Blogs from Muang Ngoi Neua, North, Laos, Asia - page 5

Since we began our travels fellow backpackers were telling us about a small villiage in northern Laos called Muang Ngoy that can only be reached by boat-and that only when the river is high enough. We took a trip up to Nong Khieo in a mini van and then waited with other travellers for the ferry. The trip up to this villiage is very popular with Israelis. So many young travlellers have recommended the place and we were told that this villiage is part of a dissappearing trail that many of them visit. Our boat was packed and so heavy that we had to get out and walk about one mile through sand dunes while the boat found its way up the rapids. During the walk, the Lao woman leading us starting screaming as did several ... read more

Muang Ngoi and surrounding villages, 25-28 January 2008 The villages we visited on a three-day trek from Muang Ngoi were absolutely amazing. Their skills, their commitment to their village and love of their neighbours, their resourcefulness and their motivation to not only survive but thrive in this isolated place prompted me to ask myself the question: Why are their equivalents in a so-called '1st World' nation like Australia so much worse off than those of this under-developed, poor nation? With no government 'assistance' or even true recognition, these people develop their own society and flourish! Arriving in Muang Ngoi, the serene farming-come-tourist village on the Nam Oh River, we took a dozen steps out our front door and found a dirt cheap lunch and an enthusiastic guide willing to take us on a 3-day trek around ... read more

Since Laos has been so amazing, I haven't been able to update my blog lately. Sorry. However, we have decided to kick back for a week in a little town in Northern Thailand called Pai so I figure I can get you all up to speed by the time I leave here. So here it goes . . . After Mark and I left Loung Nam Tha, we headed off to hang out in some little towns on the Nam Ou River. Our first night was spent in Noung Khaiw which was a nice place to recover from 10 hours in a bus or tuk-tuk which even included little car sick children. The next day, we got up, packed our bags and headed to the boat dock so we could catch a slow boat upstream to ... read more

Day 144 We got up early as we'd been told (although very unclearly!) that there was a boat to Muang Ngoi Neua (MNN) at 8am. MNN is about an hour further up the river and only reachable by boat and we'd been told it was a great place to explore some of the local countryside and visit some of the small local villages without needing a guide. There was no boat at 8, the first being at 11, so we dropped our bags near the dock and had a wander around the village. At 11 we got the boat and when we arrived at MNN we found a little bungalow on the riverfront for 75p a night and settled in. As we had lunch we watched the local ladies making LaoLao - the knock-your-head-off local rice ... read more

Luang Prabang, Nong Khiawn Muang Ngoi Nuea, Luang PrabangJason & Kirstyn O Travelled by local bus (no chickens) to Nong Khiaw. From here we caught a boat up the Nam Ou (River) to the tiny village of Muang Ngoi Neua. The boat was more like an oversized wooden canoe and the driver was very adept at getting us up the rapids without tipping us out! Muang Ngoi Neua has a population under 1000 people and there is only really one main dirt street in town. We found it to be one of the most relaxing places we have found so far on our trip. The town itself has several guesthouses and restaurants but is otherwise dependant upon farming and other industries such as making tools and fabric weaving within the local area. Power is provided by ... read more