Northern Laos's finest river gorge — the Nam Ou river between limestone peaks, cave hideaways, and the most beautiful slow-boat journey in Southeast Asia
Nong Khiaw is a small town in northern Laos — 150km north of Luang Prabang on the Nam Ou River, where the river cuts through a tight gorge between near-vertical limestone peaks rising 700–900m from the waterline. The town sits at the junction of the river and the main road north — small enough that everything is within walking distance, large enough to have several guesthouses with river-view hammock terraces where the standard activity is watching the limestone spires turn orange at sunset while a bamboo fan keeps the heat away. The boat journey from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw (4–5 hours by…
The Nam Ou valley was one of the most heavily bombed corridors in Laos during the Secret War (1964–1973) — the B-52 strikes aimed at interdicting Ho Chi Minh Trail traffic used the river valleys as visual guides. The Pathet Lao resistance caves in the limestone karst around Nong Khiaw were used by the communist resistance government (which sheltered the entire government administration in caves during the peak bombing years of 1969–1973) as offices, hospitals, and schools. The caves are now accessible on guided tours and represent a remarkable Cold War-era survival story. The post-war isolati…