Noua Waterfall

The Noua Waterfall 700 metres further along the road to Sam Neua from Nok Ann Cave and seven kilometres from Vieng Xai bus station is worth a visit if you've managed to get to Nok Ann Cave.

This is not a must-see attraction primarily due to the difficulty in getting a good view of the falls. At the bridge on the main road is a sign indicating the existence of the falls. From here, it is several kilometres of uphill downhill trekking on dirt tracks to reach the point where you can see the waterfall. In fact, some of the paths down to the river below the waterfall are so overgrown that you would need a machete to get through them, which is a complete let down.

The falls themselves are extremely powerful and make a large whooshing sound as you get closer to them. Perhaps better than the falls are the spectacular views of the ricefields in the valley below in the glow of a golden sunset.

Despite the difficulties in getting a good view of the falls, they are still worth visiting if you're travelling by motorbike or getting dropped by songthaew. And if you've already walked from town to Nok Ann Caves, then it would be worth walking a bit further to visit this attraction.