Muang Ngoi

Muang Ngoi
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A gorgeous, sleepy town, Muang Ngoi gets our vote as one of the friendliest places in all of Laos, which is a big call. There is no road access, and the lack of motorbikes and other vehicles is refreshing.

Limited electricity means that the locals' lifestyle is aligned with daylight hours, and the town shuts down by nine or ten at night, and starts up again very noisily at daybreak!

Smaller than Nong Kiaow, Muang Ngoi offers more in the scope of local activities, and a few of the guesthouses offer trekking, walking, boating or caving day trips. Almost all the guesthouses wisely have hammocks on their balconies, and the favourite pastime of most visitors is simply swinging and appreciating the view.

Directly in the path of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the area was quite heavily bombed during the war, and locals lived in caves to avoid the falling bombs. Some of these caves can now be visited on walking expeditions out of Muang Ngoi.

From Nong Kiaow and Muang Ngoi it is possible to head upriver to Muang Khua and eventually Phongsali, or by land to Udomxai, which is the hub that opens up the north. Whether you only have a few days to spare and want to get out of Luang Prabang, or want to use these places as a stepping stone to a more in-depth exploration of the north, Nong Kiaow and Muang Ngoi are both great destinations.

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