Nong Khiaw, Laos

 Notes from the journal:

7/8

  • Got off the bus and stopped for some lunch right away bc I was getting a headache and, then walked 30 mins in the heat to my “farmstay” which was really just an overpriced hostel
  • Decided to take the afternoon off due to not feeling well, and after my migraine meds kicked in I hiked the Nong Khiaw viewpoint, which was very steep but didn’t take too long. Arrived at the top during golden hour and saw the beautiful 360 degree views.
  • Stopped for a cold drink and dinner on the way back

7/9

  • Woke up early and stopped at a nearby cafe for lemongrass tea and some rlly good French toast
  • Hiked a pretty steep, slippery, muddy, and buggy hike up to Phar Khew Lom viewpoint in crappy weather. Was cloudy at the top so the views were meh and I decided it wasn’t really worth the effort. I kept falling in the mud on the way down and got bit by several giant ants lol (in addition to mosquitoes swarming the entire time)
  • Jumped in a river to wash off the mud but then got chased up a hill by a pig (I really couldn’t win today)
  • Stopped for lunch on the way back, did a bunch of laundry, showered, and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon
  • I was done with the slippery and mosquitoey hikes so I decided to forgo another viewpoint hike and instead got dinner at the same place

7/10

  • Woke up early and went to the same cafe and got banana/chocolate pancakes :)
  • Walked back to bus station to purchase a ticket (this was the only bus ticket in Asia that I wasn’t able to buy online) but the first buss was full so I had to wait a bit for the next one
  • Took a Loca taxi from the bus terminal back in Luang Prabang to a nearby village, ate some lunch, walked the rest of the way to the big, fancy railway station for the high speed train between Laos and China. Boarded my train to Vang Vieng


Read if I referred you to this post:

  • Nong Khiaw was cool, but mostly for the Nong Khiaw viewpoint, so I’m not sure it deserves an entire side journey just for that in my personal opinion. I wouldn’t recommend the Phar Khew Lom viewpoint and do a different viewpoint or activity instead.
  • The bus to Nong Khiaw can currently be booked online but the return bus to Luang Prabang requires booking at the station







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