Since we really wanted to see a bit more of Northern Laos, we went to Muang Ngoy (don’t try to pronounce it, it’s impossible!) where we spent a very relaxing few days

The trip to Muang Ngoy first involved a 3-hour van ride from Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw (it was supposed to be 5 hours, but we had a young and hasty driver…), and from there a boat up the Nam Ou river to Muang Ngoy itself, in the middle of the jungle. As usual with Lao transportation, you don’t know when you leave, so we had to wait for the “ferry”

the ticket office

Roland’s waiting

the so-called ferry is in fact a small long boat where they packed our bags, and then you sit on the floor for an hour until you reach Muang Ngoy.

the “ferry” pier:

Because it’s the rainy season, the pilot has to avoid all the floating debris, but the scenery is beautiful

Muang Ngoy is basically a single street town,

and it’s surrounded by the forrest

Disarmed bombs, now used for decoration purposes, are there to remind you that you do NOT want to walk off the trails, since Lao is scattered with UXO: UneXploded Ordnance (the US were carpet-bombing Laos to prevent Vietnamese from retreating there - today, only less than 1% of the landmines have been removed!)

click here for more info about the UXO in Laos

There is no road leading there, and no vehicule either since there are only trails between villages in the area, so it’s very quiet and relaxed atmosphere!
There is no electricity either, and they run generators only in evenings, between 7 and 10pm. Therefore, there is no fan or hot water, and the latter balances the former since you definitely need cold showers to cool down your body from the surrounding heat!

We spent 3 days there - on the boat that took us there, we met some older Lao people who spoke French, and they told us they came to visit the “Séminaire”… Then, they explained to us that this was the name given to a prison located in Muang Ngoy, and that’s where the Lao government used to jail political dissidents in the 70’s. It makes sense since this region is very remote, and even if you could make it out of your cell, the only way out is by slow boat!
One of these Lao men told us that he was imprisoned for 4 years, 6 months and 13 days. The prison is now closed, and the forrest has taken over, but they still come here to revive the old years of their captivity. Nowhere in our guides was there any mention of this part of Muang Ngoy history.

When we arrived at Muang Ngoy, it started to rain (just like everytime we arrive somewhere in Laos!), so we had to look for a guesthouse under pouring rain. But walking away from the boat station was worth it since we found a great spot: a series of bungalows, with hammock and riverview, for less than 3 euros a night!

Kath enjoying the hammock:

The view from our first bungalow:

Roland taking a nap in our second bungalow, on day 2

And of course the mandatory mosquito net for the night, which we used along with bug repellent, long-sleeve clothes and malarone

Whether it’s from our room or from the restaurant terrace, we were able to spy out the local life

it is unsuprisingly centered on fishing

Bringing the fish back…

These cones are some kind of traps that they set along the banks of the river to catch fish

Bathing time!

We found a restaurant with a great view over the river for dinner

From there, we were able to give in our addiction for pictures!

Nice sunset…

Although we found ourselves very lazy while we were in Muang Ngoy (hammocks are *really* comfortable!), we found some strength to walk a bit out of town, and walk to a nearby cave

Butterflies drinking from a stream

The ants build tunnels across the trail, to protect themselves against the heat

Kath on the trail

The rice paddies

The cave wasn’t actually very deep, with a single hall by the entrance

But the good surprise was the underground river, coming our from the cave!

Cool clean water is perfect for taking a dip, so we imitated the locals into cooling us down from the hot weather!

After a couple of very relaxed days, we took he boat back, but this time we decided not to take the scary fast van, but instead opted for the slow bus:

The ride was less bad than we thought, and we made it safe and sound back to Luang Prabang!