People say incredible things about the hiking in Laos so I was determined to find an epic trek.   After the scenic two day slow boat dumped us in Luang Prabang, I was browsing different treks and decided heading north toward the border of China, to a town called Nong Khiaw, would make the fun stuff more easily accessible. Immediately I realized this was a great decision.  Stepping off the bus you notice the quality of the air has increased dramatically.  Nong Khiaw is nestled right in the mountains, split by the Nam Ou River, quaint, off the beaten path, and surrounded by limestone cliffs which is exactly what I was looking for after spending too much time in urban areas. 

Some photos of the sunrise / sunset hikes around town: 

Choosing a trek is a big decision.  I probably put too much thought into it, but you spend a fair amount of time and money on this while some options are unethical so I really wanted to do my due diligence to ensure a good time.  I’m also not used to picking a tour company to take me on a hike because normally I can show up at the trail-head to fend for myself.  One option that arose had visits to waterfalls, kayaking, and home stays mixed into jungle trekking so figured it’d be hard to go wrong with all those activities. 

The first stop on our expedition was a village famous for its textile production.  We were able to see every step in the process completed right there in the village.  Strands of coconut drying on a line, dying with natural indigo they grow themselves, and finally the weaving process comes together here:

The next two days hiking through the jungle was challenging, but rewarding and the most unique experience walking right up to villages filled with farmers, chickens, pigs, and ducks running about.  The hospitality received at each home stay was unparalleled.  Interesting to compare and contrast the two nights – night #1 we were involved in the cooking process, helped chop fresh vegetables from their garden and tended the fire.  With all the animals around, I jokingly suggested they were probably part of our dinner, and the guide looked at me to ask if I wanted to watch. 

He ushered me around the corner out of eyesight of the girls in our group, and I saw our host for the evening clasping the wings of a duck together.  I thought to myself, “wow this may be gruesome, but if I’m going to eat it I should know what goes on behind the scenes.” While his son held the neck and he the feet, he punctured the duck’s chest, let the bird bleed out into a large steel bowl and slowly stop squirming.  It was then boiled as prep for plucking the feathers, and later the beak, feet and wings were all thrown into a pot of boiling water to bleed the flavors into the stock. 

The Larp (minced meat with herbs and spices) prepared with the duck was the best I had in Laos.  I’m proud of myself for sampling the dish with the innards marinated in duck blood, but it was a bit much with the peculiar textures and I only had a few bites.   Dinner with the guides, host family, and Laolao (homemade rice whisky, each village has unique version) was memorable at every step from the blessing beforehand to the singing that broke out after around the table. 

Touring around the village on the last day, our guide told us of a makeshift market happening which is one of my favorite ways to experience a new place.  It certainly was no Bangkok floating market, but as we approached I noticed a motor running in the back of a pickup truck that had gathered quite the crowd.  I was curious to see what it was, and upon further inspection, peaking over the crowd, this machine was turning grains of rice into long crispy rice tubes. This was a two person operation with one person snipping the tube into foot long pieces as it came out of the motor, stuffing them into a sack, while their partner ensured the machine had plenty of raw rice to chew. 

Some photos of the action: 

I wasn’t sure what to expect with the taste, but was pleasantly surprised by the slight sweetness and crunch of the treat that ultimately reminded me of popcorn.  Even after feasting on a traditional Laotian breakfast of omelets, sticky rice and larp I found room in my stomach for the snack as it was convenient to eat on the trail.  With most of the elevation gain done the previous couple days it was smooth sailing until we reached the Nam Ou River where we’d travel by boat back to Nong Khiaw. 

This was our Nam Ou River taxi four the four of us: