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Journey Info

Highlights

• Trek pristine trails & waterfalls

• Boat trip to picturesque Muang Ngoi, only accessible by river

• Overnight with a Hmong hill tribe village

• Donate school materials - helping local villages

• Flexibility - You choose your travel dates, private tour with local guide

Overview

Explore a hidden paradise on the Nam Ou River recently opened to travellers in October 2008. Unspoiled waterfalls, untrodden trekking trails and pristine landscapes, this trip is for travellers who are seeking a real off the beaten track adventure. Stay in bungalows in riverside villages and trek to hill tribe villages and overnight with the Hmong. Discover waterfalls, caves and experience breathtaking boat trips that pass through lime stone valleys flanked by majestic mountains. This trip also includes school donations when we visit a school in local villages.

Itinerary at a glance

Day 1	Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw Pick up from your hotel in Luang Prabang and drive to the riverside town of Nong Khiaw passing beautiful landscapes that follow the Nam Ou River. In Nong Khiau, discover a labyrinth of lime stone caves where villages lived during the war in the 1960s and 1970s. By day, the villagers hid in these caves to avoid detection of American planes and South Vietnamese troops. The caves operated as a school, hospital, administration centre and even a bank. At night the villagers would tend the fields to replenish food supplies. Late afternoon relax in your bungalow and soak in the mountain landscape. Meals: Lunch Accommodation: Nong Khiaw Bungalow
Day 2	Nong Khiaw After breakfast, enjoy a one hour boat trip on the scenic Nam Ou River before hiking through jungle to the recently discovered 100 Waterfalls. Visit a village and learn about life along the Nam Ou. Late afternoon, ride back on the boat to Nong Khiau. Trekking: Easy to medium grade Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Nong Khiaw Bungalow
Day 3	Nong Khiaw to Hmong village home stay Today don your hiking boats and trek to Hmong villages in the surrounding mountains set along the Nam Ou River valley. Follow local pathways through terraced rice fields stopping in villages to learn about life of the Hmong in these remote lands. Tonight you stay in one of these villages in the mountains in a home stay. Trekking: Medium to challenging grade Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Village home stay
Day 4	Hmong village to Muang Ngoi Another day of trekking through the mountain landscapes and river valleys. In the afternoon we reach the Nam Ou River and take a stunning boat trip to the peaceful riverside village of Muang Ngoi flanked by jagged lime stone mountains. Overnight in a simple bungalow. Trekking: Medium grade Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Muang Ngoi Bungalow
Day 5	Muang Ngoi This morning is free time to relax in Muang Ngoi where you can simply hang out by the river and take in the view. In the afternoon, it's a short walk to Ban Na Village with a visit to nearby caves. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Muang Ngoi Bungalow
Day 6	Muang Ngoi Today you travel by boat up river to explore riverside villages and a beautiful cave. This is a stunning boat trip that travels through rapids, calm waters passing lime stone valleys and majestic mountains blanketed by thick jungle and bamboo thickets. Have plenty of charge in your camera battery today! Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Accommodation: Muang Ngoi Bungalow
Day 7	Muang Ngoi to Luang Prabang After breakfast, take a one hour boat trip back to Nong Khiaw then drive to Luang Prabang which takes around four hours. As an option, we can arrange a seven hour boat trip back to Luang Prabang on the Nam Ou and Mekong River. Your trip ends upon arrival at Luang Prabang. Meals: Breakfast

Please note this itinerary can be easily amended to suit your needs. Let us know if you would like to make any changes and we will be more than happy to suggest an alternative itinerary for you.

 

Includes

• Bungalow accommodation based on twin share. If a single room is required a single supplement will apply.
• Home stay permission
  
• English speaking local guide
• Private vehicle and driver
• Boat trips
• Entrance fees & village permissions
• All activities and sightseeing as per itinerary
• All meals as per the itinerary
• Materials for school donations

Excludes

• Airfares and departure taxes
• Travel insurance
• Visa, passport or vaccination costs
• Other meals not specified in the itinerary
• Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, bar charges, tips, optional activities

Prices

Private tour	$AUD price per person
3 to 5 people	699
2 people	849
1 person	1249
Single supplement	85
Validity	31 December 2012

Prices are in Australian dollars based upon the number of people travelling together. Price reduces as your travel group size increases. Price is land content only & subject to currency fluctuations. Credit Card payments incur an additional surcharge. Prices beyond the validity available on request. See Booking Conditions for more details.

 

Trip grade

MODERATE: If you are seeking fun and adventure and you like active travel, this is for you. A mixture of long and shorter activity days of four to five hours duration. A good level of fitness is required.

 

Loas Hidden Paradise trip notes

Bungalows & home stay
Bungalows in riverside villages are simple yet comfortable. Most have private facilities. In Muong Ngoi there is no electricity at night and the restaurants have generators and candles.

There is no better way to immerse in local culture than experiencing a village home stay. Not only is this a wonderful cultural exchange, it offers the visitor great respect for how people live without all the comforts and appliances of the West. By staying with a family we ensure that the economic benefits of our travel filter down to the villages and families that most need it.

Remember that Laos is an underdeveloped country. Home stays in villages are very very rustic and are simple in terms of bedding and amenities. You sleep in a dormitory style room and are provided with a mattress, clean sheet and pillow. Amenities are shared with the village. There are no toilets! You go out door and in nature, ask your guide what are the protocols. There are no showers, you can use the village well or freshen up in nearby river. But always keep yourself covered – they are very shy people. Always check with your guide if you are unsure of what to do.

TIP:  Take moistened towelettes to clean your face and hand sanitizer to wash your hands. Remember what you bring in, you must carry out!

Food
All meals, indicated in the detailed itinerary, are included in the price. In Nong Khiau and Muang Ngoi there are several restaurants to choose from for dinner that serve Lao and International cuisine. Please advise us if you have any special dietary requirements.

Local guides
English speaking guides support your sightseeing and trekking activities. These guides are proud of their job and consider it an honour to show you their country. They have been fully trained in guiding outdoor tours around Luang Prabang. If you feel your guide provided you with great service, a tip at the end of the tour would be truly appreciated… a little bit goes a long way in Laos.

What to bring
We suggest using a small sports bag or backpack for your overnight luggage. Use your daypack and travel wallet to carry your personal items and important documents. We recommend using a sturdy daypack with good back support and waterproof cover for the overnight home stay trek. Please dress conservatively in the countryside and villages and when entering temple areas.

Your luggage should include: trekking boots or walking shoes, thongs or comfortable slip on shoes for at night, light weight long pants + shorts, shirt + t-shirt, warm clothes for at night, bathers, sarong (for women to swim in), small towel, raincoat, hat, sunglasses, sun block, strong insect repellent (Deet medicated preferred), small medical kit, flashlight, essential toiletries, water bottle, camera, spare batteries, pen + paper, original passport, barley sugar / lollies for sustenance, zip lock bags, toilet paper and personal medication. A light weight sleeping bag is optional.

Note: A detailed list of things to bring is provided with your trip dossier.

If you have room in your backpack, bring some books to give away as gifts. You can help local children improve their reading skills by buying picture books printed in their own language. For more information on this worthwhile project, visit Big Brother Mouse Project.

Note on client safety
We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reason, including road and weather conditions, frequency of visits to a village, or for any other factor that may impact client safety.

Your group & share accommodation
Prices are based upon twin share accommodation. A single traveller pays the single supplement price for sole use of a room. If you are travelling in a group of three and are happy to share a triple room and a triple room is available, you will not be charged the single supplement price. For groups of five or seven people, the single traveller pays the single supplement price if a triple room is not available or you do not want to share.

Tipping guidelines
It is customary to express a personal thank you to your guide and driver at the end of your trip, especially if he or she has provided you with excellent service. As a guideline only, we suggest tipping around AUD$4-$5 per day for the guide and AUD$2-$3 per day for the driver. You can pay this in local currency or US dollars. Of course whether you tip and how much is always at your discretion.

Laos visa

Most visitors can receive a 30 day single entry Tourist Visa on arrival at Luang Prabang or Vientiane airports or at the Friendship Bridge at the Thai Border Crossing and other border crossings (please check with your Lao Embassy). You need a valid passport for no less than six months, 2 x passport size current photographs & USD$30pp cash.

Laos climate Laos has three distinct seasons. The cool dry season between November and February with temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius in mountain regions. During this season, the rivers are navigable and the roads are passable. This gives way to the hot dry season from March to June where temperatures can soar over 35 degrees Celsius. Some rivers are harder to navigate, and boat journeys in remote places may not be possible. In the north, the months from March through to the first rains in May or June can be very hazy as smoke from the burning of secondary forest hangs in the air. June to October is the wet season where temperatures are in the 30s. The country is at its most beautiful and lush and rivers are accessible, however it can be difficult to get around in remote places by road. Health issues Good medical advice usually recommends vaccinations in advance of travel to Laos. We suggest you consult with your doctor to discuss health care needs specific to your holiday. Insurance You must have comprehensive travel insurance to travel with us. Insurance should include cover for personal accident and medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation, baggage loss and cancellation or curtailment of your holiday. Your final trip dossier vouchers will not be confirmed until you confirm possession of appropriate insurance. Better be safe than sorry! Pre and post tour arrangements We can arrange additional hotel nights at the beginning or the end of your tour or if you are interested in doing additional touring we can organise a private tour to cater to your interests and time frame. Handy travel tips For assistance in planning your trip go to Laos Practical Info >. What next To reserve a place on this trip, contact us now and we will send you a booking form. To guarantee your booking you must send your passport details and your non-refundable deposit of 30% of total tour cost. The balance of payment is due 50 days prior to your departure. If you departure date is less than 50 days then full payment is required now. Once your booking is confirmed and you have paid in full you will receive a tour voucher and detailed itinerary.