The trek starts in a small village called Nong Kiaw, located North from Luang Prabang. Choosing Nong Kiaw as a base, it gives you a pleasant opportunity to add several trips and treks as it fits your schedule. The Phatok cave, a mere 2,5 km walking distance (half an hour) from the center deserves a visit. Part of the legendary Ho-Chi-Minh trail it served as shelter (and a hospital, too) during the War. The Mountain View is another good destination. This fantastic area of Laos was only recently discovered by adventure travellers, so you may still enjoy the peaceful trekking and lush green nature.
Take a short boat ride downstream to Don Khoun Village, where you can explore the local life of the villagers and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Soon you will get to the starting point of the trek. The trek itself takes approximately 4-5 hours, depending on your fitness. Walk passed rice fields and through a little stream and the uphill climb starts right there. One and half or two hours of uphill climbing (sometimes pretty steep) gives you breathtaking views of the Nam Ou river, the surrounding mountains and of Nong Kiaw itself.
Begin counting the waterfalls and enjoy the adventure. The climbing gets pretty steep at times, but the breathtaking views are definitely worth all your muscle ache. What a stunning scenery!! The nature is so unspoilt in this region. The surrounding mountains add a magic touch. Admire the mighty waterfalls, sometimes really gentle, sometimes big and powerful. You can swim in the pools underneath the waterfalls and then have a little snack and rest. Our guide leads us through the stream up to the very top. There, served on two large banana leaves we enjoy a local lunch consisting of the inevitable sticky rice, different vegetables and spicy fresh chilli sauce. The scenery accompanying our lunch is rarely found elsewhere.
After lunch we made an easy descent to the village and full of memories we headed back by boat to Nong Kiaw.