Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tham Kang Caves
10,000K ∙ The caves are a 20-30min walk from the village; from the main street turn left after
Neem
restaurant
and follow the path across the bridge past the school and sports field
One excursion that you can take without a tour guide is to the nearby
Tham Kang Cave
;
it's very dark so take a torch. Formerly the district capital, Muang Ngoi was almost obliter-
ated during the Second Indochina War, and villagers took refuge from bombing raids in this
huge cave. The town was left uninhabited after the war, when local services (and much of the
populace) were moved to the new town of Nong Khiaw.
ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND: MUANG NGOI
By boat
Although Muang Ngoi is now accessible by road, the only public transport is by
boat. Boats arrive at the village's northern end; the ticket office (open 8-9.30am) is situated
just uphill from the boat landing, on the first path to the left. If you head straight on, you will
meet the village's main street. Leaving Muang Ngoi, boats depart at 9.30am to both Nong
Khiaw (25,000K; 1hr) and Muang Khoua (100,000K; 4-5hr); for the latter, you'll need to
sign up on a board at the ticket office in advance - be prepared to wait a day or two if there
aren't enough people travelling (theoretically ten - though it's usually possible to negotiate if
there are a few of you).
Mountain bikes
Good-quality mountain bikes can be rented from the shop in front of
Phonevaly Guesthouse
, though they're expensive (60,000K/day).
TOURS
Lao Youth Travel
On the path up from the boat landing, just beyond Lattanavongsa 030
200 5385,
laoyouthtravel.com
.
Muang Ngoi's most professional outfit, with the most ex-
tensive range of options, from a half-day kayaking trip to a local waterfall ($22) to two-day
($59) and three-day ($98) treks visiting local villages; prices are based on groups of four
