Introduction

Laos is a mountainous country.  Ample rainfall provides for lush forests.  There are numerous slow moving brown rivers with small villages and clusters of homes scattered along the banks.  From time immemorial, many of these outposts were inaccessible by land and only threaded together by boats and ferries.

  

The Nam Ou river drains a large section of northern Laos, just south of the Chinese border.  After meandering 250 kilometers, it joins the mighty Mekong just upstream from Luang Prabang, Laos’ second largest city.

Our Itinerary

Simone and I boated down the Ou river on the daily ferry from Muang Khua to Nong Khiaw.  Along the way we laid over two nights at Muang Ngoi.

Muang Khua

We journeyed to Muang Khua with four other travellers we had met from previous adventures.  Finn, from Belgium, had joined us a week earlier at the Lao border in Chiang Khong, Thailand.  Michael, from Germany, had been on our jungle trek several days earlier in Luang Namtha.  Two Vietnamese women had joined us the day before in Oudamxai.  

In the morning, we had all piled into the local bus.  Yes, there were chickens in the back.  

Available Snacks - Pig Skin, Chilies, Salted Fish and Grubs

We slowly wended our way along the twisted and potholed roads.  Vast swaths of forest have been converted to rubber tree plantations depriving locals of ancestral hunting grounds for both animals and edible vegetation.  

Homes and businesses have sprung up along the roads - many of them just a few feet from the asphalt.  Dogs and pigs and motorcycles would sometimes choke the highway.  Somehow the passing vehicles just fit into the fabric of life without causing any harm.  

We arrived in Muang Khua in the early afternoon.  Our guesthouse was precariously perched on a steep bank across the river from the village center.  To reach it, we crossed over via an impressive suspension bridge.  

The town still had some French charm with coffee, baguettes and hints of colonial architecture.  

Modernization is bringing more Chinese goods, WiFi, smartphones and a change of culture.

We could see the impressive Chinese-Lao railway under construction.

Cement plant and train trestles with strings attached.

Muang Khua is an excellent departure point to visit hill tribes as well.  There are a lot of tribes and very few trekkers.  Many villages only see tourists a few times a year.

Hmong hill tribe women along the highway.

There are many similarities to the people of northern Thailand and northern Laos.  At one time they were both part of the Lanna kingdom and their languages are still similar.  Although Thailand does not have the French influence, many of the traditional foods are the same.  The most striking quality, to me, was a sweet gentleness. 

 

In their culture it is honorable to be gracious and give way.  To be pushy or ‘stand your ground’ is seen as uncouth.  No one hassles you, or is assertive in their negotiations.  Sure they may ask for a bit more in the markets, but it is never unreasonable and they quickly agree to a price that is “good for you and good for me”.  More often than not, we were offered the local price right off - especially for food.  They seemed to find pleasure in being kind and fair.  The relationship, even if fleeting, was more important than petty profit.

The next morning, the two Vietnamese women took an early bus to the Viet border - they were on their way back home.  The rest of us headed down to the local ferry, which already had more than its quota of tourists.  

As more tourists continued to show up there was one round after another of shuffling and moaning to get all of us into the narrow boat.  Right when we were finally settled and about to leave a second boat showed up so we positioned ourselves all over again but this time with more room.

Soon we were off, half carried and half motored down the muddy river.  The day was warm and with a cool breeze.  

After three or four hours we approached a massive dam under construction, part of the extensive Chinese investment in Laotian infrastructure.  

The boats beached upstream and we were all shuttled around the dam in dusty pickup trucks to a dock down river. 

This time we were all packed like sardines into a single boat.  There was a mixture of laughing, disbelief and grumbling.

After a few more hours motoring downstream we finally arrived at our destination.

Muang Ngoi

Until recently, Muang Ngoi was only accessible by river boat.  

As part of Laotian rural development, and to compensate for the disruption of river transit that the new dams are causing, many remote villages are now getting overland road access provided.  

Simone and I spent a few nights here, hiking to local tribal villages, exploring caves and chillaxing on the restaurant verandas overlooking the river.

Nong Khiaw

Before we knew it we were on heading down river again.  

Tall karst mountains stood sentinel on both sides, their peaks shrouded in mist.  

One of the first things we saw approaching Nong Khiaw was a high bridge spanning the beautiful gorge.  Overall the town was quite beautiful and there was a nice assortment of restaurants including an Indian joint that served vegetarian thalis.  

Several hikes scaled the local hills up to a spectacular overlooks.  

Jungle Fly Zipline 

One day I joined a rough and ready crew on the local Jungle Fly zipline expedition.  We motored deep into the nearby mountains with an unusual 4 wheel drive tractor contraption. 

After about 40 minutes, we hopped off and continued by foot.  Up and up we went until we were at the top of a watershed between two karst mountains.  The guides gave us a quick intro to how the equipment worked and, most importantly, how to brake in order to decelerate because the 12 different zip lines had two speeds - fast and very fast.

The gathering river below was clear and inviting, cascading down the steep canyon crowded by dense forest. 

The zip lines were lost in the foliage, only dropping below the canopy when one’s weight drew the cable lower.  One of the guides would go first, wildly swinging a machete to hack back the brush.  Some of the runs were nearly half a kilometer and the destination platform would be out of sight when launching.  

Care was need to avoid striking branches along the way or falling through the broken slats of the dilapidated platforms.  It was very exhilarating and a first time for me.

Some rope course elements were included.

Au Revoir

Michael headed off after a day or two.  Finn, Simone and I would catch the bus two days later and we all met up again in Luang Prabang.  Even later, in Vietnam, we met up with Finn and one of the Vietnamese women!

So ended our trip along the remote Nam Ou river.

Laos.MKhua.Portrait.Edited