Roni on the Run

Nong Khiaw is located in the North of Laos, only 3 hours drive from Luang Prabang, it would be a sin to skip this charming little town.

You will be spoilt for choice of things to do! Expect lots of beautiful scenery, picturesque hikes and local cultures of Hmong, Lao, & Khmu tribes. This town is filled with culture and natural beauty, this is where you can find the ‘Real Laos’!

Where to Stay

Nong Khiaw is fairly small, you can easily walk everywhere on foot. Most guest houses and restaurants are located on the South-East side also known as the ‘tourist side’ of the Nam Ou River (across the bridge when you arrive to Nong Khiaw). Many guest houses are not listed on online booking platforms, it’s possible to walk-in and find your desired accommodation when you arrive.

I would recommend to stay in Phoulisack Guest House. This guest house was affordable and convenient, located centrally between many great restaurants and tour companies. For Kip 80,000 you can have a double room with air conditioning.

Where to Eat

Noymany Restaurant was one of the best ones in town, offering a huge variety of local and western food! Traditional Lao Laap is fantastic and the portion is very big.

Explore Nong Khiaw

There are lots of beautiful places to explore in Nong Khiaw, with limited time I managed to do the highlights. You can also opt to staying longer and enjoying laid back life by the river or participating in a variety of other tours or sports.

However, at least I recommend you to check out these! you won’t be disappointed:

Pha Daeng Peak Viewpoint

If you already searched for Nong Khiaw on google or Instagram you probably already seen a photo of this spectacular view! Afterall, this is exactly what brought me here to Nong Khiaw in the first place.

Start of the hike is on the South-East side of the river, easily accessible and it takes on average 45 minutes to 1 hour to reach the top. Most of the hike is an uphill path through the forest with few steep rocks and ropes (easy to manage, ensure you wear appropriate footwear).

If you start hiking early you will be rewarded with panoramic views all to yourselves, less likely to bump into other hikers. It will start getting more crowded if you start hiking 9am onwards.

It is possible to do a sunrise hike, breathtaking views will be worth an early start!

Remember that Laos is very hot and humid, even the smallest hikes can be very challenging in the middle of the day. This is why I would highly recommend to start hiking as early as possible. I started hiking at 8am and it was still fairly cool and pleasant.

Cost of entry: Kip 20,000

Start hiking here

Hill Tribe Trekking

If you are not restricted by time, I would highly recommend to experience a multi-day hill tribe trekking adventure! North Laos is the best place for it. You will have an opportunity to immerse into the life of local tribes, experience their culture and traditions, try local food, experience homestays and enjoy peaceful village life, disconnected from the rest of the world.

Check out my latest blog post on Hill Tribe Trekking in Nong Khiaw for more information and preparation tips!

I recommend you to check out Tiger Trail to book your trekking adventure. This company supports local villages and guides, it is significantly kinder to the community and your money will go a lot further if you choose to hike with Tiger Trail.

Each company has their unique trails and different homestays, however whichever company you choose they will all be fairly similar – the importance is how they treat their guides and the impact they leave behind on the villages they work with!

Tiger Trail Agency is centrally located on the South-East side of the river here

Kayaking

Many tour companies can arrange day trips from Nong Khiaw, they usually include kayaking, hiking and food. However the prices are fairly steep and especially if you already done a hill tribe hiking adventure, another day-tour is frankly unnecessary. But you can just hire a kayak for 1-2 hours!

You will need to negotiate a cheaper price to hire a kayak for few hours, I recommend you check out NK Adventure Tour agency. This is a great way to explore further down the river on your own.

NK Adventure Tour Agency is centrally located on the South-East side of the river here

For me, North of Laos was one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited in Laos. It is filled with local culture and beautiful nature. After spending 5 days in and around Nong Khiaw I left happy to have made this trip and I would absolutely recommend anyone to go there.