Nam Ou River Trip Gallery

About this trip The third trip to Laos, Jan 2012. We took the classic route again (Friendship bridge, Vientiane, Luang Prabang) and then followed the Nam Ou river and finally crossed the new border into Vietnam to Dien Bien Phu. See TRAVEL INFO at the bottom of this page.
River Panorama Nong Khiaw
Nong Khiaw boat pier	Mountainbike tours from Nong Khiaw
River Food	Going Up The Nam Ou
Rapids And Strong Current	Mountains All Around
Arriving In Muang Ngoi Neua	Discharging The Boats
What A Peaceful Place	At The Village Temple
View From Our Small Bungalow	Main Street
Hiking In The Nam Ou Valley
Forest Near The Village	Elephants
Bridges	"River Grass"
	Cultural Info About The Region
Engagement Party	Boat Trip To Muang Khua
Private Boat	Small Tribal Village At The Riverfront

Travel Info Nam Ou and bordercrossing
last update Feb 2012

Public bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang (440 Baht). Spectacular mountain road before reaching LP.

From LP northern bus terminal bus in 3,5 hours to Nong Khiaw (40.000 Kip). Much faster compared to the boat. The upper parts of the Nam Ou are more interesting anyway.

Boat from Nong Khiaw to Muang Ngoi Neua (25.000 Kip). The perfect place to relax for a couple of days and do some village trekking in the mountains.

Boat further up the Nam Ou to Muang Khua with 4 passengers takes about 4,5 hours (120.000 Kip). Many guesthouses, hotels and some small restaurants. From here you can take the road east to the border or west to Udomxai.

Bus across the border to Dien Bien Phu takes about 6 hours (50.000 Kip). This bus usually leaves at 5:30 am (other side of river), there is a second bus around noon coming from Udomxai. Take the first ferry in the morning to be there on time. The road is in good condition, some sections are not finished yet (missing bridges, no tarmac). Scenic mountain road with several small villages in between. Overtime fee (4.000 Kip) at the Lao border. For entry to Vietnam a visa in your passport is required.