Nam Et - Phou Louey NPA Travel

Best time to visit

For a warm, dry climate, it’s best to visit Nam Et-Phou Louey between October and April. If you wish to travel on the river, between November and January is best, as water levels are high, making for easy passage.

Check the below table for the general idea of Nam Et – Phou Louey NPA weather throughout the year.

Nam Et – Phou Louey NPA's current weather and 7-day forecast

NAM ET-PHOU LOUEY NPA WEATHER

The only access for visitors to visit the protected area is by doing a tour organized by the protected area ecotourism unit.

Nam Nern Night Safari boat tour-(24 hour overnight tour) 

This innovative and adventurous journey by traditional long-tail boat offers some great nature activities that include bird watching, wildlife tracking, nighttime wildlife spotting, medicinal plant exploration and moderate hiking. This tour has won the prestigious ‘World Responsible Tourism Award’ at the World Travel Mart in London, England, both in year 2013 and 2014!

Treking tours The Nests - Option 2 days & 3 days

This is a family friendly hike with overnight in cosy spherical baskets hanging from the trees. The trip is perfect to enjoy wildlife viewing from the wildlife observation tower (currently under construction) at the nearby Poung Nyied salt lick, which attracts animals such as the rare Sambar deer from far and wide.

Cloud Forest Climb - Option 4days or 5 days including ‘The Nests’

This is a hiking trail up to the summit of Phou Louey (Forever Mountain) to one of the few cloud forests in the region, and is an option for the more adventurous ones. The hike goes through the evergreen forest and offers a rare opportunity to track wild species such as white-cheeked gibbon, leopards, bears and wild dog using camera traps, which will be set up along the trail and maintained by tourists.

Muang Hiam town

Muang Hiam town in Houphan province was known to be dangerous for its many tigers, so people were told when passing through here “to beware”, which in the local dialect is “hiem”. Hence, the town was called Muang Hiem (“muang” means town or district). The Nam Khan River in Muang Hiam is the same river that flows by Luang Prabang UNESCO peninsula in to the Mekong River.

A small stupa, situated atop the hill amazingly survived the heavy explosions during the war, and an unexploded bomb lodged deep inside the earth (the bomb was detected by UXO clearing teams).

In the center of town, is the market. You can purchase some fruits, sticky rice, BBQ and sour vegetable PakSom for picnic lunch when exploring the surroundings of Hiam. 

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Inside the protected area

The only option to sleep inside the protected area is by doing one of the tours organized by the protected area.

•    Nam Nern Night Safari - 1 night in a jungle lodge

•    The Nests - 1 night in a spherical baskets hanging from the trees and 1 night in jungle huts

•    Cloud Forest Climb - 3 nights in jungle huts and 1 night in the spherical baskets hanging from the trees

Next to the protected area

Few accomodations are available in Viengthong - where the protected area headquarters are located.

•    Dork Khoun Thong Guesthouse (in the centre of the small town). 

Very clean, decent-sized rooms have hot showers, netted windows and comfortable new beds with love-message sheets and teddy-bear towels. There's a pleasant first-floor sitting area and attractive views across riverside fields from the rear terrace. 

•    Kammeesay Guesthouse

•    Phoukham Guesthouse

•    Bus station guesthouse. 

Bus station guesthouse is directly at the bus station, which is perfect for staying one night.  

Nam Et-Phou Louey headquarters & Visitor Centre are located in Muang Hiam (Viengthong)

By buses

The roads are narrow and winding but are in surprisingly good condition for such a remote area. The views are always scenic. Good quality public busses leave Luang Prabang, Sam Neua and Phonsavan regularly, with drop-offs regularly along the entire route.

From Luang Prabang Public Bus

Take the bus heading to Sam Neua, which leaves daily between 7-8 am from the Luang Prabang northern bus station. The bus trip to Viengthong is about 10 hours. An addition 1.5 hours to Ban Son Koua (the Night Safari start). Car/Motorcycle: From Luang Prabang go north on Road #13 about 100 km and turn right onto Road #1C at the Pak Mong junction (follow the sign towards Nong Kiau). Travel 200 km on Road #1C northeast to Viengthong about 7-8 hours. An addition 1.5 hours to Ban Son Koua the Night Safari start.

From Sam Neua Public Bus

Buses and public mini vans leave from the Sam Neua bus station towards Viengthong daily between 7-8 am. The trip is about 4 hours, with an addition 1 hour to Viengthong (HQ). Car/Motorcycle: Follow Road #6 southwest towards Muang Kham/Phonesavanh. Tourn right at the Ko Hing junction and follow Road #1C for another 7km. An addition 1 hour drive to Viengthong.

From Phonesavanh Public Bus

There is a daily bus leaving Phonsavan at 8:30 am from the Bus station of Xiengkhouang province to Muang Hiem (Viengthong). The bus drive to Ban Son Koua is about 5.5 hours and an additional 1.5 hour to Viengthong.

We recommend you check the latest bus schedule and price via rome2rio.com

By Car/Motorcycle

Follow Road #6 northeast towards Sam Neua passing Muang Kham. Turn left at the Ko Hing junction and follow Road #1C for 7km until Ban Son Koua. The trip is about 4 hours.

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