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A border post above the clouds

Published: 15.03.2018

[by Jonas] On Tuesday morning, our next journey began. We had booked a minivan with hostel transfer directly in our hostel (75,000 Kip per person = €7.33). There were many other providers in the city who sold all bus trips and did not differ much in price. However, we decided to book directly at the hostel (although we had a bad experience with that), because we really liked the staff and it seemed reliable and simple this time.

Shortly before departure, we quickly paid for the hostel and everything that went with it, such as the laundry service or the minivan trip, which, by the way, took us to Nong Khiaw. As soon as we finished breakfast, a tuk-tuk was already waiting in front of the hostel and we got in, putting our backpacks on the roof as usual. The tuk-tuk was full with us and was already sagging at the back. But it didn't take long for us to realize that we were driving further into the city instead of going to the minivan bus station. At the mentioned hostel, four more French people squeezed into the tuk-tuk. Now it was completely crowded and accordingly crooked. There was no more suspension, as it was already at its limit under full load due to our weight. This became noticeable when we still didn't head to the southern minivan bus station, but to our surprise, we drove north, where the roads became noticeably worse. When we turned into an undeveloped side street, we realized that our destination was not the bus station. It only took a few bumps in the road until we almost got stuck in the muddy driveway of a private front yard, where only one minivan stood. With a little jerk, we managed it and as soon as the tuk-tuk stopped, our luggage was loaded into the minivan. So we all got in. It wasn't until the driver started the engine that a passenger asked, "Nong Khiaw," and the driver's answer, "Nong Khiaw, 3 hours," was not very understandable, but seemed to relieve everyone else as well as us. And off we went. The ride itself was not particularly interesting. I think I don't need to mention that the road users confuse the streets with a race track. But I still do, because on this trip we had to realize once again that Laotian roads are not very well built and that we sometimes made such strong jumps that I seriously considered what would happen if we broke down.
But this scenario didn't happen and we arrived in Nong Khiaw quite punctually. We hadn't heard of this place before Luang Prabang, but when we looked into the further journey, we found that it could be a logical stopover on our route towards Vietnam. Therefore, we read in travel guides and on the internet that it should be a picturesque, idyllic place. But what we found was more than impressive! A small, quiet town on a big river in a mountain landscape, as it could be depicted on a travel poster.

The view from the bridge in Nong Khiaw
The view from the bridge in Nong Khiaw

View over the river from the pier
View over the river

We decided to visit our hostel. Since the city doesn't really have any roads, apart from the moderately busy main road through the town, but consists mostly of dirt roads, we walked along the main road until we discovered an arrow with the inscription "Meexai Guesthouse" (210,000 Kip/room, including breakfast = €20.50), our hostel. It was located at the end of this path and made a nice impression. But when we were shown to our room, it got even better! We discovered that there was a small terrace in front of our room with a beautiful view of the river and a huge mountain behind it. The room was clean but basic.

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain
The view from our room: The Nam Ou River and a mountain

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

View over the river from the pier
View over the river from the pier

The view from the bridge in Nong Khiaw
The view from the bridge in Nong Khiaw

The view from the bridge in Nong Khiaw
The view from the bridge in Nong Khiaw

Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

Franzi sitting next to the Laotian flag in front of giant mountains
Franzi sitting next to the Laotian flag in front of giant mountains

Jonas sitting next to the Laotian flag in front of giant mountains
Jonas sitting next to the Laotian flag in front of giant mountains

The two of us sitting hand in hand in front of the sunset
The two of us sitting hand in hand in front of the sunset
(cheesy, I know!)

The sunset over the multi-layered mountain landscape
The sunset over the multi-layered mountain landscape

The view from the lookout point
The view from the lookout point

Franzi sitting next to the Laotian flag in front of a giant mountain
Franzi sitting next to the Laotian flag in front of giant mountains

Jonas sitting next to the Laotian flag in front of a giant mountain
Jonas sitting next to the Laotian flag in front of giant mountains

The two of us sitting hand in hand in front of the sunset
The two of us sitting hand in hand in front of the sunset

The view from the bottom of the viewpoint
The view from the bottom of the viewpoint

The motorcycle on the boat
The motorcycle on the boat
Many blue longboats
Many blue longboats
Our full boat, Jonas in front
Our full boat, Jonas in front
Our small terrace in front of the room door
Our small terrace in front of the room door

Our full boat, Jonas in front
Our full boat, Jonas in front
Our full boat, Jonas in front
Our full boat, Jonas in front
Our two hands on the boat
Our two hands on the boat
Jonas sitting in front of the sunset
Jonas sitting in front of the sunset
The view from below the observation deck
The view from below the observation deck
The motorcycle on the boat
The motorcycle on the boat
The view from the bottom of the viewpoint
The view from the bottom of the viewpoint
The view from the bottom of the viewpoint
The view from the bottom of the viewpoint
Ferns growing on the wall
Ferns growing on the wall
The motorcycle on the boat
The motorcycle on the boat
Rice terraces in Muang Khua
Rice terraces in Muang Khua
The Son La River
The Son La River
A typical northern Vietnamese landscape
A typical northern Vietnamese landscape

As soon as we finished breakfast, a tuk-tuk was already waiting in front of the hostel and we got in, putting our backpacks on the roof as usual. The tuk-tuk was full with us and was already sagging at the back. It didn't take long for us to realize that we were driving further into the city instead of going to the minivan bus station...

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