LAOS Destinations - Retire To Explore

Last Updated on July 13, 2025

Pha Daeng Viewpoint in Nong Khiaw

Highlights

Three wonderful destinations in Laos that are full of adventure possibilities.

Time of Visit: March 2025

Duration of Visit: Nine Days

Description

Laos is a wonderful destination despite being landlocked and having no famous temples like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Wat Phra Kaew in Thailand or Bai Dhin in Vietnam. What Laos has are lush mountains with spectacular views, colorful sunsets, great food and many options for outdoor adventures. But perhaps one of the overlooked experiences that Laos offers is its friendly people. Though they may be intimidated because only very few speak English, they will gladly engage you with a smile when approached.

We visited three Laos destinations. These are Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw and Vang Vieng. We spent three days at each location and would not have had any trouble finding things to do if we could have stayed longer.

Nong Khiaw sits in Northern Laos while Luang Prabang is more to the middle of the country. Vang Vieng is south of Luang Prabang and north of the country’s capital, Vientiane.

At each destination, we describe the activities we did, how to get there, where we stayed and the expected costs associated with the activities we did. We are confident that the information on this post will be useful as you plan your Laos exploration.

Our Itinerary

Distance may look small on the map between destinations but the travel times are significant

Luang Prabang has an international airport. We flew in from Bangkok, Thailand to Luang Prabang. We found that flying from Bangkok provided the lowest airfare compared to other Asian countries like Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam.

Our itinerary was to fly to Luang Prabang and go to Nong Khiaw the same day. We then returned to Luang Prabang before finishing the trip at Vang Vieng. We then returned to Luang Prabang on our last day to fly back to Bangkok.

What We Would Do Different

Our itinerary involved a costly private transfer going to Nong Khiaw from Luang Prabang. We arrived in Luang Prabang late in the afternoon. It was costly because the last van transport to Nong Khiaw had already left. So we had to hire a private transport.

Our itinerary was as such because we did not know that there is the Laos-China Railway that runs between Boten in mainland China and Laos’ capital, Vientiane. The train stops at Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. Locals told us that the train became operational in 2023. Before the train, it was a six hour drive between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng. The train cut it down to less than two hours.

Because there are multiple train trips in a day, this would have allowed us to visit Luang Prabang first, then either Nong Khiaw or Vang Vieng next. The travel time between Nong Khiaw and Luang Prabang is around four hours because there are a lot of road sections that are bad. Add the two hour train between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, then it becomes just over a six hour journey, two of which being comfortably seated on a train.

I guess what we are saying is that it is very easy to go between Nong Khiaw and Vang Vieng in one day unlike before 2023.

Activities

Luang Prabang

Kuang Si Waterfall

Perhaps the prime attraction in Laos is the Kuang Si Waterfalls as a lot of travel articles feature this attraction. The waterfall is in a large park.

Park map showing swim areas (red area is the Asian Bear Sanctuary)

Waterfall swimming area downstream of uppermost falls

There are three waterfall tiers that the public can view. The uppermost waterfall is the one that is featured in travel websites and magazines. Swimming is not allowed at the base of the uppermost fall but is allowed in the bottom three.

You will see a stairway to the left of the uppermost falls and you may think that it will get to see more waterfalls. Do not even bother. We climbed those stairs only to find out it is used by those that signed for zip lining. No additional waterfalls can be seen.

Inside the waterfall park is the Asian bear sanctuary. Watching these seemingly gentle creaturs can be entertaining as they playfully move around their enclosure. Some may even be still for a minute or two which makes you wonder if they are real or not.

Manifa Elephant Camp

Besides Kuang Si Waterfalls, Manifa Elephant Camp should not be missed. The camp can be a half day experience or it can be combined with the Mekong River Cruise.

Visit to the camp is during the morning. This is an interactive experience where visitors get to feed, ride and bath the elephant. The elephants are all female and have dedicated handlers. The handler will ride with you throughout the experience.

You will get wet when the elephants get into the Mekong River. If you get the elephant that I rode on, it will naughtingly spray you too.

Elephants love sugarcane (feeding after buffet lunch)

The camp has showers so that visitors can get cleaned up after the ride. They also provide top and bottom clothing and sandals for riding plus towels to dry after showering. You have to bring a change of clothes (or at least underwear), soap and whatever your shower ritual needs are. You will also need a bag to store your wet clothes.

A buffet lunch is provided with unlimited drinks (including local beer). Another elephant feeding, ride and soaking would be offered after lunch for those that signed up for a full day tour (elephant plus river cruise).

This is a great experience and one that you cannot get just anywhere.

Mekong River Cruise

Chill atmosphere during the sunset river cruise

Our river cruise began at the elephant camp. We were joined by guests that combined the cruise with the trip to Kuang Si Waterfall in the morning (they actually had a chance to feed an elephant – for a short time).

The cruise made two stops which were Buddha Cave and Whisky Village before motoring downstream to Luang Prabang. It was a chill atmosphere on the river as there was really nothing worth looking at except waiting for the sunset’s reflection on the water.

You can skip going up the steps to get to Buddha Cave. Nothing really unique to see, especially if you have cave temples in Vietnam.

Whisky Village was interesting on the other hand. We learned a few things about how locals make their whisky and get to sample a couple of smooth distilled spirits. Bring cash as you may be tempted to buy what they are selling.

Motorbiking

Having refreshments at a restaurant by the river on the way to Kuang Si

Motorbiking around Luang Prabang is another way to spend a day or two. We used a motorbike to get to Kuang Si and stopped at a bamboo tunnel, had drinks at a restaurant by the river, and had ice cream at the Water Buffalo Dairy.

We almost wiped out going to Kuang Si. Part of the road was under construction at the time. There were unpaved sections with loose gravel on a downhill grade.

Night Market

Luang Prabang’s open air Night Market is one of the largest we have seen. Vendors mainly sell souvenirs and other tourist items. There is also an open air food court at the market’s West end.

Temples

There are many temples in and around Luang Prabang. We were only able to walk the grounds of three temple complexes.

Nong Khiaw

There are several ways to spend your time in Nong Khiaw. The photo below will give you an idea about your options.

A sampling of adventure activities available at Nong Khiaw

We only did a couple viewpoint hikes because we had an entire day that we got rained on. These viewpoints were Som Nang and Pha Daeng Viewpoints. Both are right in town not far from the South end of the bridge that crosses the Nam Ou River.

Som Nang Viewpoint provides a nice view of Nong Khiaw Village

Som Nang is an easy 15-20 minute hike to the first viewing platform. The trailhead is just after the bridge. The second viewing platform is at a higher vantage point. Hiking to Pha Deng Peak should not be missed. The hike takes about an hour because there is significant elevation gain. Also, the trail is dirt and would be muddy and slippery when wet.

Vang Vieng

Caves

There is no shortage of caves to explore in Vang Vieng. Some are lighted and some are not. The light from a cell phone is inadequate for venturing into a dark cave. Having a headlight would be better and it keeps your hands free to move around tight spaces or to better see where you are stepping on.

Some caves are its own attraction like Tham Chang Cave while others are part of the other attractions at the same location. An example of a cave and other attractions are Tham None and Angel Cave and Blue Lagoons 1 and 3 where you can enjoy swimming in the lagoon and have access to caves that are included with the paid admission.

Hike To A Viewpoint

There are many viewpoint hikes around Vang Vieng. The most popular is the Nam Xay Viewpoint and takes less than an hour. It is a popular hike for sunrise or sunset.

At the plane viewpoint of Horkam. The unicorn viewpoint is at the background to the right where the structure is on the mountaintop.

We also hiked to the Horkam Viewpoint. It is not as steep as Nam Xay and has two viewpoints which makes it enjoyable.

Hot Air Balloon and Powered Paragliding

Watching the sunset and hot air balloons at the hotel roofdeck

Hot air balloon and powered paragliding are morning and afternoon activities. We skipped this as we felt it was pricey.

Motorcycle Around

Motorcycling to the different villages around Vang Vieng is a great way to explore the area. Besides, you will need transportation to get from attraction to attraction, so why not do it on a motorbike?

Lagoons

Vang Vieng has four lagoons but they are between 30 to 60 minutes motorbike ride from the city center. The water has a blue tint and is refreshingly cool.

We visited Lagoons 1, 2, and 3. Lagoon 1 is definitely nice as it is shaded. But it is full of people even late in the afternoon. Lagoon 1 is a favorite of Chinese tourists, according to our host.

Lagoon 2 is exposed so this would be the place to get your tan as there is a large grassy area to spread out. It also has a jumping platform about 20 feet above the water.

Lagoon 3 is popular with young tourists as it has a zipline with a stop somewhere in the middle of the run. You are supposed to let go before the stop to safely fall into the water. There are also several open huts along the lagoon. But the huts close to the water get taken rather quickly so arrive early to secure a nice spot.

River Tubing

River tubing is another popular activity for young tourists. In some places, you can float your way from one bar to another while enjoying your favorite beverage. The river can get rowdy and some have died since alcohol and water is not a good combination.