The
town is a popular tourist destination because of its surrounding karst
limestone mountains and is the starting point of Eco-tourism treks. Notable sights
include the Tham Kang cave and Tham Pha Kaew cave north of
town which were used as bombshelters during the Vietnam-war era. Every 10 days
there is a regional market where tribal villagers come to trade.
It is also possible to walk to little-visited surrounding
villages for lunch - the nearest is Ban Na about an hour away beyond the caves.
There are two other villages further afield on the same route.
It is also possible to take boat trips further up
the Nam Ou River
A gorgeous, sleepy town, Muang Ngoi gets
our vote as one of the friendliest places in all of Laos. You won't find any
banks, public internet access or landline telephones, so remember to bring cash
and tell your friends and family you'll be incommunicado. However, given the
pace of development around Laos, it is only a matter of time before the modern
world arrives in Muang Ngoi.
Smaller than Nong
Kiaow, Muang Ngoi offers a similar scope of activities that makes the most
of the area's natural beauty: trekking, boating, caving, camping, kayaking.
Nearly every guesthouse can arrange a tour with a local guide, but Lao
Youth Travel is the most reputable spot.
Almost all the guesthouses wisely have hammocks on
their balconies, and the favourite pastime of most visitors is simply swinging
and appreciating the view.
Directly in the path of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the
area was quite heavily bombed during the war and locals lived in nearby caves
to avoid the falling bombs. Some of these caves can now be visited on treks and
it's less than an hour's walk to Tham Kang and Tham Pha Kaew caves, which
are best appreciated with the knowledge of a guide. Keep your eyes open around
town for war leftovers as a few guesthouses decorate their grounds with bomb
casings.
Whether you only have a few days to spare and want
to get out of Luang
Prabang, or want to use these places as a stepping stone to a more in-depth
exploration of the north, Nong Kiaow and Muang Ngoi are both great
destinations.
One warning though. Over the last couple of years
there have been persistent reports of theft from bungalows in Muang
Ngoi. We'd suggest you're best not to leave anything of much value in your
shack.
The town is home to about 800 people and has a small
school and a temple. Limited electricity means that the locals'
lifestyle is aligned with daylight hours, and the town shuts down by nine or
ten at night and wakes up with the noisy roosters at daybreak (or actually, a
little earlier...).
While the locals are genuinely warm and welcoming,
they're also eager to cash in on the tourists flocking to their tiny town. Some locals
may persist in offering you their services as a trekking guide, but they're
just as likely to invite you to join them for a game of sepak takraw or
petanque.
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