself.
Thirty or so houses, most on stilts to rise above the floods of the rainy season and create a suitable place to store wood, keep animals safe, or relax on the bench-like planks. You can ascertain the owners’ ethnicity based on the house architecture – Hmong houses hug the ground whereas Lao houses are raised on stilts. The school is made of clay – it is the unifying structure in the village and the first of its kind in the region.
In the few hours until sunset, you learn how to weave baskets and make Lao art. You may choose to watch the kids play in the stream or chase the omnipresent chicken around. It’s village life at its finest – idyllic and simple.
Dinner is communal – you share a simple meal and don’t even think about refusing at least a sip of the Lao whiskey – the bonding ingredient that transcends language and nationality. As a traditional sign of friendship, your host ties a white string around your wrist. The village elder reads the news on the loudspeakers. Campfire stories and stargazing wrap up the day.
Perhaps exactly because the experience was so rustic and unassuming, it was the highlight of my stay in Laos.
On day 2, you will trek through the jungle a little more, visit a waterfall (likely Tad Mok), and then kayak back to Nong Khiaw at your own speed.
Sustainable Tourism
Nong Khiaw was revived by tourism. While it is no longer a “sleepy town”, it survives and thrives on the adventures and escapes it promises.
However, it also risks becoming a victim of its popularity, like Vang Vieng a few hundred kilometers south, Pai in North Thailand, Kuta in Bali, Boracay in The Philippines… I can go on for a while.
A gradual but rapid change occurs from no tourism to mass tourism which is why sustainability is paramount.
So here’s my plea to you: take account of the impact your visit has on all aspects of Nong Khiaw and its communities and make a conscious effort to help guarantee its long-term sustainability.
Cliché? Perhaps. So here are some actionable tips:
- Maintain the viewpoints as if you’d spend the rest of your life there. Take your beer can and chips wrapper back down with you. Heck, even pick up someone else’s too.
- Book tours with reputable companies employing locals as guides. I recommend Backpacker Adventure and World Tour for their reliable local guides, fair pricing, and rewarding treks.
- Stay in local guesthouses and book direct. It’s currently hard not to as most accommodation options are indeed locally-owned and many aren’t listed online but with globalization come commissions, foreign investors, and profits leak out.
Pro tip: check Google Maps for guesthouses and their pictures. There will often be a phone number – message them on WhatsApp to reserve. Or just wing it like in the old backpacking days and find one when you arrive. I recommend Meexok and Amanda - Don’t give money to begging kids. This discourages them from attending school and perpetuates the poverty cycle. Giving money to those who provide you a service, e.g. show you the way to or through a cave, is also ethically questionable. Some tour agencies employ teenagers as guides. While it’s easy to adopt a moral high ground and also mark this as unacceptable, the reality on the ground is that this is often a safer employment alternative to working in construction, in a factory, or being unemployed AND out of school altogether. Pre-pubescents begging – a big no; teenagers working – morally permissible.
- Visit or volunteer at Yensabai Organic Farm. Not only is it a deep dive into sustainable, self-sufficient agritourism, but you will have the opportunity to directly contribute to the kids’ education and development. They also donate 5% of profits to the local community.
- In general, spread the money around. Spend in different places, be it food, accommodation, transportation, tours, etc. Concentration of wealth is the killer of sustainable development.
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Posted FEB 11, 2025
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