Just go, C!
I'm Charity, a proud auntie, wine lover, semi-nerd, and dreamer who can't stay in one place for too long.
Tell me about your version of paradise. Does your paradise include limestone mountains covered in a thick blanket of vibrant green jungle? Perhaps it includes a lazy river that you hear gently swirling past as you drift off into slumber at night? How about a rustic and breezy bungalow that faces the aforementioned river, where you can sit back with a cold beer in your hand and time seems to slow waaaaayyyy down? Maybe that's not your version of paradise, but it's gotta be pretty damn close. As I was making my way into Laos, I told myself that for a few days, I was going to do NOTHING. Absolutely nothing - no sight-seeing, no planning, no stressing. I needed to decompress, and when I read about Nong Khiaw on other people's blogs and reviews, I figured this would be just the place to do absolutely nothing. And, as it turns out, I was absolutely right. Nong Khiaw is definitely more popular with backpackers now than it was maybe 5-6 years ago, as is evident in the number of guesthouses, tour vendors, and restaurants with English signage. However, since I paid a visit during rainy season, which is the 'off' season for tourism, I had the luxury of having relatively few other tourists to share the village with. To get to Nong Khiaw from Luang Prabang, you have a couple of options - by road or by boat & road. The boat option that gets advertised by local tour companies is a bit misleading because there have been dams built along the river within the past few years. I believe they take you up to the dam and then you have to ride by van the rest of the way. I opted for the easier and quicker method of going by minivan which costs 60-70,000 kip each way (about $7-8). You'll need to arrange a ride to the Northern bus station in Luang Prabang (yes, there is more than one bus station) and get your ticket. Even though there is a "scheduled" bus departure time, be aware that they often won't leave until the van is full. And, even though they might advertise it as a 3.5 hour ride, you can be almost certainly guaranteed that it will take at least 4-4.5 hours. For my accommodations, I opted to stay at Nong Kiau Riverside. Compared to the other options in the area, it's in a higher budget range, but still quite inexpensive by U.S. standards. For my do-nothing days, I wanted to treat myself to something a little more enjoyable and memorable. Looking back, I wouldn't have chosen to stay anywhere else. It was perfect. The bungalows themselves are surprisingly spacious and have air-conditioning and fans. Honestly, I really only had the A/C on during the warm parts of the afternoon. The remainder of the time, I either had the doors leading out to the balcony open or just used the fans and it was just fine. Speaking of the balcony, this was easily the best part of the bungalow. You're just far enough away from the other bungalows to have some privacy (you know, just in case you prefer to drink beer in your undies, and who doesn't) and an unobstructed view of the Nam Ou River. Opposite the river looms a large limestone mountain that helps block what would have otherwise been a hefty amount of sun. NK Riverside also has an on-site restaurant which is convenient and offers pretty decent Lao food for dinner and a nice breakfast buffet. All-in-all, a really lovely accommodation that I would be more than happy to re-book if I'm ever blessed with an opportunity to return. There isn't a whole lot to do in Nong Khiaw (which was the whole point, for me), but for those who have itchy butts, there are options to do hiking or trekking. There is a viewpoint that takes about 1.5-2 hours to hike to that is supposed to have some awesome views of the village and surrounding landscape. Tiger Trails seems to be a reputable tour company if you want to book a boat ride and then a hike to a couple of nearby waterfalls. What I opted to do, instead, was to take a boat ride up to Muang Ngoi and then kayak back to Nong Khiaw. I booked that through Nong Khiaw Adventure Tours. I felt the price was a bit high at 350,000 kip for the day, but it was still lower than two other places I'd checked first. I'd initially planned on doing two nights in Nong Khiaw and then two nights in Muang Ngoi, but once I got to my bungalow in NK, I scrapped that idea and just decided to do the day trip instead. Muang Ngoi takes about 1-1.5 hours to reach by boat, and by boat is the only way to get there, though I've read somewhere that there is also a very rough dirt road that also gets you to Muang Ngoi from Nong Khiaw if you wanted to chance it with a motorbike. The incredible views along the river are definitely worth the rather cramped seating arrangements on the boat. Muang Ngoi is even smaller than Nong Khiaw, if you can imagine that, but has also begun to see a steady increase of backpackers in recent years that Nong Khiaw is no doubt at least partly responsible for. That being said, you definitely still feel like you are in rural Laos, despite the English signage everywhere. The backpackers who rode on the boat with me on the way up the river dispersed elsewhere, leaving me with pretty much the entire village to myself. I saw only a few other tourists lounging at their guesthouses. I was charmed by all the roosters meandering through the streets, the cackling of a few local women chatting and laughing amongst themselves as they prepared meals, and the joyful squealing of a few children chasing after each other. After roaming the unpaved streets for a bit, I made my way to the other end of the 'main' street to the village's only temple. I had intended to take a few photos and sit in the shade for a little while to cool off and enjoy the surrounding views. As I was getting up to leave, one of the monks came out of a small building and motioned me to come in with him. As I walked in, he motioned me to sit down next to him, in front of a little shrine that had been set up. He had a plastic grocery bag filled with friendship bracelets. He took out a few and tied them around my wrist while saying a blessing. I learned later that this was a wish for good luck and prosperity. I gave him a donation and had a 'conversation' with him and a novice monk who was sitting there, watching all of this. Another monk, probably in his late teens, joined us after a bit, as well. I say 'conversation' because they don't speak much English and I don't speak Lao, but Thai and Lao are very similar languages, and I know a tiny bit of Thai, so we were able to get by on that. It was definitely one of those experiences that keeps me motivated to travel. I'm sure I'm not the first or only person who has had that experience, but it means something different for everyone, and it was special to me. Those monks and I are from very different backgrounds, but we were 'tied' together for a brief moment in time - a connection between different worlds was made. And that is the kind of thing I live (and travel) for. After having some lunch, I decided it was time to hop in the kayak and make my way downriver back to Nong Khiaw. When I am on a kayak, no matter where I am and what river I'm on, I always feel a sense of peace and wonder. I am in my happy place, for sure. I've likened it to "going to church" because to me, being in and amidst nature is a spiritual experience. And really, what better way to get to know the magnificent beauty that northern Laos has to offer than by floating along on one of its vital rivers? The trip back took about 4 hours, including a couple of quick "rest" stops. Along the way, I was treated to scenes of water buffalo lounging in the cool brown water, naked Lao babies having a blast swimming and playing without a care in the world, and stunning views of jagged limestone mountains, adorning misty halos. Without a doubt, I was in heaven. I (reluctantly) left Nong Khiaw feeling refreshed and revived, and with a renewed sense of gratitude for all the glorious gifts the Earth has to offer. Things are a bit difficult and complicated back home right now, and I've found myself succumbing to feelings of frustration, guilt, and despair. Here, I was reminded that there is always balance in the universe, and it's there whether or not I, or we, choose to see it.
I am so thankful that I chose to spend a few days in this part of Laos, and if you find yourself also needing a few do-nothing days, then please consider this my formal recommendation to put Nong Khiaw on your radar.
4 Comments
8/1/2022 06:31:01 am
Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://takipcisatinalz.com/takipci-2/
Reply
8/2/2022 09:36:50 am
Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://takipcialdim.com/ucuz-takipci-satin-al/
Reply
8/9/2022 07:49:06 am
Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://www.smsbankasi.net/2022/08/amazon-shopify-aliexpress-walmart-ebay.html
Reply
8/19/2022 05:11:11 pm
Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://guvenbozum.com/
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorHi! I'm Charity. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, USA. I quit my job in October 2016 to travel the world. Archives
June 2022
Categories |